Online Marketing Gets Social: Using Facebook Groups
Facebook Groups are a fantastic, often untapped resource to funnel your online marketing efforts. Here are the best ways you can get started – read more here.
In the age of the internet, a lot of the old business strategies have become obsolete. Online marketing is here, and it’s changed everything.
Enter Facebook. If your company doesn’t have a group on Facebook, you’re actively choosing not to engage with 1.19 billion monthly active users.
Of course, there’s more to it than just creating a group. And we’re going to break everything down for you in this post.
Read on to crack the Facebook Group code. We know it will help grow your business.
First, There are 3 Types of Facebook Groups
There are a few different options when it comes to creating a Facebook group, and each comes with its own set of strengths and drawbacks (depending on what you’re looking for).
Of course, you don’t need to limit yourself or your business to one type of group. Use each for its own advantages and convert more customers than ever before.
Closed Groups
This type of group is an ideal place for product support because other members of the group can see the conversations. You might answer a question for one customer, and provide a solution for a dozen more at the same time.
It can also help cut down on email clutter from customers if you use the group as your central product support hub.
Plus, it improves the end-user experience. Nobody wants to send a support ticket. Interacting on Facebook (even when you need help) can be much more fun.
Secret Groups
Secret (or private) groups don’t show up in searches and members can only be seen by other members.
Private groups provide a good place for current customers to network with other users and ask for expert advice from your other VIP customers.
The exclusivity of a “members only” group also demonstrates to your customers that you value them, which increases the probability that they will return.
And who doesn’t want to be part of a little “secret society”?
Open Groups
Create open groups to reach a wider audience and build brand awareness and interest.
This isn’t the place to try to sell directly to group members. Just establish authority on your business niche and prove your value to potential customers.
If you’re facilitating high-quality discussion, your group members will convert to customers in no time.
It’s a more personal spot to get to know your clients better – and they’ll get to know, trust, and like you on this platform.
Give Your Customers a Reason to Join
Use your group to incentivize people to become customers – not as a place to spam ads and try to sell to people.
Answer questions, provide support and communicate with your customers. This is how you build valuable long-term business relationships.
News and Current Events
Discuss current goings-on within your company to keep people up to date, but discuss the industry-at-large as well.
This establishes knowledge and authority on your part, which demonstrates the value of your business.
Promote Events, Products, and Upcoming Releases
728 million people who use Facebook are daily active users. It’s one of the fastest ways to reach a large group of people.
When you post an event announcement in your group, every member will be able to see it on their wall. And if you want to go a step further, send out an event invite to all the members in your group for fast and effective marketing!
Create a Quality Community Around Your Brand
As the admin of your Facebook group, you have the ability to decide who can and cannot join the group.
By accepting verified customers into your group, you ensure that people commenting on, sharing, and viewing your business are actual customers with a vested interest in your company.
If someone is just there to troll and harass your customers, you can block them from the group at a moment’s notice.
Benefits for You
Keep Your Team Together
Most businesses these days have at least a handful of people who work offsite, and some have team members all over the world.
Starting a Facebook Group for your team is an easy and effective way to keep everybody organized and on the same page.
Improve your SEO
By creating a group on facebook, you have a page that is constantly updated with mentions of your site and customer experiences.
By linking frequently back to your main website, you increase your search engine discoverability, which causes you to rank higher on Google and other search engines.
The closer your site is to the top, the more traffic you’ll receive to your site. (If you don’t have an SEO strategy yet, you really should.)
Using Your Groups Effectively
Join Other Groups
Don’t just stop at creating your own group. Join other groups related to your niche and introduce yourself there.
But don’t spam post or you could hurt your credibility with potential customers. Instead, post occasional content that’s always high-quality and new.
Instead, post occasional content that’s always high-quality and new.
Stay on Top of It
As beneficial as a Facebook group can be for your company, it’s not one of those “set it and forget it” resources.
Check back several times daily or hire a social media specialist who can stay on top of it for you.
The last thing you want is for a customer to come to you with a serious issue, and get radio silence from you until you check the group again. Answer questions, join in the conversations and offer insight wherever possible.
In the business world, people have gotten used to being answered by machines and put on hold by low-rung employees.
Nothing impresses a customer more than hands-on, direct communication from someone of authority, and of course, getting the problem fixed.
Did you know that 71% of users who receive a quick and effective response are likely to recommend that brand to others?
Facebook Groups Need to Be Part of Your Online Marketing Strategy
Now you know how easy it is to use Facebook groups for online marketing.
You can bring in new customers while building authority and legitimacy for your brand. You can use it to bring back return customers.
When it comes down to it, you can even sell products directly from your group, but avoid this as much as you can. People don’t join groups to be sold to. They want a discussion with people who share similar interests or needs.
With an open platform like this, there’s no limit to how much you can get out of it. As your community grows, so will your company.
So don’t wait another minute throwing away potential customers. Use Facebook groups to start building your company culture today!