If you have ever wanted an easy way to share ideas or collaborate with others on a project, creating a Facebook group is a good option to consider.
Different than a Facebook fan page in that a Facebook group is not controlled by Facebook’s EdgeRank algorithm and is not set up in a way that accommodates 3rd party apps like Shortstack to run contests, fan gates, etc., you can share photos, create events, and share docs and files with those in your group.
How to Create a Facebook Group
You can choose to create a new Facebook group from the link in the left sidebar of your screen. Once clicked, you can give your new Facebook group a name, select an icon to appear next to that name, invite one or more people to join the group and determine your Facebook group’s privacy level.
Open – Your Facebook group, its members and its posts are visibile to all.
Closed – The existence of your Facebook group is public along with who is part of the group, but only group members can see posts made in the group.
Secret – No one but group members can see your Facebook group, other members and posts.
Features of a Facebook Group
Once begun, you can add Facebook friends to your new group.
Group members’ photos are used for the Facebook group’s page header. Group members can upload to and view photos and files from the toolbar beneath the photo header. Status updates are posted in the same manner as personal profiles and fan pages.
Uses for a Facebook Group
Although limitless, here are some reasons you might want to create a Facebook group:
- To build a community around your brand
- To serve as a forum for a community-based organization
- As part of a cause marketing effort
- With local campaigns
- For conference/event/committee planning
- To share ideas among a peer group
A Facebook group is by no means an essential tool to add to your social media toolbox. But if sharing and collaboration are your objectives, it can be helpful to have this type of functionality on a platform that over 900 million people use.
Have you been part of a Facebook group? For what reason was that group started?
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I’m using these more and more with various groups and businesses. When I teach, I use the group with my students as a great way to communicate on a very regular basis. For businesses, it’s a great way to give employees a voice, particularly if they are scattered over a variety of locations and hierarchical levels. I used to hate groups, but since the changes Facebook made last year, they have become quite handy when used properly.
I thought the group worked well for the Twive & Receive program. It was a good complement to emails.
I’ve used it for conference planning, too. It’s been a great way for committees to share ideas in between larger group meetings.
I was part of a group for an online course. It worked great and I really enjoyed the experience. Added a ton of value to the course for me.