There are quite a few small businesses out there who are generating leads and getting customers via the Facebook Groups that they’ve created. Here are some tips and tricks to make sure that your Facebook Group is driving maximum value for your business.

1. Optimize your group name.

At first, it might feel tempting and logical to name your group after your actual business. But imagine searching for a group on a topic that interests you and seeing a business name such as Ace Travel Agency?

What would your initial thought be? Probably something along the lines of this group is basically an advertisement for his business; not a place to get unbiased info. But if that same travel agency created a group called Parents Who Travel because their specialty is family travel packages, a potential group member would be more likely to think that the group has genuine value to offer. Choose a group name that is descriptive (you can tell what it’s about from its title) and makes people feel like they have something to gain from being a part of your community. Remember that even if you’ve already created your group, you can change its name at any point.

2. Ask for email addresses in your onboarding questions.

You’ll want to choose some screening questions to make sure that the people who enter your group match the profile of an ideal community member. If you have an email list for your business (and you should!), your screening questions can actually be a great way to build your mailing list.

The easiest way to do this is to add a question that tells people what value they’ll receive from your mailing list and asks them to enter their email address if they’d like to subscribe.

Telling people why they should want to subscribe to your email list is key. If you simply say, “Enter your email address here to subscribe to my mailing list” you probably won’t get very many subscribers. Try something like, “Enter your email address to subscribe and get all the latest social media tips and tricks!” you

3. Showcase your expertise without being spammy.

Not everyone in your group will become a customer in the near future, but you’ll be more likely to get clients from your community over time if you showcase your expertise. In short: give good advice for free. If someone asks a question in your group, write basic and insightful comments.

You can also post useful content in your group on a regular basis, which sends the signal that you know what you’re talking about. For example, some group admins like to share a ‘tip of the week’ or will go live in the group and give over information about a relevant topic.

Whatever your method, showing your expertise will likely have better business results than posting direct advertisements for your business in the long run. Your group members will think of you the next time they’re seeking your product or service.

You may also want to check out our secrets for increasing engagement in your Facebook Group, which is another key element when it comes to maximizing your ROI.

Action Items:

1. Take a few minutes to think about your Facebook Group’s name. If you were scrolling through a list of groups on a particular topic, would you assume that this group provides genuine value? If not, change its name.
2. Add an additional screening question to get email addresses from new community members. Make sure to let people know what they’ll get out of subscribing to your mailing list.
3. Schedule a small amount of time every day to comment on group posts. Don’t miss any opportunities to give value and showcase your expertise!
4. Add your Facebook Group as a priority within your social media calendar. If you provide valuable content on your other social platforms, think about how you can repurpose it to start interesting and insightful conversations in your group.