With the steady decline in organic reach on Facebook, Facebook Groups are a great way to engage with your fans and followers who want to stay on top of your latest content. Facebook Groups are easy to create and are an effective way to communicate with your supporters. Your content will have a higher chance of making it on to your fans’ timelines if you're consistently engaging with the members of the group.
Here's how to run a Facebook Group:
Establish rules: Every group on Facebook needs fair, enforceable ground rules to operate in a healthy manner. Rules help everyone understand what types of content and questions add to the value of the group and encourage members of the group to keep coming back. Some of the rules might include:
Be respectful
Share relevant posts from verified sites
Don't spam comments
Report abusers
No cyberbullying
Share compelling, relevant content: Your goal for your Facebook Group should always be to create value. It doesn't matter if you're offering financial services or selling car parts. Find ways to help your group members. For example, you're running a group that is centered around your gym. Every Monday, post the workout schedule for the week. Every Tuesday, share a dieting tip. Every Wednesday, run a poll asking for people's favorite supplements or recipes. Every Thursday, run a feature on a gym member who has made significant progress in their workout goals. Every Friday, share a funny video of someone at the gym like a workout fail. By providing compelling, relevant content, you can promote your business without being pushy.
Enforce: When members of the group are not following the rules, give them a warning. Be ready to explain why a post they shared was taken down or why a comment was flagged. Not everyone who violates the group rules did so with bad intentions. Sometimes members might misunderstand a rule or guideline and simply need an explanation. If someone is being consistently malicious towards other members, don't hesitate to take action. It's in the best interest of the group that rules are enforced. Always keep your goals in mind when taking action.
Invite: Always find ways to invite other people who may be interested in what you're doing. Create incentives for new people to join like running a giveaway for a free product or offering a 30-minute consulting session to new group members. Your group is dying if you're not growing and converting new people to your cause.
Collaborate: There's no need to feel like you're all alone when running a Facebook Group. Find ways to partner with others who can help you accomplish your goals and are invested in your objectives. Add at least one other person you trust to be an admin of the group so you don't have to worry about running it and enforcing the rules on your own. Brainstorm with others to find ways to increase the size of your Facebook Group and create the best experience possible.
When you run a Facebook Group properly and create a great experience, you will enjoy greater brand awareness and stronger brand loyalty.
Now that you understand the basics of how to run a Facebook Group, get to work! Let us know how it goes by commenting below.