So, thinking of starting a Facebook Group are ya? Perhaps you've tried one before and it didn't work out - or perhaps you've just been putting it off and putting it off because you JUST can't decide if it's something you want...

Well, get your decision making pants on (they're a thing right? Just me?... Ahem...) because it's time to either go all in or put your focus elsewhere.

Indecision is the thief of time and progress. (Do you like that? I just made that up.... pretty accurate though right?)

So here's what we're going to do. I'm going to take you on a little tour of all the great things that Facebook Groups can do for your biz - and THEN (because I want to give you both sides of the story), I'm going to lay out some of the downsides too.

Once we're done, I want you to promise me something 'k? MAKE A DECISION and then go with it. Oh, and I'd love to know what you decide - there's even a handy comments section where you can let me know! *WINK*

Now, to be clear I'm a little biased about the whole Facebook Group thing. I have my own group (it's called Fully Booked Mums and it's super-fun-and-completely-amazing-and-you-should-totally-join!)

I LOVE my group and here's why...

You can't spell 'successful business' without 'community' amIright?

I mean, I'm not at all right of course.  They use completely different letters... but you get where I'm going with this....

Community is hugely powerful when it comes to growing a business and getting clients. Let's face it, the internet has made it easier than ever before to connect with people - but the type of connections we're getting are so much shallower and less meaningful.

Actually making real and genuine connections online? Now that's not so easy - but community is where it all starts.

And the best thing about building your OWN community? You get to pick and choose who becomes a part of it and you can FILL it with your ideal clients.  You see, your ideal clients all have something in common - whatever it is that MAKES them your ideal clients!

So chances are, they'll all be happy to be connected with others who share those traits too. You see, strong communities are built on common interests, experiences or values so if you can create something that has one or more of those things, then you're on to something pretty magical!

As the group leader, you automatically have authority. Now, when I say 'authority' I'm not talking about the kind of 'going mad with power' type of authority.  I'm talking about building authority and credibility in your niche.

Authority comes with taking action - and that takes time. In your own group however, you have a platform and this is a tremendous opportunity to show your members exactly what you can do and to set yourself up as a leader in your field.

You'll have heard people say it before: Business is all about relationships. And you can't build a relationship without conversation.

You can blog and podcast to your heart's content but it's all pretty one-sided. Sure, you might get the odd comment - but if you want real conversations (and *spoiler alert*, you DO), then a Facebook Group is the perfect place to have them.

And I'm not just talking conversations between you and your members.  How about conversations between members? Your ideal clients connecting with EACH OTHER - thanks to you.

I don't know about you, but when that happens in my group, it makes me feel pretty incredible.

Facebook have actually come out and said that they are giving prominence to groups over pages. They want to encourage the type of community and discussion that happens there.

What does this mean for you? Basically, your group posts will reach a greater percentage of your members than your page posts will, your 'likers'.

There is a caveat to this of course - ONLY your group members will see your posts, but that's ok because your group is FULL of ideal clients, right? 

Everywhere you look you're being told that you need to know who your ideal clients are - and it's absolutely true!

EVERYTHING in your biz should be shaped by your ideal clients.

Your content

Your brand

Your messaging

Your products and services...

They should all call out to your target audience.

And the better you know those people? The better you can call out to them, the better products and services you can create for them.

Your Facebook Group offers some great opportunities to really get inside your ideal clients heads. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1) Polls

Here's an example of a poll I used recently to get a sense of whether I should be creating content around GDPR...

2) Question Posts

You can also ask questions in your group which will help you to learn more about your ideal clients. Here's an example of what I mean..

This question helped me to understand the types of business my members are building and the types of customer they're targeting.

Think about what questions you could ask YOUR ideal clients to learn more about them...

3) Joining Questions

I love being able to ask questions to people who want to join my group! I get FOUR great benefits from them.

Firstly, I can ask questions to learn more about my ideal clients' challenges - which in turn helps me to create content and products which I know they want.

Secondly, I use these questions to discover if someone IS actually an ideal client in the first place.

I make it clear that if my top question is left unanswered, I won't allow access to the group - and then I STICK to that. If someone can't be bothered to answer 1 question in order to gain access to the group then that's a big, flashing red light to me that they aren't that engaged or committed. They're NOT my ideal client and I don't want them in my group.

I decline around 20% of those applying to my group for this very reason.

Thirdly, I ask where people heard about my group so that I can see where my group promotion strategies are working best - and double down on them.

Lastly, I use the joining to questions to build my email list. This is a fantastic tactic - I get around 80-90% of joiners also subscribing.

I hope I've helped you to see some of the great benefits that starting your own Facebook Group can bring? Now before you rush off to set yours up, let's just look at a few of the 'downsides'...

Facebook Groups aren't a way to make a quick buck. If that's what you're looking for then they're probably not the way to go.

The key to FB Groups is building relationships and creating a strong community - and that takes time and commitment.

If you want an active group, full of people who engage and pro-actively participate then you need to show up yourself. You need to set the example.

That means being present in your group EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Even when no one else is.

Even when you're getting no likes, no comments and no one listening to your FB lives.

It's tough - I know, I've been there.

There'll be days when you feel like throwing in the towel because it's just taking too long and nothing you try seems to work.

But you need to show up - even on those days. ESPECIALLY on those days.

Be consistent, be present and your group will grow and your members will gradually start to join you in the conversation.

We've already talked about the time it takes to build a thriving Facebook Group community - and for sure, that takes patience.

But actually leading that community also takes patience.

There'll be times when you feel SO frustrated...

Perhaps you've spent ages creating a post that you think is going to rock their worlds - but no one responds.

Perhaps you've launched a new service that you KNOW they're going to love - but no one bites.

Perhaps people are saying things that you just don't agree with...

You need to be PATIENT. If you want people to see you as a leader, then act like one. 

I know this rather contradicts my 'Be Seen' in the Advantages section of this post.... but I'm talking about that caveat I mentioned. You see your Facebook Group posts WILL be seen by a greater percentage of your members - but they won't be seen by anyone outside of your group (assuming your group is private, which is generally the setting that most business owners will choose because this allows for freer conversation among members.

Facebook Groups aren't a quick way to grow your audience, but they're a great way to build a relationship with and nurture them.

Some people I speak to are hesitating to start a group because they can't decide which is better - a Facebook Group or a website.

This should never be an either/or situation.

A Facebook Group is NOT a replacement for a website.

Your website is YOUR land. It's your business hub; your online home.

Your Facebook Group is a wonderful tool for building a community - but always be conscious that at anytime, some change to the algorithm or, heaven forbid, the end of Facebook, could mean your group disappears just like that.... POOF! 

So, while I would absolutely make use of FB Groups and all the benefits they bring, I would be very wary of putting all your eggs in your Facebook Group basket... ?

Still not sure? If after all that you're still wavering then I'll leave you with my final thought on the subject... What have you got to lose if you give it a go?

You may discover that groups just aren't your thing - but that's progress!

You may discover that your ideal clients aren't that bothered about community or joining a group... Well, that's progress too!

But just maybe you'll find that your Facebook Group is just what your business was missing! A place for your tribe to get together, to talk, to support one another - and to build a relationship with you...

This is something which so many group owners struggle with! They show up and show up and show up - but no one else does....

Talk about frustrating!

Well, over the last couple of years or so, I've learned a trick or two about what gets people talking and I've put it all together in one amazing Cheat Sheet. Just for you, I've produced 31 Facebook posts that you can use in your own group to get the conversation started.

Schedule one each day for a month and see the transformation!