How many Facebook groups are you in right now? Are they actually benefitting you or are they just filling your feed with posts you’re only vaguely interested in?
Here are five types of groups that can benefit your business, and a special shoutout to my three favourite Facebook Groups!
1. Promotional and selling groups
Before we get any further, yes, these groups can be very loud and quite spammy – but I would still consider them.
These are groups that allow you to showcase your business or sell your products with very little restrictions. These can be groups like ‘Small Business Adverts North Wales‘ or ‘Small Business Promotion UK‘ that are essentially groups celebrating small businesses and giving you a space where you can reach other small business owners/lovers. But it’s also worth looking for some more specific to your niche, there’s a ‘buy and sell’ group for pretty much anything these days.
What makes these groups so good is that nobody goes onto social media to be sold to – but only people willing to get shown what you’ve got to sell are joining these groups!
2. Networking groups
Some groups have more restrictions, but can feel less spammy. I like to think of these as ongoing networking opportunities. Yes, you can promote your business, but you can also have conversations and share aspects of yourself or your business from a less salesy point of view.
For women in business, I’d recommend checking out:
• The Mothership – Network She
I am on the lookout for gender-inclusive groups, and I’d love to hear your recommendations!
3. Connecting groups
These are the groups that your target audience is hanging out in. You aren’t in these groups to be salesy but to connect with them over your shared interest. That doesn’t mean you can’t make sales from these groups though. Sooner or later, someone will say “I need help with this”, and you can jump in.
If, like me, you’re trying to connect with small business owners, these will overlap with your networking groups – and you definitely need to check out my personal favs (keep reading ↓).
4. Local groups
Among the drama and neighbourly arguments, there can actually be a lot of value in local groups. Personally, I avoid posting salesy posts here unless it directly affects the locals. I mean, if you run the local cafe and you’ve decided to stay open later now that the evenings are longer, then sure, the locals want to know that. But if you post your menu and you already posted it last week, and the week before, and the week before, it can quickly feel spammy.
If your client base doesn’t have to be local, these groups can still be a valuable place to share your wins. Imagine if that person that you say hi to every day on the school run suddenly shares that they’ve won an award or something; you’re going to talk about that! Let the gossip share your news.
5. Learn
Not every Facebook group you join will be a space for you to potentially get clients. Some allow you to learn new skills, to get support from an expert and to get that ongoing accountability. Some free ones that I love include:
• The Canva and Content Club
• Sparkle Society: Evolve Your Business with Bold Funnels & Email Magic
• She Enjoys Business Building
My three favs ♥
Before I continue, I just want to note that I am not affiliated in any way with these groups. Yes, I know the people behind them, and yes, you will find me to be quite active in there – but that is because they are so good!
Get **It Done Club: connect – co-work – collaborate is an amazing space for busy people in business. I think that what makes this group special is that although you are allowed to self-promote whenever you want to, we generally don’t. If someone has an amazing offer to share, they do. If someone has value to give, they do. If someone needs help, they ask. The community in this group is unreal!
Be The Face of Your Brand is the space to be if you find being visible a bit icky. It’s a space where the person behind the business is celebrated just as much as the actual business. It’s also a safe space where you can test out posts. If you’re not quite brave enough to press ‘post’ on your page/profile because it’s a bit more personal than your usual, share it with the group and see the response.
The Coffee Lounge – Supporting Female Small Business Owners To Grow is making a powerful comeback! This group used to be in my top three but dropped out as the amazing lady who runs it took a break. I’m so happy to see the group active again, to see the community celebrate the return, and to see all the exciting new aspects of the group.
Still feeling overwhelmed?
Imagine if I could sit with you and go through all the groups you’re currently in, help you decide which ones you want to leave, which ones you want to focus on and which new ones you want to join… Don’t just imagine it, book a Powerhour and let’s do it!
Thanks for reading! I share a blog like this one every other Tuesday, and if you feel like they help your social media presence, and more importantly, your business – then please consider leaving a tip.
Every time this tip jar reaches £15, I’ll run a giveaway on social media so a small business can access my membership group for two months.
Tesni xx
