Social media groups as influencers: How to grow a loyal community through social media groups
The reasons for people to join social media groups differ from their interests, backgrounds, needs. These groups usually managed by admins who have experience or particular knowledge on the subject of theme. Alongside communicating people around the same interest, improving knowledge, skills, social discussions, social media groups are powerful marketing techniques in terms of customer outreach and increased brand awareness.
Being the hub of engaged customers, social media groups are an easy way of building a customer community where you can directly communicate with your community, make Q&As, take feedbacks. Social media groups are part of social media marketing strategies. A difference between your social media page and group is that your first goal has to give value to people not promoting your brand. Create content that considers the audience’s needs and suggestions. While the number of group members is significant, but for higher engagement, you need to keep eye on the quality of your posts for turning your potential customers to real ones.
The content you create also depends on the administration of the groups. If people join your group they want to hear from you and about your services without over advertising. When you are a member of an industry group you need to instruct people, give information, discuss the topics rather than pushing your brand.
Where to find the largest groups in the digital world?
Social media groups are a goldmine allowing start-up founders and entrepreneurs to act as influencers, market their brands, find partners, raise awareness, get professional feedback, etc. But where to find them?
Facebook Groups
Since Facebook is the largest social platform by user size, it is definitely crucial to take a look at Facebook groups as part of your marketing journey. Despite its reduced engagements and changing algorithm, Facebook supports groups that frequently posted and have active users. Posting at the best times is another key point for increasing post engagement that needs to keep in mind.
LinkedIn Groups
Here the group ecosystem is different than Facebook. LinkedIn groups are perfect for influencer marketing to professionals, business people. These groups help to build long-term relations, take further steps for partnership. Once you join relative groups the next step is to find popular posts, the most contributors, and contacts. A plus side of LinkedIn is emailing directly to group members reduces the time spent on communication. You can also feature your own and favorite groups.
Tips to Grow your loyal community with social media groups
For a loyal community through social media, we advise you a few things to do:
- Before creating a group, you need to define the goals of the group. You can start by writing an overview of your business and the aim of the group. Pin that post at top of your timeline to let the audience know you.
- For engaged community and a better understanding of your audience ask qualifying questions for pending membership.
- Trust-building is a very key step for building a loyal community. Communication is necessary for long-term relations. Constantly posting on your groups, asking questions for your future plans, taking feedbacks helps to keep engagements high and add members.
- Live chats are a more interactive way to talk to your community especially for instructive content and Q&A. Always prepare your content before the videos, be ready for the unpredicted questions.
- Replying to comments and messages show how you care about your community. Reply to both positive and negative comments. Show your appreciation for positive comments, you can use emojis or stickers. Coming to negative comments, ask the reasons behind and always look for resolutions.
- Write clearly and briefly. We all have skipped long and formal looking posts. It may increase the number of inactive members which will eventually turn down engagements.
- Link your articles, news, and latest updates to your groups, share infographics, instructive videos that manifest your customer policy. Ones you share articles do not just link them instead, give an overview of the topic, ask questions such as “How to estimate the profitability of ROI?”, and mention hashtags.
- Apart from creating your own group join other groups in your niche and your customer-related niches. Instead of joining these groups with your company page leverage your marketing team. Assign those workers that have a well-set profile with all the necessary information. As long as your team posts quality content, people will be interested in your products and link to your business profile. Let’s say you are an advertising company and your designers share their works with related groups. In addition to employee advocacy, it will rise the interests of potential customers for your services. Usually, these groups do not allow their members to aggressively promote brands. Based on your industry, the scale you can contact the admins for organic reach and engagement.
You can position your brand in different social media groups depending on your niche, customer base, and marketing objectives. What is important after creating or joining groups is to keep track of your customer relations management, compare the profitability of your business, keep your marketing and administrative management under control.
Natella Mammadzade
January 14, 2020
