Unlike pages, Facebook groups witness much higher user engagement. The group members are not just restricted to like, comment and share, but can also take opinions, enquire and discuss about things they are interested in. It could be about music, dance, art, shoes, fashion, technology, travelling and everything else. These groups are virgin territory when it comes to brand promotion and therein lies opportunity.
Here are 6 ways you can use this potential platform to promote your business
Sell 24X7: Take your offers directly to people interested in buying. Create a ‘For Sale’ group which will allow you the option to ‘sell something’ through your Facebook status update section. In case you can’t see this feature in your Facebook group, nominate the group for acquiring this feature.
Gain an edge if you provide video training courses: Provide that ‘extra’ benefit to your customers by offering them exclusive access to your private Facebook group. Consumers, especially students, love to have a forum where they can get supplementary material, share their queries and talk to other customers to get their perspective on a subject. If the experience is enriching, it will surely create a healthy bond between you and your customers, who in return will help you get more customers.
Business and chatting don’t mix: Overwhelming engagement on brand pages is good but can be misguiding as well. Conversations need to reflect in growing sales and if that’s not happening there might be a problem. That is why Facebook groups are important. While the page might talk about a verity of subjects, the group is dedicated to the brand and to establish a connect with people who are interested in buying. Pages are windows to attract customers while groups are the marketplace or the selling zone.
You are the expert; let them know: Facebook groups are a perfect way to establish your expertise without bragging. It is a platform where you don’t preach, instead, you share your knowledge with your audience in subtle ways. Your recommendations, if useful, will rank you higher in the consumer’s mind space and will win their respect too. The invaluable consumer insights generated out of this knowledge sharing will help your business in many ways.
Feedback made easy: With an active Facebook group, you will never be in two minds about the new ideas you have. Thanks to the loyal customers in the group, you can get instant feedback, discuss ways to improve your product or services and also count on first-hand user insights. Customers too, will feel valued as their feedback translates into action and gladly turn to being brand advocates.
Damage control: When a customer turns rogue, others listen. Despite you doing your best, sometimes, some customers are not satisfied and vent their anger on Facebook page for others to see. On a page, even if you want to pamper a particular customer, your hands are tied, trying to avert creating a situation where other customers take a cue to turn rouge. Unhappy customers can be managed better on a Facebook group, especially when it is a secret group, as whatever happens in the group, stays in the group.
While, these tips come in handy for you to leverage Facebook groups, there are other ways to promote your business too. All you need to do is get going, learn the nitty-gritties of the platform, understand the behaviour of your target audience within groups, plan out new ways to engage them and provide them with a seamless experience of your brand. Good luck!
