Having a Facebook Group for your business is an excellent way to build your community. However, for many entrepreneurs, it feels like a daunting, time-consuming task.

Why? Because to have a successful Facebook Group, you have to be present in your Facebook Group.

And being present sounds time-consuming.

(And then there’s the part about coming up with content to engage your members.)

No wonder entrepreneurs give up on Facebook Groups before even starting one!

In this week’s marketing strategy, I will share with you two truths about running a Facebook Group, as well as two tips to ensure you get the most out of them.

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If you use Facebook for marketing, you should consider having a Facebook Group for your business. A Facebook Group is an excellent meeting space for your community. And the Facebook algorithm favors Group posts (over Facebook page posts), which means your Facebook Group content has a greater likelihood of being seen in the newsfeed.

Running a Facebook Group can be a fun activity too. However, if you’re concerned that your Facebook Group will “run you,” this is the blog post for you.

Let’s start with a bit of truthtelling…

Facebook Groups are not for everyone

Yes, Facebook Groups are great. Yes, Facebook Groups can help your marketing strategy. But Facebook Groups are not for every entrepreneur.

I’m a proponent of Marketing Joy, meaning your marketing tasks should make your heart sing. If running a Facebook Group feels one step above a root canal, then don’t have a Facebook Group.

If you’re not feeling the joy of running a Facebook Group, it will never be effective for you. So, don’t even go there, okay?

Facebook Groups take time

The second truth I want you to know is that managing a Facebook Group does take time.

There are ways to save time, which I’ll share in a moment, but for the most part, you need about five hours a week (minimum) to run your Facebook Group.

In addition to the weekly time investment, it takes time to nurture leads from your Facebook Group. You may not see sales from your Group for months and months.

If you can devote the time and be patient, you will love the rewards of having a Facebook Group. You’ll feel so connected to your community! And yes, you will get clients.

Building your Facebook Group

Now that we talked about two Facebook Group truths, let’s switch to some strategies. First up, how do you build your Facebook Group?

The best way to build your group is one member at a time. Here are the strategies I’ve used to build my Celestial Ones Facebook Group.

• I emailed my list and asked them to join my Facebook Group.
• I posted about my Facebook Group on my personal timeline, asking my entrepreneurial friends to join.
• I also posted about it on my Facebook Page, as well as made sure my Group is linked there.
• I invite anyone who opts into my lead magnet into my Facebook Group. It’s the last email they get in the autoresponder series.
• I did some Facebook Ads at the beginning. I wouldn’t do that now unless I had a ton of money to spend.

What to post in your Facebook Group

I would follow the 80-20 rule for content in your Facebook Group.

• 80% should be content that’s strictly for engagement. Ask questions, do polls, share inspiring stories – anything to get the Group members to comment.
• 20% should be related to your business. This includes links to your blog posts and events, as well as promoting your services.

The best to way to beat “posting overwhelm” is to plan ahead. Take 10-15 minutes a week and plan out your posts. You can use the native scheduler inside your Facebook Group if you want to schedule your posts in advance. This will save you so much time!

Your Facebook Group shouldn’t run you. By making sure you have the time for a Facebook Group and planning your posts in advance, you won’t feel so overwhelmed with running a Facebook Group.

And give yourself permission to skip a Facebook Group if it doesn’t feel aligned with your personality or marketing goals. Remember, your business will continue whether or not you have a Facebook Group. Have fun with your marketing!

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Need more marketing inspiration?

If you need more ideas on how to get clients, check out my Magnetic Marketing Checklist (it’s a free download!). It’s packed with ideas on how to authentically attract more customers to your business.

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ABOUT JILL

Hi, I’m Jill Celeste. I teach purpose-driven entrepreneurs (just like you) everything you need to know about marketing so you can become the Director of Marketing for your business.

Because when you put your Director of Marketing hat squarely on your head, marketing is your number one priority (which will result in more clients!).

When I am not teaching about marketing, you’ll find me hanging out with my husband or my teenage boys, or taking a nap with my basset hound, Emma. I also like to play with my two kittens and feed the backyard ducks (much to my neighbor’s chagrin).

If you’re feeling alone in your entrepreneurial journey, I invite you to check out my monthly membership group, The Celestial Circle. Affordable, loving, supportive, informative, and fun – that’s how we roll in The Celestial Circle. We would love to welcome you!