It is no secret that Facebook is a hugely valuable marketing resource for any business. Not only is it free (in the most part) but it is also effective and has a great return. But did you know that Facebook offers a range of ways to build an audience for your brand and one that you should never underestimate are “Groups”. 

But what are groups and why are they so useful to you as a small business? 

What are Facebook Groups? 

As the name suggests, a Facebook Group is designed to allow people to come together on the social media platform. Within this virtual club they can discuss their common interests, share their thoughts and perhaps just chat.

Often, a group is set up for a common cause, a common activity or perhaps to post particular photos. Anyone can set up a group, whether you are a business or an individual.  

Why your small business needs one!  

The next question that you might have is why it is worthwhile setting up a Facebook group as a business, particularly if anyone can have one. But the truth is that Facebook Groups are incredibly valuable for any business owner to set up.  

The main reasons is that you want it to create a sense of community within the customers of your business. You want them to feel as if they belong to something more than just simply buying from you.

This sense of identity and following is something that a group will help you create. You will also be able to deliver extra value and closer interactions directly to those customers too.   

You can use your group to listen to the challenges your customers face, to discuss ways that your product or service can help as well as use it as a testing ground - creating new ideas which you can then decide whether or not to implement in the future.  

How to set up a Facebook Group 

The good news is that setting up a Facebook Group is easy to do. In fact, Facebook themselves have a very short process that you can follow. This can be found here. 

You will need to decide who is going to be admin on the group  as well the level of commitment you want to make to the group and how you can make it as personal to your brand as possible.   

How to make sure it works for you 

Once you have set up your group you are going to want to make sure that it works the best that it can for you and for your business.  It has to deliver value to both your audience and your business financially. 

The first thing is that you will need to have some ground rules that group members must agree to follow to gain access and join.

The most common one is that you should have respect for one another, however, you also need to ensure that open and honest communication is key. No-one should feel that they are open to abuse from someone else, simply for something that they have said.  

Many groups also add other values that are meaningful to them and reflect their brand culture such as positive and upbeat contributions, not negativity.

You are also going to need to make sure that you have the time to engage and communicate with your group members too.

• Post new content, make sure it is fresh and interesting.
• Give them snippets of information that is coming up in your business and;
• Make sure that your group members feel that they can have open and honest communication with one another too. That way you can truly build a sense of community within the group.

Make It Happen In Your Business

Facebook groups are a fantastic way for you to build and reach new audiences.  They are especially effective if your business has an advisory or trusted advisor element to it's service or product offer. 

For example - if you sell plus size fashion products, you can help with style advice in a private group that genuinely adds value to your customers, building trust in you and your products. 

Consider how you could use the bringing together of a group to create a VIP experience or advice portal for your business and set one up on Facebook today - It's free!

Next Steps:

• From your existing Business Facebook page admin, click on the Group tab and click on the create group button or follow the instructions here.
• Clearly define your rules for engagement within the Group and who from your business will be responsible for facilitating all discussions within the Group. 
• Set some goals and specific targets on what you actually want to achieve with your Group.  Is it a lead generator tool for your business? Do you want to achieve a set number of engagements per day?  You get what you measure, so be clear up front what you are trying to achieve. 
• Enjoy the process of actually talking directly with your customers. It is a wonderful opportunity to get real insight into the challenges your customers face and how your products and services can develop to serve them better. Make the most of this golden opportunity to discover more about them.