In this post, we’ll take a look at 21 ways on hoe to grow your Facebook group. While it’s a great idea to run your own finely-tuned Facebook Group, make sure you take advantage of other Facebook Groups too—as a member. If you search Facebook Groups, you will often find groups that actively encourage you to promote either free offers or paid ones.
Do look carefully into these Groups before joining: Some are more effective (and more active) than others.
Avoid any Group that seems “spammy.” And check out these twenty-one ideas for making the most of Facebook Group monetization opportunities.
Contents
- Here are 21 ideas on how to START, ENGAGE, MONETISE GROW Your FACEBOOK GROUP
- 1 – Help Out Within Other Facebook Groups
- 2 – Keep A Calendar Dedicated To Your Facebook Groups
- 3 – Post mini-Reviews in your Facebook Group
- 4 – Carefully Proof Your Group Description
- 5 – Remember to “Go Local”
- 6 – Sweeten a Membership Site or Product Purchase by Adding a Secret Facebook Group
- 7 – Create Instant Polls with the “Add Question” Feature
- 8 – Create Theme Days
- 9 – Hold a Weekly Or Monthly Contest
- 10 – Use Your Group Cover Photo to Feature Events, Launches—and Members
- 11 – Don’t Wait For Group Members To Ask—Offer To Help!
- 12 – Train Your Group Members to Use the Group for Event Planning
- 13 – Create a Narrow-Focus Group
- 14 – Use Facebook Groups for Product Testing
- 15 – Use Facebook Groups To Build A Strong Brand
- 16 – Use The “Seen” Option for Evaluating Group Post Types
- 17 – Use Graph Search to Find Relevant Groups to Join
- 18 – Create a Sales Funnel for Your Facebook Group
- 19 – Use Closed Groups for Customer Support
- 20 – Segment Your Facebook Group Wisely
- 21- Remember to Make Your Group All About Its Members—Not About You!
- Conclusion
Here are 21 ideas on how to START, ENGAGE, MONETISE GROW Your FACEBOOK GROUP
1 – Help Out Within Other Facebook Groups
Limit the number of Groups you join so you can participate fully. You should take interacting in other Groups as seriously as you take administering your own. Participate. Join the conversation. Don’t just look for opportunities to promote. Get to know the most active members, and help them at every (natural) opportunity.
2 – Keep A Calendar Dedicated To Your Facebook Groups
If you belong to or run a number of Facebook Groups, keep a dedicated calendar. Mark on it upcoming promotional days, where you are allowed to join in a cross-marketing event or promote your book, et cetera. Assign different events and promotions to different Groups. (If the “calendar” format doesn’t work for you, use an Excel spreadsheet!)
3 – Post mini-Reviews in your Facebook Group
If your group is built around a sport, product, hobby or anything that generates products, consider buying the products and posting mini “teaser” reviews (leading to a full review on your website). Put your affiliate link in the website review—and always use the same format, since this builds up confidence in your readers. (Create or use a Review template or Review blog theme.)
If you do it “right”, your Group members will actually start looking forward to your reviews, and trust you as their “tester.” But do make sure you actually buy the product or try the service, give it a real airing—and base your review on your own experience.
4 – Carefully Proof Your Group Description
Remember that just as positive strategies help create engagement and growth, negative strategies can seriously harm it. Proofreading your posts and Group description and documents is a case in point.
Pay attention to not just spelling, but also to grammar, syntax and the correct use of words. It doesn’t help with the quality of members if your description gives the impression you are illiterate. Sad but sometimes true. But more so particular personality types may pay more attention to the details than others.
And under NO circumstances use abbreviations such as “u” for “you” or “ur” for “your”!
5 – Remember to “Go Local”
Join business referral groups for your area. Being a member of such a Group can lead to surprisingly well-aligned opportunities—and you can enjoy the added benefits of in-person meet-ups and networking, as well as the opportunity to create and promote local, in-person events such as workshops.
6 – Sweeten a Membership Site or Product Purchase by Adding a Secret Facebook Group
Add extra value—and support—by letting customers or clients know they can get extra help and have daily access to your ear if they join your Facebook Group.
Position the Group membership as an élite reward, exclusive to your customers or clients.
(Making the Group privacy options “Secret” adds security and increases the sense of exclusivity. It also increases your work load, so choose carefully.)
7 – Create Instant Polls with the “Add Question” Feature
Did you know you can create a poll very quickly, without an app? Simply…
- Click on the “Add Questions” feature within your Group
- Type your question
- Add your answer choices.
When you click “Post”, the answer choices you provided will be displayed in poll.
Polls can liven things up when interactivity has dropped—and point you towards better targeting. They are also a handy way to gain research data. The “multiple choice” format is so easy to respond to, your chances of getting answers are greatly increased.
8 – Create Theme Days
For example, “Freebie Fridays”. Get your Group members used to getting a premium goodie from you on that day—and watch interaction soar.
9 – Hold a Weekly Or Monthly Contest
Easily do this by creating different types of contest with apps provided by companies like Woobox.)
10 – Use Your Group Cover Photo to Feature Events, Launches—and Members
Be creative when it comes to using the Group Cover photo. Let it be like an expensive billboard, right in front of your members’ eyes, telling them what you most want them to know in that moment.
