At some stage in your life you have probably belonged to at least one Facebook group, right? Whether it’s your local sports team or your favourite clothing exchange, everyone loves to be part of a community and that is exactly what Facebook groups are about.
The single biggest difference between Facebook groups and Facebook pages, is the two-way communication. A Facebook page is more focused on a brand or a person than Facebook groups are (groups are more about topics). Whether you have your own group or participate in an existing one, it’s valuable to know how Facebook groups can help your business grow.WHY?
Before we delve into the “How” we must first discover the “Why”. That is, reasons why you should include Facebook groups in your social media strategy:- It is an excellent way to reach your target audience for FREE
- Highly recommended platform to gain brand visibility…again for FREE
- A very good channel to get extra traffic to your website.
- You have the opportunity to interact with potential customers or followers and take part in social listening.
HOW?
So how do you make Facebook groups part of your advanced Facebook marketing strategies? Here are four clever ways:
- Establish ExpertiseOne of the easiest ways to use Facebook groups is to become an expert in your field and contribute your knowledge to an existing Facebook group. To do this effectively, it is important to be a resource without self-promotion. This means you need to be helpful and give freely of yourself without expecting any rewards. In turn, the word will spread to other members about your altruistic offer of expertise!
- Learn about prospective customers. Our client, Little Kingdom Childcare has recently joined a Facebook Group, Eastern Mums’ Group. This group serves as a platform for working mothers to share their expertise and experiences juggling work and a family. Little Kingdom Childcare has used this group to engage with potential families and better understand the needs of working mothers. As a result, Little Kingdom Childcare has been able to provide a tailored and value added service to families.
- Promote your product or service. Although many Facebook groups discourage, even delete business posts (including links to blogs and websites) you can still inadvertently promote your business. How do you achieve this? If a member asks for a recommendation for a specific product or service that you are in the business of selling, you are welcome to suggest yourself. Just keep in mind…it’s not about you, it’s about your members!
- Collect feedback. Do you have an idea for a product or a service that you are not entirely sure about? Or perhaps you want to test out new ideas on some of your existing customers? A great way to do this is by creating a secret Facebook group, inviting some of your best customers and openly discussing new ideas you’re thinking about implementing in your business. Although there are some risks associated with this type of market research, you will be building a stronger relationship with customers, while collecting honest feedback on what your customers might like.
