As an influencer, search engine optimized blog posts are your ticket to growth. Despite what many think, your own website with optimized blog posts will likely gain way more organic traffic than social media AND it’s way less expensive. If all that wasn’t enough, SEO blogging also generates compounding traffic overtime it’s not super short-lived like social media. Basically, hands down, blogging is the BEST tool for influencers.
However . . . one tool can’t do everything. One of the biggest shortcomings is engagement with your community. You can’t chat, interact, and get a pulse on your followers on your blog. It’s just not the platform for it! But, want to know one of the absolute best places to engage with your readers??? A Facebook group!
Yup, remember that website that launched 20 years ago that our parents have now taken over? It’s still a hotbed for building relationships and a community for influencers! There are huge communities of people young and old in pretty much ALL blogging niches.
With over three billion people using Facebook each month, it is still by far the most popular social media platform. (That’s 3x more users than TikTok!) So, even though Facebook doesn’t feel as popular socially, it is an incredible opportunity for influencers to take advantage of the features it offers, including creating Facebook groups.
Facebook groups are an excellent way to create communities of like-minded people who want to share, engage, and connect with each other.
Today, we’re sharing a step-by-step guide on how to create a Facebook group as an influencer and optimize it for your beloved fans and followers.
How To Create A Facebook Group as an Influencer
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of how to create a Facebook group, let’s first discuss what a Facebook group is and how these online communities are beneficial to influencers.
Facebook groups offer a unique online space for influencers to directly engage with their audience and followers. They can share exclusive content, gauge audience reactions, and even communicate directly with their loyal followers. It’s a space where you can experiment with your content creation and truly get to know your audience and build a strong, loyal fanbase.
There are also different types of Facebook groups you can create. We’ll dive into the differences between these two groups in the next section to help you decide which type of group is best for your goals as an influencer and audience.
What Is A Facebook Group?
You’ve probably heard of Facebook pages, which are completely different from Facebook groups. Facebook groups are dedicated online spaces where people with shared interests can connect, communicate, and collaborate. Members can share their ideas and photos by creating posts or they can engage with other members by commenting on things and discussing topics in group chats.
There are two types of Facebook groups you can create: Public Facebook groups and private Facebook groups.
Public Facebook groups allow anyone, on or off Facebook, to view the content and posts made in the group. The members of the group are also public, so anyone can see who has joined the group. It’s helpful to think of a public Facebook group as a public thread, like on Reddit or Quora. Anyone, whether they have a Facebook account or not, can read the posts and comments and see who has joined the group without being part of it.
Private Facebook groups give the group admin more control over who can join the group, and the posts published, and offer more privacy from non-group members. This is ideal for influencers who truly want to curate their community and verify each member who joins. It also provides an extra layer of privacy to group members who may want to keep their social media activity off the radar. Influencers can use private groups to their advantage with exclusive group content just for members’ eyes, creating a feeling of personal community.
What Are Facebook Groups For?
Influencers use Facebook groups to keep readers engaged from week-to-week and build a loyal and active following. It’s also great for collecting information on your target audience’s interests and establishing deeper connections with the follower base that makes you a success! Below are some of the major benefits influencers can experience when creating a Facebook group.
- Direct Engagement with Community
- Niche Community Building
- Content Testing
- Visibility Increase
- Feedback Loop Establishment
- Brand/Influencer Loyalty Creation
- Content Sharing
- Monetization Opportunities
- Authority Building
- Networking
- User-Generated Content
- Polls and Surveys
- Community Support
- Event Promotion
- Organic Growth
- Content Curation
- Algorithm Favorability
- Targeted Communication
- Exclusive Offers
How To Create a Private Facebook Group
Step 1: Log into Facebook.
The first step to creating a private group is to log into your Facebook account. Yes, you will need a personal Facebook profile to create a group.
If you have a Facebook Page, it can also be an admin of the group. But a Facebook profile is absolutely necessary to creating a private group.
Step 2: Access the group creation menu.
On the left-hand side of your home news feed, you’ll notice a menu of different features Facebook offers. Click on Groups.
This will bring you to a feed of the groups where you are a member. Again, on the left-hand side, you’ll see a menu. Click on Create a New Group.
Step 3: Name your group.
You’re now looking at an empty template to create your private group. The first thing you’ll do is name your group. If available, keep the name of your group the same as all of your other social media channels and blog. This helps your audience identify your content and brand.
Step 4: Choose your privacy settings.
This next step is super important for creating a private Facebook group. Just under the section where you’ll name your group, there is a dropdown menu called Choose Privacy.
Click the dropdown and choose Private.
This sets the group to private so that only accepted members may see other members and posts in the group.
A private group has an additional privacy feature. You can choose to make your group “visible” to other Facebook users or hidden so that only group members you add can see it. If you plan to have a super exclusive community where your audience must make a purchase or sign up for something, then a “hidden” group may be ideal. This allows you to add members as the group admin.
If you wish to have a group where Facebook members can search, find, and request to join, then you would choose the “visible” option. You still controls who comes in, but any follower is urged to join, making it a good place to grow your following, build loyalty, run marketing campaigns, and all the rest!
