groups

You’ve started your Facebook group – Now what?

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You’ve set up your Facebook Business Page, and you are ready to create your Facebook Group – but: What should I call it? How do you get members? What do you post about? Should the group be public, closed, or secret? How do you prevent trolls? Should I set rules or questions to join the group? All great questions, and things you need to consider before you get your Group off the ground.

Before you launch your Facebook Group – you should determine what the primary goal of your group is. Yes, the ultimate goal is to increase sales for your business, but people won’t join your group if they think it’s just a continuous sales pitch. Many businesses create Facebook Groups as a place to share some free advice and tips and tricks. It’s a place where you can be seen as an expert so that eventually the group becomes a feeder for your sales pipeline. SO, choose a name that conveys what your group is about. No one will join a group that is the name of your business. Name it something that relates to the topic or theme of what you want your group to be. You can incorporate the company name if it makes sense, but it doesn’t have to be included. Once you determine what you want the look and feel to be, pick a cover photo, create your description, etc.[/cs_text][cs_text]You also want to determine if your group will be public and anyone can join, they need to request to join, or it’s by invite only. Public groups are great for certain things, but if you only want your ideal clients or target audience in the group – I’d suggest a private group where you must manually accept requestors. There are a few instances where secret groups make sense – but those are usually part of a paid membership offering.

Many private Facebook Groups require members to answer a few questions before they can join. This is a great way to learn more about your members. Some sample questions may be: How did you hear about this Group? Have you viewed our free training or downloaded our Free XXX workbook? This helps you weed our spammers or trolls as well. They typically won’t take the time to fill out questions. BUT it allows you to get some insight into how much your audience knows about you, if they’ve viewed any of your lead magnets (free downloads or trainings) or any other info you want to gather.
[/cs_text][cs_text]It’s important to set the stage from the launch on the Group expectations. Create a pinned post at the top of the page so that the first thing new members see are the rules and expectations of the group. A few good housekeeping rules to post are 1. Keep things courteous – be respectful to others in the group. 2. No spam or plugging your business. (You will get trolls who try to join every group and post about what they are selling.) 3. This is your group too, please engage, ask questions, etc. 4. Give value – post things relevant to the group and its members. 5. Be open and share your own personal experiences, struggles, suggestions, etc. If you come across a troll or all around rude person, it’s ok to delete them.

Gaining a following in your Group can take time. Don’t get discouraged and give up. It’s important to get the word out about your group. Some easy ways are inviting people you are already connected to who might find interest it in. You can also send out an email to your list of contacts to see if they have any interest in joining. Why not add a link in your email signature or on your website as well? If people don’t know about your group – they can’t join!

Lastly, and probably most importantly, is posting engaging content. Get the engagement started with some posts of your own related to the Group topic. Don’t post salesy stuff about your own business. Share some of your own wins or loses, ask questions around areas that you may have personally struggled with. Share some 3rd party articles you found interesting or infographics. Once you get the ball rolling, others should follow.

As your group grows you may want to enlist others that you know to help moderate the page by making them an admin. It’s important that someone is always watching the group, letting in the right people, and encouraging participation.

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Should you start a Facebook Group?

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If you are on Facebook, the odds are that you are probably part of a Facebook Group. Facebook isn’t just about connecting with friends and family anymore (or people you went to high school with and haven’t seen in 20 years, lol), it’s a way to stay more connected with everything that matters in your life. Facebook Group and Facebook Pages make it possible to follow businesses you like, public figures and even common interests and hobbies. So why should you have a Facebook Group if you already have a Facebook Page for your business and a personal page – well, simply because it gives you more ways to interact.

Before you start a Facebook Group, it’s important to know the difference between a Group and a Page. Similar to a personal profile, a Facebook Page enables you to create a profile for your business. BUT, pages are visible to everyone on Facebook. Everyone on Facebook can connect to a Page by Liking it and new posts will show up in the News Feed. Facebook Groups on the other hand are a place for people to come together around a common cause, issue, activity, or interest. They allow the members to discuss issues, post photos or video, and share relevant content. You can also choose the privacy of the group: public (anyone can join), closed (requires admin approval to enter), and secret (can join by invitation only). Like Pages, new posts in the group will show up in the News Feed of it’s members.

