Do you hear crickets in your Facebook group? Is your Facebook group dead on arrival?
So, how does a savvy business owner improve Facebook engagement in their Facebook group?
I started the Women’s Entrepreneur Network on Facebook in 2015, and it has been a great journey, growing that group to over 60,000 members in about 2 years. I have also helped several of my clients grow their groups. I guess you could say that I have a little bit of experience growing Facebook groups.
When I talk to other entrepreneurs, they often mention that they want what I have in a Facebook Group: a place where people go to hang out, get information, and generally have an fun, entertaining experience. People come onto social media to be social, to hang out with friends, and have a good time. They may decide to buy something, but they definitely don’t come online to be sold to.
Most people choose to lurk in the background waiting for an invitation and the inclination to comment on others’ posts. If you don’t think people are watching, try posting a silly question and see how many people respond out of nowhere.
When I first started my group, it took me months to get good engagement going. It was frustrating to say the very least. There were times when I wanted to pull my hair out because people were joining the group in droves, but it still felt like a ghost town. I’d post something amazing and thought provoking… and nothing. I was lucky if I got a ‘like’ on my comment. I had to figure out why people weren’t reacting to my posts and why I wasn’t getting the kind of Facebook engagement that I wanted. And I had to figure it out fast, because this is my business – and my livelihood!
I mean, why do some people get good Facebook engagement while others get almost nothing? It can be beyond frustrating and seriously make you want to howl at the moon. Truthfully, I was there at the monitor wanting to scream and shake my fists at it because I’d put up these carefully thought-out posts, and nada! Zip!
Through my research, I learned a few things. In a nutshell, you need to do the seven things I have listed below to encourage people to start engaging and posting in your group. They aren’t so hard, but once you start learning to do them consistently, your group engagement will go way up.
1. Post questions in your group regularly
Post thought-provoking questions, or, if you need some ideas, you can borrow from the list of conversation starters that I shared in my blog post.
2. Encourage people to post in your group.
You can do this by messaging them privately and asking them to post. People love to know that their viewpoints and ideas are valued. And they are generally flattered if you ask them to post.
3. Comment on other people’s posts.
Make sure you reply when others post in your group to encourage them to post more. People appreciate getting feedback and love from the group owner.
4. Thank engaged group members via private message.
When someone posts something in your group, take the time to message them and thank them for putting a post in your group.
5. Post good content in the group.
It doesn’t have to be your own content, but you should aim to have at least 3-5 items posted in your group every day. If you’re stuck on ideas, here’s a list of 100 of them.
6. Use Facebook Live to your advantage.
Make sure you use Facebook Live to your benefit. You don’t need perfect hair, perfect make up, or to lose 20 pounds before you do it (seriously, if that was necessary I wouldn’t be doing Facebook Live all the time). With the way that Facebook’s algorithms currently work, you get seen by more people and are seen as more interactive. Announce in advance when you’ll be going live to give people a chance to hop on and interact with you.
7. Host regular challenges.
Initiate challenges frequently in your group to encourage people to get results in their lives or in their businesses. People love a good challenge.
If you are looking to build an Amazing Facebook Group, Check out this resource.
Focus on these seven steps with enthusiasm and consistency, and you’ll be growing one of the best sales funnels ever for your business.
