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The hidden opportunities of Facebook Groups

Tegan Mathews

You will hear it often, the voice of the frustrated business owner who has tried to use Facebook. They attempted to grow their business with it and failed miserably because they got lost in the noise. Yes, Facebook is now overrun with advertisements and it is difficult to be ‘seen’ but it is still the most widely used social media platform on the planet and in most cases, where your clients still hang out. So how do you make it work for you? In this blog post, I will share one of the hidden opportunities of Facebook Groups.

Why you need to be in Facebook Groups

Facebook groups is where you need to be. This is where your target audience if you choose your groups carefully, are hanging out, sharing their opinions, and feeling safe to ask the questions they are searching for answers on. Groups are the ‘go to’ places on Facebook for their favourite things. It might be their favourite famous persons they are following, their weekend hobby group, a group they go to for motivation, or a group of their business peers they rely on for support and advice.

So, rather than just aimlessly attempting to contact your potential clients randomly on Facebook find which groups they’re hanging out in and be there to share your knowledge and to provide the support, advice and answers they are looking for. Whatever you do though, don’t sell. In most groups, there will be a specific day or way for you to promote but the real value of groups is that they provide a platform for you to share your knowledge and genuinely help people.

How to post in Facebook Groups

Once you have chosen a few (three is good but no more than five) groups to be part of, be sure to read their rules and adhere to them. Apply to join and then spend some time getting to know some of the members. Comment genuinely on their posts and get a feel for the group to make sure it is a good fit for you with the right type of people in it. Then you need to introduce yourself.

Introduce yourself to the group

This is where I see a lot of people miss out on an opportunity to promote themselves to a group. Some people sit back and just watch what is going on but no-one is going to know who you are unless you a) share your opinion and b) help people c) tell people what you do. Then there are others who are actively participating, which is great, but they still haven’t introduced themselves to the group so it’s not clear exactly what it is they do.

You wouldn’t walk into a meeting with a group of people without introducing yourself first. Or go to a networking event, or even a social event, without an introduction so why not do it when you join a group. It’s the same thing, just online. But before you do, the first thing you must be clear on is to know what you want to be known for in the group. Make sure everything you do is clearly outlined and aligns with this.

The clearer you are with your message of who you are and what it is you do, the easier it is for people to refer others to you. For example, if you want to be known as the expert in canine physiotherapy then you need to introduce yourself as this and then ensure everything you respond to has something to do with dogs. As in, don’t be talking about cats or horses, unless it ties into canine physiotherapy.

How to promote yourself in Facebook Groups

“But I don’t want to be selling” I hear people say this all the time. This fear of coming across as a sleazy salesperson can even stop people from promoting themselves and their business. But if it’s done in the right way then you won’t have to worry about this. The right way is to always be genuine in your intentions of helping people, be yourself and let your personality shine through, and then follow these five steps for your intro:

1) Introduce who you are, what you do

In one sentence tell the group why you chose the group. Add in what appeals to you about the group and a few fun facts about yourself. For example: “Hi Heart Centred Entrepreneurs (always use the group name), I am Tegan from Blue Dog Websites and we create the most beautiful websites that become your best sales employee. I am super excited to be part of this group because I like to grow my business from my heart rather than my head. When I am not doing that, I am either catching a flight to another country, am jetlagged, or am losing myself in puppy cuddles.”

2) Clearly define your area of expertise

It’s important to keep this simple. Explain what people can come to you for and maybe even share your ‘why’. For example, I am not going to say for people to ask me about SEO because that isn’t the main arm of our business. Instead, I might say, “Feel free to ask me about anything to do with websites, website funnels, eCommerce websites, or even e-courses on your website and I am happy to help. I love all of these things and am super passionate about making it easy for business owners so they aren’t slowed down by the tech”.

3) Share where people can find out more about you

Do this in a general way without it being super “salesy”. For example, “If you would like to find out more about me you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and our Blue Dog Websites.com site.” Notice I didn’t put the actual domain link in? In a lot of groups it is frowned upon but in others, you can so have a look through at other intros and judge for yourself.

4) Finish with excitement and gratitude

I believe the best way to finish anything is with gratitude and that is the same in groups too. Finish by thanking the leader of the group for accepting you and share your excitement of being a part of it. For example, “Thanks so much ‘Jane Smith’ for creating such an awesome group of women. I am super excited to get to know and hopefully meet some of you as we build our businesses together.”

5) Last, but definitely not least, you MUST post a photo of yourself

Choose a photo that says something about who you are as a person. Remember, people need to ‘know, like, and trust’ you before they will do business with you so make it a personal pic. It can be you on your last holiday, you and a happy client, you and the dog, you and the kids, you and your partner. I always put a pic of either me travelling or with a dog because those are two other things I am passionate about when I am not working.

Hopefully, these tips will give you the nudge you need to take the step and venture into Facebook Groups and to introduce yourself properly. Doing an introduction really is one of the hidden opportunities of Facebook Groups because it gives you the chance to promote yourself without actually blatantly promoting. More importantly, it gives people the opportunity to get to know you.

Facebook Groups can bring you plenty of leads. This has been one of the avenue’s that have contributed to our success so I encourage you to take the time to choose a few and get started. If you are already a member of a group then maybe it’s time for a re-introduction?
Most importantly though, always be yourself, genuinely help people, and have fun while you do it.

If you would like more customised advice on Facebook Groups and how to create a winning social media marketing strategy, book a coaching session here.

Tegan Mathews

Tegan has over twenty years experience in sales & marketing both nationally and internationally and the founder of several businesses, her first at the age of 14.

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