Whether you’re a marketer, a fan of social media, or just someone with a Facebook account, chances are you’re in a Facebook Group. It could be for anything – a town-wide Group, a Group for members of a club, and more. However, sometimes it takes more than simply being in a Group online to realize how effective they can be for fostering a loyal brand community and increasing sales. Buckle down and get ready to get the scoop on Groups.
At Social Media Marketing World, Facebook Group expert Dana Malstaff gave her audience the three keys to success with Facebook Groups. The three tips will help you create a loyal, supportive community while simultaneously boosting your sales. But before we get to her three tips, it’s important to highlight the underlying connective tissue between each of these three steps, which is connection. Connection between you and your audience, but also connection between individual audience members.
Luckily, Malstaff’s first key to success is simple, and it’s what will help you facilitate both these forms of connection. The first step is to create a Facebook Group, plain and simple. Why? Well, there are a whole host of reasons. First, you can be a hands-off leader. While you’ll be the face of the Group, the one posing questions, and the one hosting Facebook Lives, other members can still make posts and will get to feel some sense of agency. Second, you’ll control the culture of the Group. As the leader, you’ll be setting the tone for what types of content the Group is home to – and because your audience will follow that culture, you won’t need to worry hugely about regulation. The list could go on and on, but it’s quite clear that Facebook Groups are a great way to foster community in a natural and effective way.
After step one, creating the Group, things get a little more complicated – but reasonably so. Here Malstaff employs what she calls ‘Permission Sandwiches.’ The creatively titled name is really just a list of things to keep in mind when posting that will help create the culture of your Group. You can think of each word or task as a part of the sandwich.
First is permission – all posts should be giving your members permission to be who they already are safely and confidently. Next is clout – show that others respect you, as this will help build your legitimacy. Training - offer bits of advice or tips to fill knowledge gaps and build your ‘expert’ status. Recommend things to people, and ask for recommendations back to build trust.
Perhaps the most important component of this Permission Sandwich is to ask. Ask questions, ask for advice, and ask your audience to perform certain actions. In most instances, you need to explicitly ask for what you want in order for folks to respond in the way you’d like. With the trust built from the other steps, and a very clear and friendly call-to-action coming from their leader, your audience is almost sure to respond well. You can further ensure they’ll take action by encouraging a feedback loop – the final part of Malstaff’s Permission Sandwich. Make sure your audience knows you care about their opinions and thoughts, and let them voice those.
The principle of the third key to success is quite basic. Simply put, ask engaging questions and make engaging posts. How? Don’t be too clever, smart, or deep. Be real. Share things that your very own audience members are doing, and support them. Share opinions, because people will want to know what you think if they’re in your Group. Share what you like so people get to know you. Celebrate success, it can be your own success or that of someone in your Group. And, for your own interest, don’t post polls. Make people comment. Make people engage. Encourage conversations in the comments, encourage posting, encourage action of all sorts.
Remember, in the end Malstaff’s three keys to success generate success in two domains: sales and community building. While it’s easy to focus on the sales aspect of success, don’t neglect the importance of community building. Not every post or conversation has to tie perfectly back to your brand. In fact, it’s probably best if a good chunk of posts don’t. The major focus is to keep your Group an open and safe space where the culture makes people feel accepted, loved, and understood, and a space where your brand can thrive organically.