Facebook Groups for Small Businesses

Apr 5

Ah, Facebook. It’s not all cat memes, humblebrags, and AI-generated pictures of libraries and sand art. Facebook is starting to have a reputation for being the social media site for people who don’t do social media—the decidedly un-hip corner of the internet. Despite that, there are some powerful tools on Facebook for the small business owner and nonprofit. The queen of them all: Facebook groups.

What are Facebook groups?

Facebook groups are similar to Facebook pages in that there’s a main feed to post to, and members can share images, polls, text posts, marketplace listings, etc. on the main feed in the group.

What makes them different from typical Facebook pages is that they can be open or closed to the public—you can hide them in searches so only invited members can even see the group exists, you can make the group visible but the posts are hidden until membership is approved, or you can keep the group wide open. You can set membership questions and write rules for the group to set a common social standard for posting, commenting, etc.

Both individual Facebook users and business pages can make Facebook groups. Group admins can allow only individuals or also allow other business pages to join the group, as well.

The idea behind Facebook groups is that it’s a collaborative, group project of a social media presence. Some moms use them to post pictures of their kids they don’t want on their public profiles, some neighborhoods use them to create an online community that represents their IRL community, and some users create them to make a safe space for people who are dealing with a similar struggle or trauma.

Okay, but that’s not my business…or is it?

You might be hearing this and be feeling like it’s redundant. Why should you care about Facebook groups when you already have a perfectly curated business page?

The answer might be right in that phrase: rather than being perfectly curated, they’re uniquely crowdsourced and even a little…charmingly chaotic. We’ve talked about the sales funnel before and how that impacts how you market.

Your Facebook page is a great resource for sharing TOF and MOF content—you want people to find you, learn who you are, and consider making a purchase from you at some point.

Facebook groups offer a connected but separate tier of connection with followers where you can really hone in on that BOF audience: people who are ready to purchase or already have purchased and who you want to stay connected with.

That’s not to say that there aren’t applications for Facebook groups that target TOF and MOF audiences. I think of the way HeyOrca has a facebook group for social media managers, even those who use Sprout, Later, or Metricool for scheduling. That would be a TOF use of a Facebook group.

But say you’re selling an online course…you can use Facebook groups as an online portal for class participants and alumni to stay connected and continue to learn from each other. The Facebook group is filled with people who have purchased one of your products and continue to be reminded who you are and what you do every time someone else posts in there. It adds value to your product at no additional cost to you, and that value will be why your customers recommend your product to someone else.

In a Facebook group, you can engage with your audience on a deeper level, build a community of loyal fans, and sell your products or services to people who are already inclined to purchase.

Joining groups as a business

You don’t have to only start groups—you can join them, too! As mentioned before, as a small business or nonprofit on Facebook, you can join certain groups depending on their group settings.

You don’t want to join pages willy-nilly, though. You need to find the right group for your business, ones where you can add value and accomplish your goals. Many service companies find a significant part of their customer/client base from Facebook groups like.

Not sure where to start? Here are some ideas for where to start when joining Facebook groups as a business:

Pages for your area. Search Facebook for the name of your town while logged in as your business and click the groups tab. Groups that celebrate your community and small businesses in your community are a gold mine for potential leads.
Pages for your niche. For example, if you’re in the fitness industry, you might join groups run by a bunch of gym bros or running fanatics. These groups are packed with people who are already interested in the kinds of services you offer.
Groups based on some other characteristic—check out this group for Christian female entrepreneurs or this one for entrepreneurial mothers called Mom Boss Central.

Keep in mind that many Facebook pages have rules about self-promotion, so make note of that when you join. Also, be aware that groups of people who do the same thing you do may be a good fit from an inspiration POV, but aren’t necessarily going to benefit your business by generating leads—join groups with a strategy and target audience in mind so you’re not disappointed in results.

Not everything is all about you

It’s tempting to join (or create!) Facebook groups just to have another opportunity to talk about yourself. Obviously, at some point, you’ll need to talk about yourself, but remember that it’s not called Facebook monologues for a reason. Keep the group in Facebook groups!

If you’re joining someone else’s Facebook group, start off by listening more than you talk. You’ll learn a lot about how the group operates by taking a little bit to observe how other people interact and the overall tone of the group before adding your voice to the conversation.

When you’re ready, it’s time to start adding to the conversation. Ask questions and answer them. Spark conversations, comment on other people’s posts, and reply to comments on your own posts!

Avoid bombarding the group with self-promotion—you want to make sure you’re providing value to the group at a significantly higher ratio than you’re asking people to support you and your business.

This even applies to when it’s your own Facebook group. While your group guests are likely aware that they’re in there for a marketing reason, too much self-centered content will drive them away—people are universally selfish and they want things to be about them. Make things about them, and they’re more likely to stay.

How to sell in a Facebook group

That said, business is business, baby. We all have to do it.

When it comes to selling in Facebook Groups, subtlety is key. Nobody likes feeling like they’re being sold to 24/7. Instead, sprinkle in your promotions—just enough to grab attention without overwhelming your audience.

One way you can do this is by creating a sense that your Facebook group is exclusive somehow—drop previews, first chances to purchase before items go on sale for the public, discounts that are only shared in the group, etc. You can also involve them in your drops by creating polls or giving them the opportunity to get involved in launch teams or focus groups. Not only will you drum up excitement for your products, but you’ll also make your audience feel like they’re part of the creative process.

Here’s the good news, though: Facebook groups have value beyond actually selling. Remember those membership questions? You can use one of those membership questions to get email addresses for each of your members to add to your email list.

Email campaigns, when done well, are a powerhouse for your marketing and should be used to support whatever social media marketing you’re doing. You can even take this a step further and use your email list to generate a lookalike list or retargeting campaign for ads.

Get started

Facebook groups might seem like just another item on your never-ending to-do list, but trust me—they’re worth the effort. From building a loyal community to boosting your bottom line, the possibilities are endless.

PS - As a local entrepreneurial mom in the social media space who works and lives in the Bloomington and Normal community, here are some of my favorite groups (besides the ones already linked in this blog!):