12 Steps to Make the Most Out of Your Facebook Group
(6 min read)
Whether you have a Facebook group or are thinking of starting one, there’s a path to making the most out of it.
You might be thinking, “Make the most what?”
For most authentic coaches, it’s making the most difference, which leads to greater meaning and more money.
Remember, though, that in the end, all you want for your life is on the other side of connection.
So we’ll use connection as the basis for our twelve steps.
But first, for a deeper dive into this topic, check out Typical Life Coach Podcast Ep #59 HERE.
To start, let’s look at the four common challenges people running Facebook groups experience.
1. There’s no structure to the group.
2. There’s no sense of connection within the group.
3. There’s no consistent system to encourage people to join the group.
4. There’s no fun in running the group.
In other words, having a Facebook group isn’t working. How, then, can we make it work?
We need to create connection and do so the most direct way.
In the ICC we call this “The Straight Line.”
It’s the shortest distance between two points. The fastest way to get from A to B, from where we are to where we want to be.
In this case, from wanting to have a successful Facebook group to building one.
Here are the twelve steps to making the most of your Facebook group by creating the most connection in the most direct way:
Step 1. Cultivate them.
In the same way my wife, Natalie, cultivates her garden to support its growth, cultivate connection within your group. Give your group and its members love, attention, care, and support. Be present to the group, be consistent, and be patient. Make sure your sense of being is rooted in the word “cultivate.”
Step 2. Personally invite them.
Rather than inviting people to join your group by clicking the “invite all friends” Facebook button, directly invite them to join. Think about who you would actually want instead of anyone and everyone. Then send them a message or an email. Or call them on the phone. Remember that each person you reach out to represents a chance to create a relationship. Slow down and say this: “I’ve started a new Facebook group and would love to have you join. It’s about this (add topic)… I think you would benefit because (add why)… I also think you would bring a lot to the group because (add why)… Would you like to join?”
Step 3. Ask them.
Use the three membership approval questions Facebook allows you to ask when someone requests to join to ask important questions. What’s an important question? It depends on what you’re creating. As a life coach, since you must be creating more opportunities to coach, ask them if they would like to experience a coaching session as a gift. A great time to do this is when they’re actively interested in joining your group. Another option is asking them to share their email to receive a free gift for joining.
Step 4. Request them.
Send a friend request to every single person that joins the group. This is imperative. Being Facebook friends will give you access to message them through Messenger without your message going into their “other” inbox, which means they might not get the message.
Step 5. Welcome them.
Create a welcome message to send them through Messenger after they join your group and accept your friend request. Let them know who you are, what you do, and how you can help them. Be helpful. Offer to help them. You’ll find that some don’t respond, some barely respond, and some respond fully with open receptivity to connecting and even accepting a gifted session (if you’re a coach).
Step 6. Get interested in them.
Spend less time getting members interested in you and more time getting interested in them. Ask about what they are interested in, what lights them up, and what they need. Practice cultivating your sense of curiosity by actively being curious with them. They will feel it. They will trust you. And they will grow to appreciate the safe space of the group and engage in it.
Step 7. Be consistent with them
Post regularly. Don’t post for the sake of posting. Post content that does not suck. Create a system and schedule to post. If you’re busy (and you are), post one day a week and let them know you’re doing that. Create an agreement that says, “We post helpful content every Monday.” Going LIVE works well to create engagement. Again, be helpful, and most importantly be consistent.
Step 8. Be vulnerable with them.
Share your truth. Be honest. Be vulnerable. Truthful and authentic personal stories get more engagement than teach-y content. Share your own challenges. Don’t try to be perfect. People don’t connect with perfect. They connect with someone who understands and “has been there.” Someone who is human AND is committed to leveling up. Be that person. Be you. Being anything else is too hard and does not work.
Step 9. Be valuable to them.
Offer workshops and other experiences that create impact and engagement. When you do, directly invite all members to participate. Don’t just announce in the group. This is why becoming friends with all members is imperative. You need to be able to directly message them.
Step 10. Be organized with them.
Keep track of who your members are, where they’ve been (past experiences) and what they are creating in their life. Actually knowing them is a process of actually remembering things about them. Take notes and keep them organized. If you want to go all in, there’s a software that connects Facebook group members to Google spreadsheets and collects emails called “GroupConvert.”
Step 11. Be efficient with them.
Make the most out of your group. Post content that comes from a place of curiosity and creates engagement, such as, “What is one thing you have been struggling with lately?” Then comment on their comments, send them a message of support, connect with them, and at some point invite them to experience your coaching as a gift based. Whether or not someone ultimately signs up to coach with you, ask them to create a testimonial and post it in the group. Then pin the post to the top of the page so that everyone knows you’re available to coach.
Step 12. Be all in with them and enjoy the process.
If you’re going to do this, do this. Go all in. Make the most of your group by following our steps. As you do, be unattached to the outcome. Create and cultivate connection within your group for the love of the process. In other words, enjoy the journey. Remember, you can’t do what you don’t enjoy and experience good results. Changing people’s lives is the goal AND the journey. The happiness you seek is now.
Here to serve,
John Strasser
