Making the Most of Facebook Groups

Facebook groups are a great way to network and grow your business online. They are often run by members of the group community who give up their time to help other group members converse, share interests and connect.

They also have the power to place you as a go to expert so this week I am sharing with you my top tips for Making the Most out of Facebook Groups.

BE CLEAR WITH YOUR POSTS

Vague posts make it hard for all members to know how to help you, so be as clear as you can with your posts and remember to include things like:

• Location
• Your business or market
• What you do—if you are asking for help
• Explain who your opportunities are with

BE POLITE AND REMEMBER, THIS IS YOUR BRAND THAT YOU REPRESENT TOO!

Manners are something we are all taught as a child, and you will get a lot more support from a group if you use them.

The people offering advice, the admins who run the group and your fellow members all deserve your respect and manners, and remember that what you say is a reflection on you and your business.

As a BBB member once said to me, “it is not a ‘right’ to be in a group”, so be polite, show respect and follow the guidelines of the group.

It’s a great rule of thumb to run every item that you consider posting through a quick mental calculation: How would this comment, post, association look plastered on the front page of a newspaper? Because, make no mistake, social media is publishing. It is searchable and it’s accessible to the world.

BEST FOOT FORWARD—MAKE SURE YOUR PROFILE IS GROUP READY:

You wouldn’t waltz into a networking event with your PJ’s on would you?

Nor should you take on social networking in less than professional attire. That means honing your social persona—the image for your business or yourself that you wish to present in the public realm.

Likewise, tend to your personal profiles carefully and think of it as the face your business.

Take the time to review your profile and make it stand out. Your bio is the first thing people will seek out so make it catchy so that you stand out from the crowd of other professionals in your industry. Make sure your business pages and profiles are linked to your personal profile so people can find you too!

DON’T SELL SELL SELL

This seems to be one that people forget the most. By selling all the time, people turn off and miss your message, so interact regularly too. The rules at BBB are pretty clear: interact first and promote second.

We have a great community of business owners who work well together and it has been smooth sailing when people get to know you first.

FIND THE RIGHT GROUP FOR YOU:

The key to great networking is to find your people—those who are either part of your industry, clients of your business, associates, experts or industry bodies. These may include relevant people who support your services or who you support, along with other experts in the field, or people who share the same business interests.

There are groups out there for all occasions, seasons and events, so seek out the ones that are relevant to you and get involved by following, connecting, liking and referring. Also seek out expert people you need, whether it’s media professionals, publishers, accountants or members of your local Chamber of Commerce.

WHEN YOU FIND THE RIGHT GROUP

• Read the about tab
• Answer any screening questions the group may have
• Watch first
• Add value second
• Promote only after you know the group

GROUPS ARE ABOUT PEOPLE:

Facebook is all about “people interaction”. This is especially so with groups, so you need to be you in groups (you can only use your personal profile in groups), not your business page. So make sure your profile reflects how you want to be seen. And, if you are in business, link to your business page in your ‘about’ section.

Facebook doesn't like duplicate profiles or profiles in a business name, so stick to one profile.

People are people and emotions do get involved, but before you ball someone out or rant at an admin, take a moment and check to see if what you might say is really that important. (My hot tip is “if you are emotional walk away”)

MIX IT UP:

It is easy to copy and paste posts into multiple groups and we have all done it at some stage, but it does not make it right. Mix up your posts and show that you have more than one thing to add.

READ AND FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES

Group guidelines are there to help groups run smoothly and I can tell you, admins don’t sit in an “Admin” tower working out how we can make it hard for you. Admins set guidelines so that the group can run smoothly and keep to the purpose it was created for. In groups large and small, guidelines are what allow a group to work.

Once you have read the guidelines, please follow them and if your post is deleted please read the guidelines and check for glitches before reaching out to an admin. (Business and Family life still needs to happen for the admin team too.)

SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE:

Many people join Facebook groups because they have something to learn. Join the right group & you can tap into a plethora of knowledge from those who really know or you can become the expert in the community by sharing information.

Here's how to make the experience more valuable for members of your Facebook group:

• Share useful links
• Start discussions
• Share latest tips & tricks

In the end, you get what you put into a Facebook group, Facebook networking is no different to Face to Face networking except you can do it in your PJ’s!

You need to listen, add value, take part and join in and if you do that your business can grow rapidly with the power of Facebook Groups