Facebook Groups for Your Business

May 28

In today's digital world, building meaningful connections is as important as delivering great products or services. For small business owners and entrepreneurs, Facebook groups provide an invaluable platform to do just that—connect, network, and grow your business.

These groups aren’t just for casual socializing. They have become a hub for entrepreneurs to learn from others, share experiences, promote their business, and even find potential customers. On the flip, Facebook groups can often be overwhelming. So many of our "friends" add or invite us to Facebook groups. It can be like getting signed up for clubs in which you never asked to be member. [face palm] The struggle is real. We do not need to be in every group we are invited to, simply because it's not an efficient use of our time and energy. It IS important to build community and participate in online communities strategically and intentionally in order to grow our audience and enlarge our circle...especially if you are building a brand.

So, how can you be super intentional and leverage Facebook groups to supercharge your entrepreneurial journey?
Let’s dive into the reasons why joining these groups is a must and how you can get the most out of them.

Why Entrepreneurs Should Join Facebook Groups

Access to a Community of Like-Minded Individuals As an entrepreneur, you might often feel like you’re going it alone. Joining Facebook groups can combat that sense of isolation by connecting you with people who are in the same boat. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or part of a small business team, these communities provide a space where you can exchange ideas, solve challenges, and grow together.
Free Networking and Collaboration Opportunities Networking is key for any business. Facebook groups give you access to a wide range of professionals—marketers, business coaches, designers, consultants, and more. Many entrepreneurs use these groups to find collaboration partners, share resources, and even form strategic alliances. Being part of a group means you can tap into the collective knowledge and skills of others to boost your own efforts.
Gain Insight and Expertise No matter where you are in your business journey, there’s always more to learn. Facebook groups are a treasure trove of information. You’ll find discussions, articles, tutorials, and tips shared by seasoned entrepreneurs and industry experts. Plus, you can ask specific questions and get tailored advice, often for free.
Build Authority and Visibility By consistently participating in group discussions and sharing your knowledge, you can position yourself as an expert in your niche. When other members see you offering valuable insights, you’ll start to build authority and trust within the group. This not only increases your credibility but also makes other members more likely to refer you to their own networks or even become customers themselves.
Find Targeted Audiences and Potential Clients Some Facebook groups cater specifically to certain niches or industries, making them a prime location to find potential clients or customers. Whether you're in e-commerce, consulting, or creative services, chances are there’s a group filled with your target audience. Participating in these groups can help you understand their pain points, needs, and preferences, allowing you to better tailor your offerings.
Stay Up-to-Date on Trends One of the challenges of running a small business is keeping up with market changes, tools, and industry trends. Facebook groups are a great way to stay informed about the latest developments. Whether it’s new marketing strategies, tech tools, or emerging trends in your field, group discussions can provide you with fresh ideas to keep your business competitive.
Drive Traffic to Your Website or Social Media Some Facebook groups allow members to share their blog posts, products, or services during specific promotional threads or days. This is a perfect opportunity to direct traffic to your website, social media profiles, or online store. Just be mindful of the group rules, as spamming or overly self-promotional behavior can lead to you being removed from the group.

Types of Facebook Groups You Should Join

Now that you know the benefits, let’s look at the types of Facebook groups you should consider joining as an entrepreneur:

Industry-Specific Groups: These are groups where members focus on a particular industry or niche. For example, if you’re in digital marketing, groups like "Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses" or "SEO for Entrepreneurs" are excellent places to network, share strategies, and learn about the latest tools.
Entrepreneurship & Small Business Groups: General entrepreneurship groups are fantastic for discussing a variety of business-related topics. These groups often focus on growth strategies, leadership, time management, and other key aspects of running a business. Groups like "Entrepreneur Hustle" or "Small Business Network" provide a broader focus on entrepreneurship.
Local Business Groups: For businesses serving a specific geographic area, local business groups can be powerful. These groups focus on promoting and supporting businesses within a certain city or region. Participating in local groups can help you connect with other nearby businesses and tap into the local customer base.
Networking & Mastermind Groups: Some Facebook groups are designed purely for networking and creating mastermind sessions. These groups often encourage peer-to-peer learning and accountability, helping entrepreneurs and small business owners stay on track with their goals.
Mentorship and Coaching Groups: If you’re seeking guidance from experienced professionals, look for groups that offer mentorship and coaching. Many seasoned entrepreneurs run Facebook groups where they share advice, offer free resources, and even provide personalized coaching to help you overcome business challenges.

