I’ve been a member of many Facebook groups in recent years. Facebook groups for new moms, for freelancers, for Americans living in Israel, for female entrepreneurs, for healthy recipes, and more. The truth is, if I don’t get significant value and entertainment from a group, I leave. The last thing I need is endless notifications from groups that don’t really enrich my life in any way!
And after running the Book Marketing Facebook group, a growing community of authors interested in successfully marketing their own books, I have learned a lot about what makes people join, and what keeps them engaged over time.
Why People Join Facebook Groups
The main reason people go on Facebook is to be entertained, not to do hardcore learning, and definitely not to be sold to — so anything you post in your group should be, first and foremost, fun and engaging. One of my favorite groups is a humorous group for Jewish women run by a good friend of mine. This group is full of funny, cute, and relatable posts by others in the same demographic as me, and has grown organically to almost 15K members in the past three years!
Jenna got her group down pat, and you can do the same by keeping in mind some basic but important points.
Create the right “vibe”
Whether you are running a Facebook group to promote something specific, such as a book or consulting business, or to build community around an idea or topic, the main thing you want to focus on is providing value to your group members and encouraging positive conversations.
Be very intentional about the purpose of your group and make sure to communicate that with people joining. A great way to do this is by putting your “mission statement” of sorts in the group description and the pinned post at the top of the page. Keep the energy positive and encouraging, and don’t be afraid to remove members who are overly negative or rude.
Deliver engaging content regularly
- Consider creating a content calendar and scheduling posts in advance using a tool such as Buffer or HootSuite. That way, you can make sure to include different types of content on a regular basis, such as quizzes, valuable/fun articles, inspirational quotes/stories, etc.
- Post often — at least once a day — to keep the momentum going. Posting more often is also fine.
- Aim for at least 1 livestream a week — ask your group members regularly what they need help with and DELIVER.
- Acknowledge your members who are regular contributors.
- Run fun polls that encourage engagement.
- Ask your audience questions get to know them.
- Provide regular prompts to encourage engagement.
Keep growing
The more relevant members you can add to your group, the better! One great way to encourage sign-ups is by adding your Facebook group to your email signature. Be sure to focus on the benefits your audience will receive, such as: “P.S. Are you an author? Join my Book Marketing Facebook Group to get support from me and other book marketers and authors who are committed to helping YOU DIY your book marketing successfully.”
A Facebook group can be a great way to build momentum around your messages, but make sure to always make the group about them, the members, so they don’t click that “leave group” button before getting the value that you know you can offer!
What are some stand-out features of your favorite Facebook groups?
Margy Kerr-Jarrett enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in nature with her husband and daughter. Born and raised in Indianapolis, IN, Margy has been living in Jerusalem, Israel for the past three years.