Facebook groups are extremely useful for any business or brand, yet they often go under-utilized. Of course one of the big advantages of a Facebook group is that it allows a level of conversation and intimacy that is often missing from Facebook pages. This is somewhere for people who are like minded and share similar interests to meet and discuss and itÕs amazing for getting people invested in your brand and community.
But what it can ALSO be, is an excellent opportunity to get feedback and information. And in many ways, that can be the perfect business model.
A lot of businesses make the mistake of thinking of social media Ð and the web as a whole Ð as a platform, a pedestal, or perhaps a megaphone. They think of this as a way to scream out to the world and get their message across. This is understandable, given that this is how traditional marketing has worked for many years.
In fact though, the most successful use of the internet in marketing is as much about what you get back as it is about what you put out. ItÕs about letting the audience become a part of the creation process, thereby increasing their investment significantly and making them feel a part of something.
In the case of a blog, you might have spent the last several years posting content to your blog and finding that people arenÕt reading or sharing it. So why not instead ask your Facebook group the content theyÕd like to see? If they tell you, then you can almost guarantee that they will be interested in reading that content at least. More likely still, they will be representative of a much large audience that will also enjoy the content.
And the same goes for a product. You can simply ask your customers what product they would get excited about, and then make that product. ItÕs a foolproof business model! Not only have you made something that you KNOW there is an audience for, but also you have made that audience feel more invested due to the role they played in making it happen.
There are countless other ways to use a Facebook group to collect information. You can use it to learn about how your audience found your brand for instance, or you can use it to learn about your competitors. Either way, many companies spend thousands for this. With a Facebook group, you can get it all for free!
