For small businesses, Facebook groups are a valuable tool for interacting with current and potential customers. Listed are five ways your small business can make the most of Facebook groups. Social media features such as Facebook groups have proven to help small businesses understand their customers and increase engagement.
1. Create a sense of community
Customer relationship management is key to a small business’s success. Research has shown that the majority of a business’s revenue comes from its most loyal customers, and Facebook groups are a great way to interact with current customers. Interacting with customers in a group setting creates a more intimate atmosphere, thus forming deeper connections. Customers are three times more likely to purchase from your brand if they have an emotional connection to it. When creating a community on Facebook, it is important to create a space in which customers feel safe sharing their interests and passions. Furthermore, user-generated content increases customer-to-customer engagement. People enjoy interacting with others they have a lot in common with. Your customers will feel seen and heard in the community you created alongside other customers with similar interests.
2. The right, specific audience is targeted
As a small business, it is easier to find your target audience within Facebook groups because these customers share a common interest in your product or service. Customers who care about your brand and want to interact with other brand users will have the highest levels of participation in your groups. Gaining insights into your audience is extremely beneficial to businesses, especially small businesses that might not have access to large amounts of research. When small businesses understand who their customer is, they learn where to focus their efforts, and how to meet customer needs.
3. Increase your organic reach
Facebook prioritizes posts from groups in a user’s feed, so a brand has a higher chance of showing up from group interaction than a page post. The reach of a brand’s Facebook page is usually around 5%, but group reach is much higher. Increasing user-generated content and engagement in your Facebook groups will not only keep your current customers interested but will catch the eyes of new, potential customers. As a small business, your brand must gain as much exposure as possible, so utilizing Facebook groups for the sake of increasing reach is highly beneficial. You should be consistent with your content to increase interaction and organic reach.
4. Gain valuable feedback
Asking customers for feedback makes them feel valued and appreciated. As mentioned above, the casual atmosphere of Facebook groups allows customers to share their opinions in a safe space. This is beneficial for small brands because it forms a deeper understanding of customers’ wants and needs. If you learn what needs to be improved upon directly from customers, you have a better chance of correcting your mistakes and ensuring customers are satisfied. Feedback not only helps you understand what mistakes you are making, but it also shows you your strengths. Customers are not shy about sharing their positive experiences as well. Using Facebook groups to gain both positive and negative feedback allows your brand to understand what your customer needs.
5. Use pre-existing groups to promote your brand
There are many pre-existing Facebook groups that customers use to find recommendations, and brands can use these groups to promote their products/services. Posting promotional content in local Facebook groups or groups related to your brand increases brand awareness and recognition. You are exposing potential customers to your brand, which can lead to more interaction in the future. For example, a restaurant in St. Louis participating in a Facebook group titled “Date Night Ideas in St. Louis” will find many potential customers looking for a restaurant for their next date. As another example, “Miami Hospitality Jobs” would be a great group for hotel employers in Miami to search for potential employees. Pre-existing groups are great for searching for potential customers, and you can promote your brand in hopes of acquiring new customers.