So, the real question is, if I already have a Facebook Page, why do I need a Facebook Group? With all the changes to the Facebook algorithms, to really make a Page work, you need high engagement from your followers, so your posts keep showing in their New Feed. It sounds simple, but it’s tricky, so most businesses are forced to run paid ads that target their ideal client audience. Also, most consumers look at a Business Page on Facebook as an advertisement for the company – they are only seeing information that the company wants them to see. More and more companies are turning to Facebook Groups instead of abandoning Facebook as a whole.

Using Groups, you can create a community that isn’t based solely around your business, but a topic within your business that others will also find interesting. Say you own your own car repair business, but you love working on Corvette’s from the 1990’s – so you create a Facebook Group for 1990’s Corvette owners. With over a billion users already using Groups – it’s a win-win to keep potential clients engaged with you.

Here’s the top 5 reasons why your business needs a Facebook Group:

  1. You can engage with your followers. This is where you will get all the likes and comments vs your Facebook Page. If you are asking questions, providing good content, and encouraging others to contribute – this is where the magic will happen.
  2. You can teach and build trust. This is your group and you are the leader. After all, you started the group because you know about the topic and can explain, motivate, inspire, and teach the content that you love. This is where you can be seen as an expert and influence people’s lives. You aren’t pushing your business but are sharing your knowledge and encouraging people to share their questions, problems, and successes.
  3. Stay top of mind. With a Facebook Profile or Page, there is no guarantee that your content will be seen unless people go directly to your Profile or Page. With a group, anything that is posted in the group will 100% be seen in the members News Feed. So, the more you post, the more you are seen by potential clients.
  4. Get feedback. Within your group, you can create polls, ask for feedback, and determine what type of content is more relevant to your members and ideal clients. Your group can be a testing ground – if you get positive feedback – move forward. If you missed the mark, then you know you need to move on to the next idea.
  5. Announce special offers. If you’ve tried to announce a special offer on your Business Page, you’ve probably been met with very little engagement. Unless you put some advertising dollars behind it, the odds are most of your followers aren’t even seeing it. BUT when you post in your Group – 100% of your members will see your offer.

Building an online community is an important step for any growing business. It can help you get in touch with your key demographic, gather insights, promote your business, increase consumer loyalty and more. If you want to start building a community, look no further than the world’s most popular social network: Facebook. If you want to start your own Facebook Group from your Business Page: CLICK HERE.

Want to check our Red Barn\’s Facebook Group – Entrepreneur Masters? Click Here to Join!

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5 Tips for Using LinkedIn to Help Grow Your Business

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The beauty of social media is that it allows us to extend our network far beyond our physical location. We’re no longer limited to the people nearby.

As a business-to-business tool, LinkedIn is unmatched. 450 million of the world’s professionals and business leaders use it to connect, share ideas, and develop business opportunities. According to Content Marketing Institute, LinkedIn is the most effective social network for sales (63% of marketers report positive results).

Fill out your profile, adopt a professional demeanor, and then use these smart LinkedIn strategies to grow your business.

Speak with decision makers. If you have ever cold called a business, you know how frustrating that process can be. You get transferred around a bit, dropped into voicemail, and you’re never sure if you’ve reached someone who can make actual decisions.

Use LinkedIn to find the decision makers of a business. Many people publically display their contact information. If they don’t, ask for them by name when you call the business. This has a much higher chance of putting you in touch with someone who matters to you. If this still doesn’t work, you can always connect with them on LinkedIn itself.

LinkedIn’s search capabilities are more sophisticated than any other social network. You can add filters to your searches such as job role, industry, and company size. This allows you to put together a list of targeted potential business opportunities.

For instance, let’s say you sell payroll software designed for small businesses with less than ten employees, but only in your own state. You only want to speak to the owners of those companies, because there usually isn’t much middle-management at that size. With proper filters, you can search for those people exactly.

Become active on the network. Having a quality profile isn’t enough- although it’s EXTREMELY important! You have to be present on the social network if you expect to derive any value from it. If other users see that you haven’t posted, commented, or shared in a while, they won’t bother making a connection. This could cost you valuable opportunities.

The solution is take your social media presence seriously. Facebook and Pinterest are fun, but make LinkedIn part of your job. Set aside a little bit of time every day (not much, just five or ten minutes) to look for connections, share articles, images and videos you like, and comment on other people’s submissions.

