Steps for Starting a Facebook Community

In this episode, we cover the steps for starting and building a strong Facebook group and administering it in a way that leads to true community.

Episode Highlights:

We talked the different types of Facebook groups, open, closed and secret, and when and how to use the different types for different applications.
Secret Groups require people are friends of you or someone in the group to be added. As the administrator, you control who is added.
Closed groups are similar to secret groups in that permission is granted to join by the administrator, but people can see who is in the group.
Open groups can be joined by anyone. Open groups require a heightened administrator control because everyone has access.
Think about your purpose and goal with a Facebook group and how it ties into your mission. Administrators must engage and connect with any group, not just set it and forget it.
Offer value in your group by creating an environment where people feel safe to interact, post questions and thoughts.
Use a posting schedule so people know what to expect, know that you’re present and can reach you.
Group rules can be pinned to the top of the group page so everyone can easily see the posting and sharing guidelines. People want to share, so let them do it in a controlled way that’s conducive to the group.
Allowing a group to grow too big can result in a loss of control unless you enforce the rules. Smaller groups are friendlier, but if a group is growing too large, you can consider breaking it up into sub groups or hiring someone to help moderate.
Grytics is a great tool to track group statistics and see who is most active. It also gives you a leader board and a photo wall to share in the group.
When you’re forming a group, make ambassadors out of your active participants. Work with them to help connect with other members.
Kami designating suggests one moderator for every two hundred group participants.

Links, Tools & Apps Mentioned in this Episode:

Call-To-Action

We are starting a Facebook group for the Communities that Convert Podcast! Join our email list to get an invitation to join the Communities That Convert Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/CTCVIP

How to Reach Kami Huyse:

If you’d like to learn more about Kami, visit her website at www.zoeticamedia.com. You can contact her by email at kami@zoeticmedia.com or tweet to @KamiChat.

How to Reach Madalyn Sklar:

If you’d like to learn more about Madalyn, visit her website at www.madalynsklar.com. You can contact her by email at madalyn@madalynsklar.com or tweet to @MadalynSklar.

We can also be reached through our website at www.communitiesthatconvert.com.