Setting up a Facebook Group as a strategy for a brand is a staple for any social media manager. But managing it actively in such a way that members are essentially taking the lead in the best discussions you have ever engaged in is an altogether different matter.
With a large and increasing population of users on Facebook, segmenting customers or followers or fans into Groups can be a good idea, depending on what you hope to achieve. But a successfully-run Facebook Group takes a smart social media manager with an understanding and appreciation of social media conversation and social listening.

Unlike a public Facebook Page that can be corporate-ish to some, a Facebook Group, a gathering of people with common interests, is intimately linked with conversations and sharing. People who come together under a Facebook Group have a common advocacy or initiative that encourages them to raise concerns, discuss issues, post photos, and share related content.
Still relevant
Such makeup has encouraged brands to use closed Groups as a customer support hub to promote an open dialogue between them and their customers. Other start-ups use Facebook Groups as a networking venue while professionals maximize it to build awareness, authority and interest.
As more people find the News Feed on Facebook quite noisy, old-timer Groups can still make a relevant move for your brand today. As a refresher, here are some other treats Facebook Groups can offer:

• Groups are indexed by Facebook search as well as traditional search engines.
• Your profile, as the admin of a Group, will more likely be known and knotted to the initial members.
• Events in the groups have a greater reach than other elements on Facebook.

Active engagement

Here are some things you need to remember when you have a Facebook Group:

• Create a group name and description. Make your group name relevant and easy to remember and find.
• Fill the fields correctly. The description should be around your group name and interest. Not too long and wordy.
• Choose the privacy level correctly. “Open” is for the group members and their content to be public. “Closed” is meant for group member profiles to be public but their content private. “Secret” is to keep all group members and their content private.
• Interact with members. You can do this through discussing as a group, replying to comments, adding new friends, welcoming new members, making lists, sending messages, working on projects together and editing documents directly, among others.
• Enforce rules. If you have specific rules about posting, spamming and advertising, make sure to enforce these to avoid messy posts and comments on the group. This is also to have your purpose of creating the group still relevant with the posts. If people break the rules, be sure to do something about it.
• Post fresh and interesting content. Post fresh and up-to-date content. You can also maximize visual content for higher engagement. Do not consistently post something about your services and products. Doing so can annoy your members and seriously backfire.
• Hold events. To reinforce camaraderie, support online discussions with face-to-face/physical events. You can also organize online contests to boost membership excitement.

Facebook Group is all well and good, but the key element to successfully managing it lies in having a good social media and community manager, a reliable figure who can handle its management for your company to prevent members from feeling dissatisfied and eventually leaving the group. The last thing you want is to have your brand and reputation affected.
Here’s where Third Team Media can come in and help you out. Avail of our free 30-minute consultation today and let’s talk about how to extend your brand’s reach to Facebook Groups.
(with Valentina Jakosalem/The Memoriter Writing Service Communication Intern)