How to Leverage Facebook Groups as Human Marketing

Laurie MuellerCommunity, Facebook & Instagram

“Human marketing requires companies acting as human beings.”

http://www.business2community.com/

“The highlight was meeting other (Groups) admins and the people who actually build the product.

I am now able to see Facebook as a body of humans that care about what their users need and want.”

- Facebook Groups Leadership Conference attendee

Evolution of Social Media(Through Eyes of a Gen Xer)

70s-80s

90s

early ‘00s

mid ‘00s-present

Facebook Groups: The Platform

FB Tribes

FB Groups mobile app

Facebook Groups The Platform

Foster dynamic communities around a shared common interest or goal

Host a separate place for people to communicate, collaborate and plan

Desired audience exists within the FB ecosystem

Community of equal, valued voices

Uniquely intimate, direct connection with audience

Facebook GroupsWhy Use Them?

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Dr. Brian Jacob of the International Hernia Association

Should I Start a Group?

What do you want from your audience?

How do you want to interact with that audience?

Are you willing to invest resources to build and maintain relationships?

Set Your GroupFor Success

Starting a group

Building your community

Fostering leadership

Ensuring community health and success

Key Elements

1. Create group or leverage existing group2. Set strategy, group foundations pre-launch

Name, description

Privacy

Ground rules / guidelines

3. Thoughtfully seed initial members and content

Starting A Group

Group guidelines

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Casio Privia Pro PX-5S Digital Stage Piano Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Casio.Px5s

1. Spend time to vet members2. Set new members up for success

Welcome message, group guidelines, offer of help

3. Create member connections4. Curate high-quality content

Themed or content-specific threads, polls No set content rules for success; depends on group’s needs

Building a Community

New-member welcomes

Face

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Link

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Everything Aquatic

https://www.facebook.com/groups/EverythingAquatic/

Key characteristics1. Aligns with your philosophies and goals2. Effective communication and interpersonal skills3. Representative of audience

Leadership management1. Create secret group for leadership coordination2. Scale with group needs3. Empower and recognize leadership

Fostering Leadership

Secret admin group

AdministratorCan balance taking the group where it needs & wants to be

Invested long-term; committed to dedicating time and effort

ModeratorPeople-oriented: Welcoming, personable, patient

Mediator: Reasonable, fair, consistent

Leadership Needs

Reinforce group purpose, value, and guidelinesSupport and celebrate communitySolicit thoughtful, open dialogue

… via a clear business role and voice

Community Health & Success

Skimmbassadors

[secret group]

Facebook Groups team

Slow Cooker Recipes 4 Families

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SlowCookerRecipes4Families/

Thank you!