After you have set your privacy settings, click Create Group.
Step 5: Set the group rules.
Congrats! Your group has been created. Now, it’s time to customize and optimize.
You’ll find all of the group’s features and management settings in the left side menu. The next thing we’re going to do is set your group rules. To do this, click Group Rules in that side menu.
This is where you’ll lay out the rules of your group for your members to follow. Some common rules are to be kind and courteous, no hate speech or bullying, and to respect members’ privacy. But, you can set your own rules!
Step 6: Set member request questions.
In a private group, for a member to join, they can answer membership questions. You can set these questions under Membership Questions in the side menu. These questions can help you better understand if a new member fits into your community. You can ask questions like “Are you signed up for my newsletter?” or “What do you hope to gain from joining this group?”
Before a member can join a private group, the group admin will review their answers and manually give them access.
Step 7: Choose a cover photo.
Your cover photo is the first thing people will see when they visit your Facebook group. Upload your favorite header photo feel free to reuse images from your blog and set the tone for your group.
Step 8: Add a description.
The last thing to do when creating and personalizing a Facebook group is to add a description. Your description should be a few sentences or paragraphs, depending on what you want to say—describing why you created the group, the type of community you’re trying to create, and what people can expect when they join.
Step 9: Invite members to join.
Now that your group is optimized and looks great, it’s time to start inviting members to join! This, of course, is optional, but if you want to invite your close friends or colleagues to get the group started, this is the perfect opportunity to start your community.
Step 10: Allow group access.
When you promote your new Facebook group to your audience on your blog, social media, or newsletter, you’ll start receiving member requests. This is one of the responsibilities you will have when you manage a Facebook group. Make sure to check these requests as often as possible to ensure you’re adding more people to your group.
How To Create A Public Facebook Group
Step 1: Log into Facebook.
To create a public Facebook group, you will first log into your Facebook profile. One requirement of creating a Facebook group is that you must have a personal Facebook account to manage it and any Facebook pages you may also want to create.
Step 2: Create a new group.
When you open your home newsfeed, you’ll see a button on the left side menu that says Groups. This will bring you to a new feed of posts from groups you are a member of.
Again, in the left side menu, there is a button that says Create New Group. Click this to get started on your new Facebook group.
Step 3: Name your group.
You’ll see a template page with fields to fill in. The first field will be the name of your group. You can name your group anything you want, but we highly recommend keeping it the same as your other social media handles or the name of your blog. This helps strengthen your branding and keep your content across social handles aligned.
Step 4: Choose the privacy settings.
This is the step that will determine whether your Facebook group is public or private. In privacy settings, you will choose a Public. This means that people can instantly join your group on Facebook, and non-members can view posts and members.
Step 5: Set the group rules.
Just because your group is public doesn’t mean it is a free-for-all. With a public group, it’s important to be vigilant in the type of content your members post. One way to do this is by setting clear rules and expectations for members.
To set the group rules, click on Group Rules in the management menu. You can take inspiration from pre-written rules or write your own.
Step 6: Choose a cover photo.
To make your community stand out from the millions of other Facebook groups out there, choose a high-quality and engaging cover photo. Think of this as your first impression. You want people to look at it and know exactly the type of group they’re about to join.
Step 7: Write a description.
While a photo is worth a thousand words, it’s still important to write a group description. In a few words, share the purpose of the group, who should join, and what they can expect when they become part of your community.
Are you sharing insider photography tips? Let them know! Are you a fitness blogger creating a supportive community of gym enthusiasts? Tell them!
Step 8: Invite members.
Even with a public group, it’s always a good idea to invite some Facebook friends who you think will enjoy and engage with your group. Having a handful of people to start conversations is a great way to get the group active and start building a huge community!
Step 9: Create your first post.
Start your new Facebook group off right by writing your first post. Share something about yourself and include a photo or video to get members’ attention. Write a post that encourages engagement, such as asking a question or giving a hot take. The more people engage and participate in your group, the more it will grow, and a community will form.
Grow your audience as an influencer by using social media and SEO strategically!
There is so much that goes into being an influencer. From constantly curating new blog content and managing social media accounts to handling brand collaborations and keeping your site optimized. It can feel quite overwhelming!
That’s where InfluencerSEO is here to help. With our expert SEO services, we can take some of those overwhelming (and technical) tasks off your plate so you can go out, enjoy your influencer lifestyle, and free your mind for more viral content ideas. The best part? Our services are the secret sauce to make your blog HUGE!
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Jordan Becerra, founder and Lead SEO Strategist at InfluencerSEO, has spent almost 15 years in the creator internet space, the last nine building InfluencerSEO into the go-to SEO partner for content creators, with 500+ creators served from pre-launch to massive publication. She learned creator monetization and community building strategy from the inside working for Lauryn Bosstick of The Skinny Confidential prior to founding InfluencerSEO, so she understands both halves of the game: how search actually works AND how creators actually build a strong community online and make money. Her job now is to stay ahead of where search engine optimization is going, especially as AI rewrites the rules, and to make sure the creators she works with get there first.
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