An enthusiastic runner dedicated to improving her sprint time joins a membership site devoted to runners, but she wants to chat about her technique with those who have similar interests.
Where can she go to connect with such like-minded individuals?
She can join a Facebook group.
A man has a rubber-duck obsession, so he joins a duck membership site to find the best duck deals. But he has no one to share his quacky obsession with.
Like the woman and man in the above examples, the members of your site can benefit from joining a Facebook group. A Facebook group gives people the opportunity to come together to receive feedback from one another, to discuss similar passions, to get inside information and deals, and to make friends.
What is a Facebook group, and what makes it unique from other forms of social media?
A Facebook group is exclusive. It is by invite or request only and is limited to five thousand members.
In a group, anyone can post within limits you set. This allows for dialogue between you and subscribers of your website. With most social media platforms, you run the gig. You are in control of all the content. For instance, with a Facebook page, you create posts on a regular basis. But with a Facebook group, you’re the host, not the spokesperson.
A community is created.
So why create a sense of community ?
- People are happy when they find friends with similar interests.
- Members can help each other navigate your site and get the most out of it.
- Connections help us achieve our goals.
Not only is this sense of community good for your members, they will feel more satisfied with what they’ve gained from your site. You’ll be offering a better product.
Other reasons to create a group
- A group can increase an individual’s sense of exclusive membership. On your group page, you can provide updates on deals as well as bonus material to members of your site that you wouldn’t include on your general Facebook page.
- It will help you conduct research. You will come to know what your users love, and you will be more aware of how you can sell what they love to others. You will also know about any concerns that are brought up about the website from those most involved with it. Additionally, it’s a place to grow fandom and where you can encourage members to spread the love.
- It enables you to have some control. If the members of your site form their own Facebook group, you may not know if a situation gets out of hand or a user has had a bad experience. If you’re the one who forms it, you have the ability to approve posts and make rules for what can and cannot be shared.
A few things to consider when forming a group.
While it’s true that the community runs the page, there’s still a bit of work you’ll have to do. Here are a few things to keep in mind when running a Facebook group for your membership site.
- DO create a list of rules so things don’t stray too far off topic. Consider banning politics and self-promotion.
- DO post occasionally and comment in helpful ways. People love to see that the person in charge, you, cares about what they have to say.
- DO come up with a specific and clear name for your page so others can easily find it.
- DON’T make it about you. This isn’t the place to promote yourself, so be careful about posting much promotional content or being the main poster.
- DON’T allow negativity in your group. If the group becomes negative, a subscriber may associate that experience with your site. If you see a negative comment, kindly ask the Facebook group member to take it down or do so yourself.
Consider forming groups for people besides subscribers.
There are many types of Facebook groups, and you may want to form a group for other communities relevant to your page.
- Have a love group.
If you have more than five thousand members on your site, consider creating a group for just your biggest fans. These are people who can connect to the other fans of your website or product and provide feedback to each other on what your business offers. A fan group is for your cheerleaders. For example, Chick-Fil-A has a Facebook group where moms can interact and share their thoughts about the business with one another.
- Have a group of like-minded business people.
You don’t have to have a group centered on your website to build community for your website. For instance, you could host a group that’s centered on one of the topics you’ve addressed on your website or on a certain aspect of the business. As you participate and assist others in the community you’ve built, you’ll experience karma. As a host, you will build a group of friends who wants to spread the word about what you’ve got.
- Create a group for team members.
If you have employees working on your site, you might create a page for them to connect with each other and to get help in the development and enhancement of your site.
Remember:
- Creating a Facebook group builds community, which leads to more satisfied users.
- A Facebook group isn’t hands off. Participate.
- Consider making multiple Facebook groups for the different types of individuals associated with your site.
Rubber-duck owners find the weirdest ducks, and runners achieve personal bests when they have the help of others. Your subscribers will benefit from the sense of community that comes with a Facebook group. Give it to them by creating one.
Do you have a Facebook group? Do you have questions about creating a group? Any success stories? Please let us know in the comments below.
If you liked this post, please follow us on Facebook for more great content. You can also find us on Twitter and Instagram.
Add a Comment