Following Facebook’s algorithm changes , Groups may be the new social media marketing solution you have been searching for on the platform. Groups on Facebook are rooted in social interactions like comments and shares, which are highly valuable. When someone is part of a group, chances are the posts from this group will appear at the top of their Newsfeed due to the genuine interactions. So, you will likely achieve more visibility with posts about your business within a Group than on your normal public page.

Why should Small Businesses use Facebook Groups?

Facebook Groups for businesses can serve many different purposes including establishing yourself as an industry leader. If you are sharing important and useful information on a regular basis, people will consider you as a major player in your industry and will turn to you in the future for advice and information.

If you are still figuring out your social media marketing strategy, Facebook Groups can a be a great place to test out different topics or posting styles (text vs. picture vs. video posts for example). Using polls gives you immediate feedback on any questions you may have. Try using polls to figure out what interests your audience the most. You can also think of posts in your Group as “drafts” since an unpopular post will not influence your public page’s statistics or general Newsfeed ranking. While gathering the feedback and responses from your audience is important, actually implementing the information into your social media marketing strategy is vital.

Facebook’s Head of Newsfeed, Adam Mosseri has noted that Groups are becoming an even more active part of Facebook’s ecosystem. Since Groups are promoting genuine interactions between users, these posts will certainly see a boost in reach compared to posts you may have on your public business page.

Unlike public pages, you can pin posts in groups! If there is a message or limited time offer that you want to get a lot of attention, pinned posts could be the perfect solution. Depending on your Facebook Group’s size and general engagement rates, pinned posts could perform much better than a normal ad.

How should you attract Group members?

When creating Facebook Groups for business, keep in mind it should be focused on general interests and subjects. People will only join your group if it provides some kind of value. If your group is centered around your business and filled with ads, it is going to be very similar to your public page – and it likely won’t be any more successful. Finding people to join your group should be organic, use important keywords in your group’s name to help it pop up in Facebook search results for that interest. If there are any other public pages related to your industry, subject area or interest, make sure to leave a link to your group there as well.

It also doesn’t hurt to offer group exclusive content, discounts or freebies to attract even more potential members to your small business’ Group.

But you also need to pay attention to your business’ biggest fans and customers! Leaving a link to your group in emails and other social media posts will raise awareness and encourage them to join. After all, they want to be kept up to date about your business! Also, remember that loyal customers are more likely to take part and generate conversation between users, especially when it comes to your small business.

Need more tips on running Facebook Groups for your business? Feeling overwhelmed with social media marketing? Get in touch with the BusySeed team today, we’re here to help!