The Power of Growing a Group – Leveraging Your Audience

It’s no secret that I LOVE Facebook. And if I had to count the ways, I could probably go on forever. I find that using key tools to manage a Facebook group is the simplest way to find success, quickly. So how do we harness the power of growing a group?

The great thing about Facebook? Anyone (over the age of 13) can join. That opens up an unlimited amount of possibilities for your page and your groups. UNLIMITED. What you post, share and create has the potential to reach MILLIONS of people. Let that sink in for a minute. Mind-blowing.

(and I’m seriously giddy about being able to talk to you about this today)

First and foremost, let’s talk about the strategies behind Facebook groups.

Tips for growing a group without spending a dollar on ads.

What’s the Point of Growing a Group on Facebook?

Believe this. People love Facebook. But what I think that most people tend to overlook is that there is a difference between a Facebook group and a Facebook page. Are you one of them? Don’t worry, it’s really, really common.

From everything that I’ve learned, there are three ways that people interact on Facebook.

7 Ways to Grow Your Group

People will interact with your personal profile

They see your picture, and one to know you/talk to you. (And from building a Facebook page standpoint, this can be great. BUT, you can’t sell on your personal profile as it’s against Facebook’s terms of service)

Build Trust

When you interact with your community with your personal profile, it feels far more authentic than talking to a Facebook page. You can’t build trust without authenticity. 

Facebook users love to “like” and follow new pages

This is good news. You can run ads here and really target and connect with your audience. Having a page really gives you the potential to post videos, share content and bring in those potential customers with ease. 

Users love to use messenger to connect

Don’t forget about the hidden power of messenger. It’s a quick and simple way to get in touch with someone or create a “group chat” where you can target in on certain people even more. Messenger makes it easy to get in touch with people that you need and want to connect with. 

While all three ways are essential for interacting on Facebook, don’t forget these other quick tips, too.

You cannot run ads without a page. And you connect building a following with a group. 

It’s seriously as simple as that. 

Once you find your people that are perfect for your group, do well and they will stick around. Give them enough valuable information that they feel as though you’re solving their problems and if you can accomplish that, your Facebook group and communities will grow.

Groups thrive because everyone is there for the same reason. It’s like having your own personal cheerleading section for each and every question. How awesome is that?!

Use the Group Question Feature to Grow Your Email List

We’ve all seen those questions when joining Facebook groups. You can use them too, to build your email list! And we’ve learned from Sarah Mueller how powerful an email list can be

You’ve heard me mention a number of times to work smart, not harder, right? This strategy allows us to do just that.

Share Videos from Your Page

You created the content already why not use it to grow beyond your page? Share your video content from your page to your group. This gives you the opportunity to build custom audiences to retarget. This is extremely helpful, especially during launch time.

What is the point of having a Facebook group when I already have a Facebook page with thousands of fans? 

I’ll be the first to tell you that what works for some doesn’t work for all. You may be able to bypass a free group and offer some sort of paid group right out of the gate. It’s all in how you present the information and how well your audience believes in your message.

Everyone is different. All your followers and subscribers are looking for “something”. Some will be forever fans and will buy anything that you offer while others may need a little bit more convincing. Remember when I said that it takes putting content in front of people’s eyes 7 times before they decide to buy? THIS IS NOT A FAKE STATISTIC. Some people drag their feet a lot longer than others.

When I ran a free group, I was able to convert 1 out of every 7 users…that’s a pretty darn good number. (tooting my own horn here a bit) BUT, was there potential for it to be better? Possibly. 

That’s the beauty of using Facebook groups to your benefit. You have to find out what works for you. 

Simple ways to grow your group

Is there a clear path to starting a Facebook group?

The short answer? No. While I’m here to provide guidance and answer questions, I also know that I’ve given the people in my groups enough breadcrumbs and information to find their path. THIS IS WHAT I LOVE TO DO.

In my own personal path, I started a free group first. And I had just 100 people. I used multiple page strategies and I taught them in their own time. Then, once I showed them that I was of value to them, I hammered them with sales. 

And while I was hammering them with sales, I was also their biggest cheerleader along the way, too. 

My goal and want? For my free group to be of huge value. Why? Because if they like what I have to offer, they’ll verbally tell others and my free group will join. All with little effort from me.

Winner-winner. 

I like giving people the tools to find success, but I want it to be a bit messy so that they still need to use the resources that I’m selling as well. I offer things to them in a very sequential way – and I do this on purpose. 

Grow your group so you can grow your business

If I have nobody in my Facebook group, how do I even get started? 

When you have literally zero Facebook fans, zero fans on your page, zero fans in your group, you need to start “collecting” friends. Sounds a bit like a hoarder, right?

No shame.

When I started my journey on Facebook, I would meet different friends and connect with them. They were mainly blogging friends and we would talk about ways to blog and grow our audience. Keep in mind I knew none of them in real life. 

I decided that I needed to create an interest group on Facebook, and I messaged each of them (in like groups of 20) inviting them and creating this group. 

Once I had about 200-400 “friends”, I knew my group was set. 

If you have zero people in your Facebook group, you have to get out and connect with people so that they can learn about you and trust you. Once they do, you’ll find that they want to be a part of whatever you’re a part of. 

How can you actively grow your Facebook group?

The simple answer? You need to be present. Your group is there because of YOU and if they never see you, they don’t hold any value into what you’re posting. 

Show up. Deliver. Go live in the group. Have them ask questions that you actually respond to and answer. 

Make conversations with them every single day. And I mean that. Literally EVERY SINGLE DAY.

If you start your Facebook group with the mindset that you value them and their conversations, you’re setting yourself up for a path towards solid success. 

As your Facebook group grows, should you have moderators to help?

YES. If you can find someone that knows your page, your mission and has your voice, let them help you! You don’t want your group to have to wait for information and answers. This is where moderators are HUGE. 

The time is now to start a Facebook group. Why wait? If you wait, success will never come. And don’t worry, you’ll learn a lot along the way, and I’m here to help as well.

Find your passion for helping others and creating amazing content that just can’t be missed out on. Facebook groups and pages are one easy and simple way to make this happen. 

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *