Why are groups still in people’s minds and preferences after a decade? The answer is simple, feeling a sense of belonging or community is at the core of human nature and the trend remains on Facebook. As businesses are battling for attention and engagement, Facebook groups tend to be great allies to capture but also retain customers and/or brand enthusiasts. Statistics have also shown that “1 billion active Facebook users are members of various groups”, giving a great and large pound to fish in. As people and web users are experiencing ad-fatigue, the word of mouth generated in groups is getting stronger and becoming a great source of conversion and social proof. 64 % of marketers agree that word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing.

The key to using Facebook groups and communities as assets for your business or brand is to clearly understand and define the purpose of your group and community but also the core functioning of groups and the right triggers for interaction and commitment. Nobody wants a group that doesn’t interact, right? 

Defining clearly the purpose of your group and the objectives you want to achieve is crucial for success. Your objectives are the “Maestro” of your strategy. No good strategy was ever built without a clear, defined scope and objectives. If your objectives are blurry, your strategy will be too. 

Having a clear code of conduct and goals will give you a direction and a plan of action to follow, making it easier to track and assess success but also make data driven decisions. Moreover, defining objectives will allow you to target properly who are the people you wish to reach and deliver your message to, ensuring that your efforts are properly distributed. 

Facebook groups can have several purposes and/or objectives. Compared to pages, they allow you or your business to have a more intimate space and to create meaningful connexions with your audience beyond branding or sales. By using Facebook groups, you will be able to constantly share information and keep in touch with group members. 

Facebook groups give your audience a chance to express their opinions, share information but also create content of their own. Moreover, Facebook’s features give you a chance to directly interact with group members via chat. 

When well moderated, Facebook groups are great assets to build a strong connexion with your audience, upgrading your branding and social proof. Facebook features such as publishing approval make groups management easier, you can give your community the chance to interact and create while staying in control. 

When managing a group, the main aspect you want to focus on is engagement and commitment. It is a great indicator of your community’s level of interest and perceived added value. Suitable moderation and engaging content are the perfect combo to trigger meaningful interactions.  

It is highly important to ensure that the voice and branding of the group are well transmitted through moderation and community management. Moreover, it is important to trigger discussion by posting engaging content or starting relevant discussions to keep your audience engaged. As a group leader, you want to create content that resonates with your community. What better way to achieve that than asking them directly? Thanks to Facebook polls, you can ask your community to vote and choose the content they wish to see. Also, to trigger a sense of community and exclusivity, it is important to share unique and personalized information. 

Facebook groups are a powerful tool for businesses and brands. More than selling, they allow entities to build faithful and powerful relationships with their fans and consumers, making them become emotionally connected to products and/or brands.