Making Facebook Groups Work for Your Business
September 24, 2018
Facebook has been taking a lot of flak lately for privacy related issues, but the truth is, modern businesses need platforms like Facebook to help grow. Social media has become the last stop in information sharing. Word of mouth is now done by sharing, commenting, and liking posts made by companies across Facebook.
Looking for ways to improve your Facebook presence and increase brand awareness and popularity? Here are a few tips which will get you setup as a true social media marketer.
Use Facebook Groups for Consumers
Whether you’ve already got a Facebook business page or not, a group page helps members of your client community interact with you and each other more freely. This takes away some of the stiffness many businesses put forth and creates a more reachable persona online. Your Facebook group is an excellent place to introduce new products and services, run contests, share coupons, and update consumers on what’s new with your business.
Unlike a standard business page which only lets you create major posts to your newsfeed and story, a group is more of a community among consumers. Everybody in the group can post and share, turning your brand into a relatable and enjoyable entity for all.
Use Facebook Groups for Your Staff
Not all Facebook groups need to be public, which means you can create a group and use it for internal communication, rather than external marketing purposes. Whether you have a staff of 10 or a staff of 10,000, inviting members of your team to join the group makes it easier to share upcoming company parties, changes to company policies, and to address birthdays and other informal affairs which don’t need to be shared with the consumer public.
You can even break down your departments into individual groups, providing places for every facet of the company to shine individually.
Benefits of Adding Facebook Groups to Your Social Media Roster
Facebook has its own special algorithm, but it’s also a part of the vast Google search engine algorithm as well. The way that your pages appear on Facebook and to the world depends on a variety of factors, including consumer engagement. Both these companies want to see the vast majority of the public satisfied, because, of course, this means more traffic for them.
Facebook groups have been proven to witness greater levels of consumer engagement than a business page alone. This means that by using the popularity of a group, you guarantee yourself a certain level of improved ranking and optimization.
Tips for Greater Consumer Experience
1. Interact with your group through comments, private messages and shares or likes. It isn’t enough to operate and maintain the group if you don’t put in the face time. Your clients and customers are part of the group because they like your products, services, or brand; express your gratitude by showing awareness of their presence and accepting feedback graciously.
2. To avoid negativity on your group, remember to set rules which restrict users from creating a space where others don’t want to be. There are basic Facebook rules to follow which help maintain a level of calm, but you can increase boundaries and guidelines with your own set of rules. Implement rules, such as, “no soliciting for purposes outside of this brand or business”, and, “be kind, this is a group for everyone.”
3. Post plenty of content of your own. Your group might be a place for followers of your business to share with others, but at its heart, it’s a group created for sharing your content. From coupons to upcoming promotions, and just standard, “a day in the life of” stuff; consumers want to see what’s going on with their favorite companies and be part of the magic. Pictures and videos work great here.
4. Make your group the place to be. There are sure to be plenty of promotions for all your clients or customers, but what about the members of your group who go above and beyond to show support and brand loyalty? Posting exclusive content which can only be redeemed by members of the group is a great way to show the group that they matter. You could easily do this by posting coupons in the group and not offer them elsewhere. Not only does this create positive vibes among group members, it also increases numbers in your group when newcomers want to join in for the savings. For example, you could introduce a coupon which members receive when they invite one friend to the group. This fosters community and helps you increase your fan base.
5. Advertise your group through your main website or Facebook page. Be sure to include any interesting facts, such as private and exclusive deals which are shared with members. Having an easy to follow link to find and apply for acceptance to the group makes it easier for your followers to stay in touch, be part of the gang, and improve your traffic and brand awareness.
Facebook isn’t necessarily the best tool for search engine optimization, but it’s a small piece of a much larger puzzle which sets the wheels in motion for better ranking all around. There’s no right or wrong way to maintain your Facebook presence online. Whether you choose to create a group, stick with the standard business page, or simply use it for personal purposes; it’s a platform designed for customization.