Here’s an article written by James Pelton, entrepreneur and founder/CEO of Mobile-Text-Alerts.com:
The success of your business is very tied into how you handle your social media presence. Facebook groups are especially important when it comes to promoting your product and building a team.
Because Facebook is constantly updating and adjusting its algorithms for things like advertisements and posts, it can be hard to get the most out of your time if you’re still using tactics that are probably a bit outdated.
If you’re worrying over a lack of engagement in your group, that can take away from letting your passion and love for what you do really shine through. To help take some of the worry and stress out of your content creation, we’ve curated 10 fun ways to get your Facebook group engaged and keep your business thriving.
1. Take Advantage of Live Streaming
When it first rolled out, the live video feature definitely had some bugs that needed to be worked out. However, now that the feature has been around for awhile, it’s a great way to get your group excited and engaged.
If you’re at an exclusive conference, for example, you can give group members a sneak peek into what’s happening behind the scenes. You can also take inspiration from Reddit’s extremely popular “Ask Me Anything,” usually just shortened to AMA, posts. This means you will set up a date to do a live stream and let users pick your brain on any topic for a set amount of time.
2. Ask Fun, “First Date” Questions
The best way to get people interested in what’s going on is to ask them about themselves. You can use a photo to catch the reader’s attention and caption it with a related question that users can answer. Questions like “What kind of breakfast cereal would you be?” and “Which Crayola color describes your personality best?” are quirky and lead to conversation-starting engagement.
When you post these questions, make sure to answer them yourself, and reply back to those who leave answers too.
3. Make Yourself a Meme
Facebook is full of memes, and they always get positive reactions. They’re easy, funny, relatable and effortless to share. Don’t be afraid to post funny, relevant memes to your group a few times a week.
A more creative way to use memes is by making yourself into one. Check out some of the more popular memes in your feed, and if you can, create a quick, witty caption to go with a photo of yourself. There are even simple, free “meme generator” sites that can take your text and photo and make them into a shareable image.
4. Opt for Quality Over Quantity
Lots of businesses push the idea that more posts means more activity, but that’s actually not true. Your followers can get burned out pretty quickly if you’re posting every day or even multiple times per day.
Instead of trying to fill up your feed with content, take a little bit of time and decide which types of posts you like to engage with the most. Aim to make three to five of those types of posts every week, and you’ll most likely see people getting excited about your group again.
5. Have Fun With Pop Culture
If you can manage it, tying in your products with current events and pop culture references is a great way to get creative with your marketing. You should definitely stay away from potentially controversial topics like politics, and of course, you should exercise tact above all else, so use your best judgment here.
However, linking your energy supplements to the release of the latest superhero movie or highlighting outfits that would look great for a certain upcoming concert or midnight movie can bring the right kind of attention to your business.
6. Take Your Photo Game Up a Notch
As social media continues to grow in popularity, there is an unmistakable trend towards users preferring visual content. This means photos, videos and shareable graphics almost always do well compared to any other type of post.
You don’t have to be a professional photographer to get noticed, but you should definitely reconsider those shadowy selfies and free stock images you’ve probably been using. You can draw inspiration from anywhere, and all you need is your smartphone camera, some natural lighting and whatever fun props you can think of to create quality photos.
If you’re still struggling, hold a photo contest with your group. Let them stage their best photos with your products, and award them the honor of having their photos featured in the group and on your brand’s social media.
7. Play More Games
Initiating social games is one of the best ways to bring your community together. Scavenger hunts, “guess how many,” brand bingo and “ask the next friend” are all exciting, engaging games that require minimal time and effort on the part of your followers, but they can offer huge benefits to your overall group metrics.
You can award prizes for winners, or you can simply play for fun. It’s usually best to do a mixture of both for variety.
8. Highlight Member Connections
When you’re not in a face-to-face group, it can sometimes be hard to create friendships and connections with people you don’t really know. This can be helped some with the icebreaker-style questions mentioned above, but you can also get creative with this too.
You can ask people to comment stories with friends they may have in the group, or you can do a weekly “member spotlight” to help people get to know each other. Just be sure to ask for permission first.
9. Create Polls That Spark Conversation
“This or that” polls can be a fun, creative way to help your group bond. You can ask product-related questions, but be sure to mix in some fun ones too, such as “coffee or tea?” or “Coke or Pepsi?”
You can also leave a comment telling members to post a gif or emoji about their choice in the comments to generate more interaction.
10. Reward Your Biggest Fans
Every Facebook page has a core group of members that interacts more than the rest. These are your “power users,” and they’re your best chance for building a strong team in your group and business.
Once you’ve identified these people, you should reach out to them and tell them how much you appreciate their engagement. Ask if they want to be “group ambassadors” that do things like come up with creative content ideas, write their own guest posts, host little giveaways and things like that.
The more that your members feel like they’re an important part of the community, the more likely they are to share your content, advocate for your products and contribute to your overall success.
The Sky is the Limit
When it comes to creative ideas for keeping your Facebook group engaged, you’re only limited by what you can come up with. These 10 tips are a great starting point, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box.
And as always, don’t forget to use your Facebook group to promote your text alerts sign up page