11 – Don’t Wait For Group Members To Ask—Offer To Help!
Do this for free, as well as reminding members you have the skills they need, when they next require a contractor.
Just make sure you offer to help for free at least two-thirds of the time. (And spell out clearly whether or not your assistance will cost them.)
12 – Train Your Group Members to Use the Group for Event Planning
When you run any type of relevant event, create an Event in your Group—and encourage Group members who join to talk up the event, share photos afterwards, ask questions or confirm details through the Group. This generates excitement and makes the Event seem more important in the minds of all your members. And when they see how involved those attending are, it can also prompt other Group members to join.
13 – Create a Narrow-Focus Group
The more concentrated your focus, the more active and engaged a membership you will attract.
Create a broad-focus, generic niche group can bring in huge numbers, but this can backfire in impersonal or minimal engagement (no emotional investment) and conflicting interests.
Conflicting interests can cause disharmony within a Group, which can actually harm your brand. (Example: Low Carb aficionados in your generic “Weight Loss” group bickering with and sniping at Low Fat aficionados.)
Find the one single thing core belief and passion your intended audience is passionate about and build your Group around that.
14 – Use Facebook Groups for Product Testing
Create a Closed or Secret Facebook Group for your affiliates, and invite discussion and feedback about your products.
(You can also perform product or program Beta testing via special offers for Group members only.)
15 – Use Facebook Groups To Build A Strong Brand
Your organic brand exposure will be low within a Facebook Group, but solidifying your brand identity can be high. Pay attention to influencers within your Group—and to what they are saying.
Address complaints or frustration immediately with real solutions: Negative venting within the Group will hurt your brand.
Two words of caution, however: Remember that you guide your brand identity, so know what you’re going for and present strengthening posts and strategies to your Group—while remembering that, above all, Facebook Groups are honest and social.
Remember also that your Group should simply augment your Brand promotion—not be its sole vehicle.
16 – Use The “Seen” Option for Evaluating Group Post Types
Be aware that if your Facebook Group grows beyond two hundred and fifty members, you will no longer receive checkmark confirmation that your posts were “Seen”—it disappears!
Knowing your posts were at least “seen” (and by how many people, versus how many “Liked” it or responded) can be helpful in evaluating your Group content and engagement. (Skimming over multiple posts can also instantly tell you how many usually engage—your “core” posters.)
17 – Use Graph Search to Find Relevant Groups to Join
Facebook’s Graph Search is still a little clunky, but if you have been frustrated by Facebook’s own Group suggestions to you, you can quickly find more relevant Groups yourself by typing “Groups of people who like” in your Graph Search bar (at the top of your feed).
(Kick your search up a notch by adding a specific keyword: E.g. “Low carb”.)
18 – Create a Sales Funnel for Your Facebook Group
Yes, Facebook is about socialising, not marketing (at least in the eyes of your members) but if you’ve set the Group up as a customer support Group or elite networking Group for your product or program, people will expect to hear before the rest of the world about your new offers, discounts, freebies and add-ons.
So maximize your chances of success and build your other content carefully around these “due dates” by planning your Facebook Group sales funnel in advance.
19 – Use Closed Groups for Customer Support
People are more confident when they can ask you questions (or ask other members of the Group questions—people who have invested in your product or program, just like they have)—in privacy, without having to worry that their entire feed will see their question.
It also creates bonding and furthers trust. After all, they have your private ear (or your designated Customer Service rep to help them).
Best of all, people who have bought from you are already a captive audience: They’ve committed to investing. So give them fantastic customer support and interaction, and you will build ambassadors for your brand.
20 – Segment Your Facebook Group Wisely
Segmented insights aren’t available directly for your Group, but you don’t need fancy tools to do this—you’ll find your Group is already segmented. You’ll get the silent members (“fence-sitters”) who rarely comment, and your “core group” who happily share things you ask them to share, buy every product and offer up opinions (as well as help to each other and the occasional “fence-sitter” who asks a question.
If you want to increase engagement among your “fence-sitters”, create special offers and giveaways just for them. Target them in your post by telling them how they feel, using statements that show them you’ve been where they are. (E.g. “Ever get tired of being the only one who…”). Then:
- Offer them your solution
- Tell them what to do next
(Even if it’s just: “Let your voice be heard. Vote in the poll, above!”)
And don’t forget those calls to action.
21- Remember to Make Your Group All About Its Members—Not About You!
Do this even if they regard your self an expert of your industry. (You won’t stay respected for long if you forget who you serve).
Always keep first in mind that Facebooks Groups are all about the interaction and the camaraderie—not about your expert status or marketing messages. So come from a place fo sharing and adding value.
Bonus… 22 – Use facebook for the community element of your group coaching program. This way you can have an interactive place where community members can engage and support each other.
Conclusion
Well, that concludes our list of 21 ideas. We hope they will be beneficial to you in growing your Facebook Group. However, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to us and we will be happy to assist you. You can contact me by e-mail or on the phone or you can comment on the article itself. Thank you for taking the time to read this post and good luck with growing your groups!!
In the end, if you truly want to see the growth of your Facebook Group, there will be some form of action you’ll have to take on. While automation is helpful, it cannot do all the work for you. Test out several of these ideas and determine your own personal growth strategy based on a combination of multiple methods.
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