May 14, 2019
If you spend time on Facebook, you will know that it has become a crowded landscape indeed. Yes, content is largely personalised to the user with prioritised content relevant to their interests, but it has grown so quickly that the News Feed can, at times, feel unmanageable.
The result of this has led users to wish for smaller communities that provide a more communal experience. Groups provide both customised and group benefits as they allow users to sign up for the things, they want to talk about with people who share their interests. In turn, this leads to much more interaction and conversation within a truly social-centred arena.
It is no surprise then that Facebook Groups are becoming a marketing tactic for brands looking to boost advocacy and grow engaged communities.
What can Facebook Groups do for your brand?
Groups are a place where brands can become active participants versus spectators. Unlike regular Facebook pages, conversations are instigated by consumers themselves, making the engagement more credible and valuable. The more helpful and insightful a user’s interactions are in this space, the more likely they are to continue their engagement. Plus, engagement on the brand’s Facebook page can often see a boost as a result. So, it’s a big tick when you are looking for engagement, brand loyalty, and conversion.
Groups can also be a place to dig up actionable insights that will inform your brand’s larger platform strategy. A myriad of data is available from conversations around interests, pain points and opinions as well as the most popular days and times that users are available on the platform along with their age and gender.
Plus, with Facebook Group Insights, Admins have access to the names of members, how many posts they’ve contributed and how many times they’ve commented in the Group. This data reveals your brand’s most dedicated advocates, which can be mined for brand experiences, product feedback, and potential influencer opportunities.
Are there any watch outs for a brand on Facebook Groups?
There are definitely some considerations a brand needs to review before jumping in and setting up a Group.
Don’t forget the number one reason people are on Facebook is to connect with friends, family and like-minded users in a SOCIAL setting. Brands need to ensure they can participate and add to the conversation versus broadcasting and being pushy (avoid the hard sell). Actively listening to the community, even if they start talking about other brands, interests, and related topics, without shutting them down, is crucial.
Be prepared to moderate. All Groups should have official community guidelines and a member of the brand team or their agency should moderate conversation to ensure these are not violated. Creating then maintaining a Facebook Group requires substantial resources and time to be successful. But implemented correctly, the payback is worth it.
Give people a reason to join, and then a reason to stay. Share content that provides value rather than just replicating the brand’s main Facebook page. This can be anything from exclusive content to new perspectives on a specific theme or even something fun, like a challenge. As a guide, follower posts should make up 70-80% of all discussion within Groups; the brand’s role is to lightly provoke conversation when organic conversation dies down.
How we can help
If you still aren’t sure whether you should set up a brand Facebook Group, or you need some additional consideration of content or resource to get going, then drop us a line.