How To Use Facebook Groups to Grow Your Business

Anyone who wants to grow their small business has tried… or at least thought about trying Facebook groups. Using a Facebook group to grow your small business can be challenging and confusing. So, before you spend countless hours researching or making fatal mistakes, check out these tried and true tips for success:

There's only two for sure facts about Facebook. First off, it's a business too. They also want to make money off of you.

Secondly, they are always changing. Everything… algorithms, cyphering systems, and how they allow others to view your content.

It. Always. Changes.

So, how do you (as a small business owner) compete with a billion dollar advertising industry and mega machines running every bit of data *your data? It's not easy, but it's simple enough.

Here are 7 tips on how to master the world of Facebook groups to grow your small business:

Table of Contents

#1) Be Authentic

Your vibe attracts your tribe. Authenticity is the number one factor in growing a successful Facebook group.

The reason why Facebook groups exists is to connect like minded people together. That being said, Facebook wants large groups of people to communicate with each-other. But, what they don't want it you, the businessperson, profiting from it.

So, the number one way to avoid Facebook jail, being “ghosted” by the mega machines, or being shut down all-together is by truly growing a group of like minded people.

People who become friends, sometimes even like family to each other. They who stay up late to check on each-other. They don't rest until they have checked in, talked with, or viewed what it is that is going on in our “community”.

This community is formed over time, but must begin with an authentic motivation of bringing friends together.

Examples of things to post:

Friends, I can't wait to see you over in my new Facebook Group (Insert Link). It's going to be a fun time together. Come hang out!
You guys… I have had the best day… it's been busy but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm super pumped about my new (insert item for sale). What are you up to today?

Examples of things not to post:

Friends, I am starting my own small business and now have a Facebook Group (Insert Link). Click on that link and come start shopping with me!
You guys… check out my new (insert item)! They are only $39 and I have 2 more left in stock! Comment below if you're interested!!!!!

The top example's felt more like an authentic conversation with friends. Facebook is more likely to push those comments out into your group member's feed… allowing them to see them.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to Facebook groups is believing that because they made a post- everyone in the group can see it. That's not true.

If the algorithm flags your post as a sales pitch, or less than authentic… you can bet that the majority of your group will not see it. In fact. If the one's that do see it don't comment or like right away… it will begin to ghost that post all-together.

#2) Go Live… and then Go Live Again

Your group will need to see your face and hear your voice. And, not just when you're trying to sell things. This also comes back to growing a community of friends. In this technological world that we live in, some people only live virtually.

The truth is, some people only have friends online. So, you're offering them a place to belong. A place to see you (their friend) and get to chat with you.

Some people long for a need that sense of community that they will find within your Facebook group… if they get to know you. It helps to go live.

Here are some tips for going live:

Go live for at least 20 minutes. Honestly, the longer the better.
Prompt your viewers to comment as many times as possible while you are live. The more comments you have, the more Facebook will open your video to be seen by others.
Mix up the times and places of your live. Keep Facebook guessing as to when you will be on.

#3) Don't Try to Sell- Try to Connect

This is super tricky, especially if you're in sales. I'm going to talk about a few things here…

Words are everything. Let me explain:

Facebook flags certain words that they view as “unauthentic” or “sales”.

Click here
Look
Brand new
Sale
In stock
Claim
$

And more…

So, how do you sell things without giving the description of it or telling your customers that they are for sale? It comes down to your community knowing what's up. Let's say… you just got a new shipment of (your item) in and you need to sell it today.

First, go live and demonstrate. Explain to your group how to purchase that item from you during the live. Piece of cake…Then, post a picture of that item, with some random text like:

“I'm having a blast over here!”

Wait for someone to comment on that item and then respond to that person with the price, fabric, color, or whatever description they need of that item.

Here is a magic tip that truly helped me grow my facebook group and caused group members to see my posts with little effort:

Ask two or three of your trusted group members to comment on your sales post immediately after it has been posted.

Let them know what time you're dropping the post and be honest with them. “Facebook is tricky and you're really helping me out” is usually all it takes!

When people comment quickly to a post, Facebook views this as an attractive post and allows more people to see it… which in term comment. Now, we have a cycle of positive points that the Facebook algorithm is assigning to your post.

#4) Remove Graphics, Keep it Genuine

The rule here is to keep words on your pictures to less that 20% of the picture.

That's easier said than done. We all love the pretty graphics with our business logo, items for sale, etc.

But, those are really bad for the health of Facebook groups. Think of those as the junk food of your group. Yes, they are pretty. However, they don't last long and cause more damage than good.

Instead, post images that are authentic (like discussed earlier).

#5) Avoid the “Click Trap” Posts

Seriously, I know It's tempting. But “click trap” posts aren't healthy for the overall growth of your group. Let me explain…

A “click trap” post is a post you make with the sole intention of getting lots of comments/interactions.

Examples:

Which could you live without: There's an image with 4 things and you're asking your group which one they would give up. Everyone votes and there's 99 comments on an image that has nothing to do with your group.
Like or Dislike voting: The graphic asks person to like, dislike, or heart in order to vote on their favorite whatever.

You may have seen these or something similar. There are so many out there…

There's two reasons why these posts are bad for the overall health of your Facebook group.

If you have 99 people comment on a post on Monday, but only 3 people comment on a post on Tuesday, Facebook views this as a decline in overall interest and negatively points the interest of your group in your community. Ouch.
Many of these “click trap” posts contain images with words on them. When Facebook runs algorithm on these, they are viewed as a sales pitch… and Facebook will try to narrow the viewers you have active in your group.

#6) Live Elsewhere on Facebook

This goes back to knowing what the general purpose of Facebook is. Or, what it thinks it is to you.

Master tip right here: Did you know Facebook groups offers to sell your ads? You can pay Facebook and they will share your content with the demographic of your choice. This absolutely works, but I want to caution you. Once you buy an add from Facebook, the machine will see you as a business and forever expect you to purchase ads in order to share your content. In effect, this can take away from the authenticity of your group.

So anyways, if Facebook “thinks” that you only get on to sell things… it's not going to like that. Your group could be ghosted and your posts invisible.

Before going live or posting some sale items, go searching for post to genuinely react with Yes, scroll.

Scroll on a mission to comment authentically on your friends pictures, posts, or whatever. Like those pictures, comment on your friends status.

In other words, just be genuinely social. Think of it this way, the more social you are- the more your friends can be social with you.

Facebook likes this and you just gained some positive points with the big algorithm machine.

#7) Randomness Is Your Friend

I love the Facebook post scheduling function. I can sit down at the end of the day and schedule out my posts for the following day.

It's great! Make sure if you use this function that you are choosing your own times to post and keeping those times random.

You don't want to choose 7:00 and 7:30 AM every day to schedule your morning post. Facebook is a machine and will catch on to the inauthenticity of this.

Instead, select random times to post… and post 3-5 times daily in your group.

Here is a golden rule to remember about posts in your group:

For every three posts (daily),

one post should be personal in nature,
one post should be random topic in nature, and
one post should be your item for sale.