Best Practices for Engaging in Facebook Groups

Be Consistent and Active Engagement is key. Simply joining a group won’t bring you value—you need to actively participate. Comment on discussions, ask insightful questions, and share useful resources. Regular activity will help you build relationships and increase your visibility within the community.
Don’t Spam One of the quickest ways to lose credibility is by using groups for non-stop promotion. Focus on providing value to others by answering questions, offering advice, or sharing helpful content. When you do share your services, make sure it aligns with group rules and adds value to the conversation.
Offer Help and Be Generous The more you give, the more you’ll receive. Whether you’re sharing knowledge, offering feedback, or giving someone a shout-out, generosity will help you build strong connections and position yourself as a trusted resource.
Follow Group Rules Each group has its own set of rules, usually found in the pinned post or group description. Make sure you understand them before posting. This helps maintain a positive environment and ensures you’re using the group respectfully.
Network and Build Relationships Don’t just focus on what you can gain—focus on building meaningful relationships. Reach out to other members, form collaborations, and explore how you can support each other’s growth.
Interact Regularly & Natively to the Group Contribute in a positive way. Build natural relationships. Keep in mind...there are REAL people behind the social media accounts...well, at least, most of the time. If you JOIN a group, INTERACT regularly in the group. That is why being a part of too many groups is not very effective. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the sheer scale of it, and then you won't have the capacity to effectively engage with it. Can you imagine if you joined a debate group in school, and then never showed up...never participated...never talked to anyone...never asked a question...never contributed? That would be pretty silly. It's better to join one or 2, and actively participate with your time and resources than it is to "join" lots of groups and not contribute. The word join is a verb and literally means “to put or bring together so as to make continuous or form a unit” and “to put or bring into close association or relationship.” It’s something we DO…actively.
HOW TO...GET STARTED:
BE INTENTIONAL: Go into your Facebook Group list, and LEAVE all the groups that you have been added to, but no longer find a connection with....even if it means leaving some that your friends started. You must be intentional with the group thing. Get your group list down as small as possible and as considered as possible.
KNOW THYSELF:
Make a list of 12 of your FAVORITE things. Write it down. It can be anything at all. A few of mine are food, travel, books, yellow, coffee, entrepreneurship...etc. Remember...if you like something, others probably do too...common interests.
PICK YOUR INTEREST:
Pick ONE of your favorite things, and then join 2-3 Facebook groups within your own personal interest.
DO A GROUP SEARCH:
1. Choose groups with the largest number of members in that category. It will give you a much-more engaged group in which to participate.
2. Be specific with your search. For example...instead of searching "book club," you might search "entrepreneur book club" or "mindset book club." It will allow you to get very specific with the type of people in which you connect and engage.
3. You can even search by location...the city or town in which you live, so you can connect with locals. For example..."entrepreneur book club Houston."
POST IN THE GROUP:
1. Choose a photo in that topic, and then post it in the group. Photos grab people's attention and will stop them from scrolling if they connect to it and/or it's unique.
2. Write the caption to create curiosity for people to interact with you.
Include a question or comment in the caption that encourages a call-to-action for them to comment/engage…one that avoids sales or promotion. It will help you learn about the members of the group. Post at least once a week in the group.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY:
When interacting in a group, for every post you make, click LIKE or LOVE on at least 2 other posts in the group, and comment on at least one other post prior to posting your content. This is a community effort, so be very free to contribute POSITIVELY into the community. Make every effort to reply back to people when they comment on your post.

Beebold NOW!

Joining Facebook groups as a small business owner or entrepreneur is an excellent way to build your network, expand your knowledge, and increase your visibility. By being strategic about the groups you join and engaging authentically, you can open doors to new opportunities, potential clients, and valuable collaborations.

Remember in high school and college when there were groups that gathered together around like-interests? There were so many that we could not keep up with them all...nor should we. How did we manage all the interest groups? We joined only 1-3, and then poured all our energy in those few. Think debate club, sports groups, theatre groups, book clubs, drill team, artist groups...pretty much, name a topic, and there was probably a small or large group that met and spent time together surrounding that topic.

Well, let's shift that into 2020 and social media...that is what Facebook groups are about...common interests groups.

As humans, we are tribal. We love to gather together and chat, collaborate, debate, and learn about things and topics that are of common ideas and interests. It's what we do...it's how we thrive. We have built incredibly strong bonds with others who have like-interests in our lives.

Why do you think people GO TO church?
They do it to gather together around one set of beliefs.
Why do you think Meetup.com was so popular?
The same reason...like interests.

Churches are even creating what's call "Connect Groups" or “Small Groups” inside their own larger communities, because we are stronger together. We are more likely to connect, if we have like-interests.

The saying, "birds of a feather flock together" is not a myth...it's humanity. We find things we have in common, and we gather around that commonality. It makes us feel safe, seen, considered, heard, validated...and it makes us feel like we belong to something larger than ourselves.
We don't all have to look the same, but it's in human-nature...and in nature, in general...that we have common ideals, interests, beliefs, etc.
We truly thrive when we are in community with those we relate.

That is what Facebook groups are...[online] communities.

So, take some time to explore relevant groups, dive into discussions, and start reaping the benefits of these powerful communities!