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Do you need a Facebook Group?

Do you need a Facebook Group?

Do you need a Facebook Group? Well, it depends.

Facebook Groups have HUGE scope to help you find likeminded people, connect around shared passions and interests, and build a true community, but they can be hugely demanding from a time point of view. And if you don’t put in the work, they’re unlikely to yield the results you’d like…

Do you need a Facebook Group?

A little while ago, I was giving a webinar and someone asked me whether they should have a Group or a Page on Facebook. To me, they’re very different animals, so I took the opportunity to explore this a bit further on this week’s episode of the podcast. Hopefully, if you tune in, you’ll be a whole lot more informed and it’ll help you understand the key differences between Pages and Groups, to find which one/s suit you the best, to help you achieve what you like.

To give you a super quick guide…

You might need a Facebook Group if…

  • You have a cause you want to create a community around
  • You have a subject that you’re deeply passionate about that you know others share in that you’d like to share knowledge and create a community around
  • You’re part of something that you want to create a community around

In short, Facebook Groups are about the community. Whilst you have admins who help to manage the Group, ensure people play by the rules, etc, Groups are driven by community. Everyone (who wants to) contributes. You as an admin aren’t responsible for every post. And you as an admin don’t need to respond to every post. When the Group starts, you might need to do a lot more of this, but when it’s established, it’s a different animal.

When it comes to Pages, I really do believe that brands need Facebook Pages- Pages act as the shop window to the brand. The brand controls all content posts. The brand should be responding to all comments. The brand should be leading the fans and followers vs. in a Group where it kind of leads itself.

However, Groups can be awesome. The Small & Supercharged Facebook Group, which I founded quite a few years ago now, has provided an awesome community for equestrian and rural businesses. And it’s helped people to grow and develop their businesses by being part of it… you can join the FREE Group here.

And, if you want to take your learning to the next level, master your marketing, score on social media, and make shifts in your business mindset too, in addition to being part of an awesome community, then you might want to have a look at the Mastermind group too…

Small & Supercharged Mastermind

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Behind… the Small & Supercharged group | Rhea Freeman

Small & SuperchargedToday I wanted to tell you a bit more about my Small & Supercharged group. This Facebook group has now reached over 1000 members (and there will be a competition to celebrate over on my Facebook page very very soon!!), so I thought it would be a good chance to catch up.

What’s Small & Supercharged all about?

In essence, Small & Supercharged provides a safe, online place where small business owners can share ideas, ask for advice and network. Originally, lots of different people joined the group from a variety of different industries, but it definitely has a central theme. And that’s canine, equestrian and rural. It’s hardly surprising that the group has attracted people from this space. I have worked in this area for a long time, so most of my contacts are also active in this space… and a lot of their contacts are too.

The community is a fab, busy and buzzing place with so many different skills. I should emphasis here that while canine, equestrian and rural links MOST of the people in the group in one form or another, don’t be fooled, there’s a real diversity in the group. We do have people who run tack shops and equestrian centres, of course, but that’s not all. We have PR and marketing people (equestrian PR and marketing and not!), computer whizzs, website designers, graphic designers, photographers… LOTS. Some of these people might simply own a horse or a dog, so understand a little bit more about what makes the industry tick. You don’t have to be up to your eyeballs in the equestrian, canine or country industry to gain from the group. Promise. It’s the diversity of the group that makes it work so well. There’s people in there with very different skillsets. And this means that lots of people benefit.

Is Small & Supercharged UK only?

Nope. We have members from all over the world, and that absolutely thrills me. I find it so interesting seeing what other people get up to and how the industry differs from continent to continent. Many of the businesses in the group are international, so whether someone is based in Australia or England, it matters not. We can all help and learn from each other.

Why is it called Small & Supercharged?

The group is aimed at small businesses (well, small and medium really) so small was easy. Supercharged refers to the drive of the people inside it. Their desires and passions are infectious and inspiring.

Why community matters

Community is important. As humans, we’re pretty sociable creatures (well, most of us!!) and while some industries have more of a defined hub- this one doesn’t. Whether it’s because we have the ability to trade all over the world, or that people who are in the equestrian, country and canine industry tend to be geographically ‘remote’, I don’t know. And I should say when I say remote, I don’t mean on the top of Everest, more rurally located. And that makes them difficult to gather in a face to face format. Facebook groups, like Small & Supercharged, provide this place. This community if you will. Of course, there are rules and running a group is not without its challenges, but when I hear of how much good the group has done, things that have happened as a direct consequence of our little corner of the internet or someone who has been lifted by another member or comment, it makes it all so much better.

If you’d like to become part of the Small & Supercharged community on Facebook – we’re all over here.

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