Use groups to meet new people. A group is a collection of people around a common theme. You’ll find groups for just about everything, and multiple groups for each topic. Some are broad; others are specific. Some are public; others require permission. You don’t have be connected with anyone in the group.

Find three to five quality groups with lots of members. It should be a subject that relates to your business and something you know well. Contribute to this group often. Provide as much value as you can without selling. This will establish you as a thought-leader and expert in your field. Eventually people will clamor to connect with you.

Jump on those new leads. People connect on LinkedIn because they know one another professionally or they want to. If you are extended a connection from someone you don’t know, consider it a lead. This new person is seeking to create a relationship, so don’t waste the opportunity.

After accepting the connection, immediately send a private message – or InMail introducing yourself. If you receive a lot of connections, you can use a copy/paste response, but tailor it a bit so you don’t seem aloof. Ask some questions about the connection to find ways they could help grow your business.
Once you put these strategies in place, always remember to provide as much value as you can. Be a helpful person who’s generous with information. Eventually the connections and opportunities will come to you.

Interested in some one-on-one LinkedIn training – Give us a call!

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Insurance Providers + LinkedIn = New Customers

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It’s time to learn to love LinkedIn (again). We know it might have been a while — You signed up once because you thought it’d be a good idea. Occasionally you get an email people are looking at your profile. Perhaps you’re subscribed to a few groups. You get notified about new insurance jobs or industry people who want to connect with you.

But you never sign back in — Who has the time? You need to service the insurance customers you\’ve got now, right? Well, yes. But that doesn’t mean you should dismiss LinkedIn out of hand. Here’s the thing — Used well, it’s an incredible way to get new customers, grow your insurance business, and get noticed. And who doesn’t want that? Certainly not you, and certainly not us.

So, deep breath, head over to LinkedIn, and learn how it can help your business thrive.

Connecting with potential customers on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the largest network of professionals and business people in the world. And you know what all professionals and business people need? Yep. Insurance. Whether it’s business and professional liability, property, product, or personal coverage, they are your marketplace. You can use this to your advantage. It’s really not that hard – Trust us – Here’s how it works:

  • Update your LinkedIn profile — The five-year-old picture of you with the cheesy grin probably isn’t going to cut it. Go professional, and create a compelling profile to match. Tell your story, don’t just list your resume highlights. Why should someone buy their insurance from you? What’s your Secret Sauce?
  • Look at your Prospect List — Are you connected with any of them? Probably not, and that’s ok – We will get there! Now, see if any of your connections are connected with any of your prospects. Ask for introductions.
  • Make new connections within your tribe — Connect with other insurance professionals, people you used to work with, and other LinkedIn members. Stay on top of industry news and see what other folks are doing.
  • Join relevant groups — Where are your prospects hanging out?
  • Once you’re connected, develop relationships — Don’t try to push the sale – Build relationships, offer advice, have conversations. Wait for opportunistic moments to talk about your expertise
  • Move towards a sale — When the time is right, offer your guidance and ask prospects to view their insurance portfolio. The sale will happen if you’ve built up some trust.

Becoming an expert in your field. Something else LinkedIn allows you to do? Demonstrate your expertise. No, we’re not thinking about your talent at creating origami swans, or that time you replaced a carburetor without a manual, we’re talking about your insurance business acumen. There are several ways to share your expertise and build authority.

Writing on LinkedIn Pulse. LinkedIn Pulse is LinkedIn’s blog platform. Think of it as a place to create and write insightful, interesting articles and publish them to a wide audience. There are dozens of questions people have about insurance, but don’t know who to ask. You can create posts about those subjects, answer questions, and provide awesome advice.

If these posts do well, they’ll show up in other people’s LinkedIn feeds, LinkedIn search, and maybe even on Google. As the author of these pearls of wisdom, people will look at your profile, see where you work and… Well, you fill in the rest.

Participating in LinkedIn groups. While it’s true that many LinkedIn groups are nothing more than awful, awful spam factories, there are still some good ones out there. Once you’ve found a good group you can respond to questions about insurance and help people out with their insurance issues. Again, this builds your authority as an expert. The next time those people are looking to renew their policy, guess where they’ll turn? Right.

So, you can see, LinkedIn can be a great way to expand your reach and find new customers. Don’t consign LinkedIn to be somewhere you’ll visit “when you have the time.” Rekindle your LinkedIn relationship today, and turn it into a beautiful friendship.

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