Something that most people can surely agree on is that Facebook has been a phenomenon like no other. There aren’t many in the world that can say that they’ve never used Facebook and even fewer who can say that they have never heard of it. This immense and unparalleled popularity of the website is due to the fact that it has been at the forefront of the revolution which completely changed the way people interact with one another.
Facebook, arguably, has been the gateway to the world of social networking. The website made keeping up with your friends and family convenient and interesting to an extent that had not been seen before.
Facebook was founded in February 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and its headquarters are in California, United States. Since its birth, Facebook has only grown as it slowly but surely acquired different companies. As of right now, big names like WhatsApp, Instagram and Oculus VR have become subsidiaries of Facebook along with many others. Facebook is worth $527 billion, and it seems like its net worth is only going to grow.
There are many people, however, who are against using Facebook because they feel like it is nothing but a waste of time and a distraction from things that “actually matter”. This statement is far from the truth. If used properly, Facebook can be of massive importance to people who are trying to grow their business or even just to put it on the map.
Facebook’s Potential
Yes, the main reason the website or app has grown famous is the fact that it allows for interactions with others that require minimal effort.
Many people, especially introverts, can see great use in the option to stay in touch with their loved ones without having awkward meetings or calls. However, it is crucial to keep in mind that the feature that allows you to stay connected with the ones close to you does not limit you in any way whatsoever to interact with only these people.
All sorts of people use Facebook and the premise of the website is to build connections. Connections and networking are things of paramount significance when it comes to a person’s professional life. With the option to initiate interaction with people who might be helpful to you in building your career, Facebook certainly has great potential to allow you to be productive.
Facebook Groups
Facebook offers the user many different features that they can utilize. These features include calling, video calling and chatting with others. You can also post your status or media content such as videos and pictures to let others know how you’re doing.
One of the main features of Facebook is the fact that it allows you to create, join and take part in groups. There is no limit to what the group can be dedicated to. Therefore, you can even join groups focused on a specific show or movie that you feel passionate about. There are groups about video games, study groups comprised of the people in your class etc. These very groups can play a crucial role in how you go about growing and expanding your business as well.
Joining Company Groups
There are companies that are serious about growing, expanding and making sure that they reach the largest amount of people possible. These companies see to it that social media is being made use of to the greatest extent. In the digital age that we live in, many people depend on social media to get their news and to find out about the next big thing.
With social media being such an integral part of our lives now, it only makes sense that companies use it too to let people know about their work. Businesses and companies now make sure that they create groups on Facebook, WhatsApp and the like.
If you are looking to expand your business you can join groups of similar companies and have a front-row seat to observe the way they operate. This way, you can get ideas about the things you should and shouldn’t do in growing your business.
It is very likely though that companies’ groups are closed and therefore won’t allow you entry. In these cases, look for someone in your Facebook friends list that is already part of a business group and ask them to allow you to enter. The more people you know and interact with on Facebook, the greater your chances are to get into one of these groups.
Recruitment Groups
As mentioned in this article before, the groups on Facebook can be about anything. You can also create and join groups that have members similar to yourself; i.e. people who are also looking to expand their business, in this case, by hiring employees.
If you are trying to grow your business, it is quite likely that one of the aspects of the business that you need to grow is your workforce. For this purpose, you can make use of a group that is specifically meant for recruitment. You can spread the word about this group on your personal profile and people who follow you who are looking for jobs can then look it up.
There is a chance that the job they are looking for is the kind of job your business is offering. Other members of the group can also post in the group by providing links to websites that they found useful in growing their business.
Your Own Business Group
Once you’ve created your own business and have a few people working for you, creating a group for said business is definitely what you want to start with. If your business is still quite young and the employees do not know each other well, you can use the company’s Facebook group for ice-breaking sessions.
This can be done in a variety of ways. You could host a call and ask everyone to tell others about themselves, the reason they joined the company etc. Once things have been put into motion and the employees are working, you can use the Facebook group to keep them up-to-date with changes that they need to be aware of.
You can also use the Facebook group to keep the morale high and ensure that the workers feel as comfortable as possible. This can be done by using the group to establish more of an informal relationship with the members outside of the workplace. You can also allow the members of the group to feel more at ease by addressing a problem that they might have in the workplace.
For example, it can be one of the group’s rules to prohibit everyone from any kind of hate-speech. If someone is then experiencing such a problem with another member of the group, the consequences that the abuser will have to face can be made clear in the group. This will allow other members of the group to feel that they are in fact working at a place that is safe for them and that cares about them.
Setting Up the Group
While making the group for your business, it is important that you put in the effort needed. If you have only taken 5 minutes to set up the group, chances are there isn’t anything about it that is eye-catching. It simply won’t look like a serious mode of communication.
For these reasons, it is very important that while setting up the group, you pick the right profile picture and cover photo. You also need to give a brief description about the business, the group, what it stands for in the ‘about section’. Make it easy for members to browse through the group and find out more about the business, the rules of the group etc.
Prioritize Daily Discussions
Having discussions with your group members on a daily basis is certainly going to go a long way in growing your business. Engaging with your groups members shows that you care about them and their well-being and are not only interested in talking to them when it is solely about work. Taking part in daily discussions in the group also shows the other members that you are truly invested and committed. This is going to encourage them to do the same and put in their all when doing their work.
You can also have specific days that are dedicated to different activities. For example, you can have a day where the members of the group share things that they have been working on, on their own. These can be blogs, stories, art or whatever else the individual is passionate about. Supporting their work is a great way to help them grow individually and to allow the business to grow as a whole.
Addressing the Members’ Needs
The people working for your business should feel as comfortable as possible whilst working for the business. They should never feel alienated or feel like what they deem important, their problems and concerns are not being payed attention to. It is a necessity for a business to ensure that its employees are getting a work experience that they truly enjoy.
Facebook Groups come to the rescue once again. Your business’ Facebook group can and should act as a platform where people can voice their concerns. Depending on the nature of the problem, it can be addressed privately or publicly and the members’ problems can be solved. There can even be specific days where a Q&A session is held where members can have their questions answered.
Opening the Business Group to Fans
You can also go in a different direction and have a group that doesn’t discuss the internal matters of the business but rather engages the audience. This sort of group is going to help you widen your fan base and interact with them. You can use the group to let the audience know about the direction in which you’re heading, what you stand for and your products and services. The group can also act as a great platform for fans to interact with one another and this is going to help build a community.
To ensure that this community goes in the right direction, you can keep interacting with them through your posts. You can post questions, you can ask the audience what they expect from your business and take part in on-going discussions as well. It is important to remember, however, that while using the group to market can be quite beneficial, you should steer clear of spamming your audience. This is only going to make them lose interest. Marketing should be done in a balanced way and you shouldn’t tell your customers to spend money on your business to the point that it feels like it’s being forced on them.
Conclusion
The current era has mostly been built around the internet and interactions that involve screens. That dictates that businesses that strive to be successful and grow have to make use of this technology. Facebook has been the leading force in the social media movement and has to be utilized effectively by any business that wishes to expand. With Facebook groups, the possibilities for businesses suddenly grow exponentially.
Now it is possible for businesses to check in on their employees, address their concerns and solve their problems. Facebook groups also provide a platform where the members can interact with one another in their own time and have better relations. This allows for collective growth of the business. Engaging with customers and ensuring that their needs are satisfied as well is yet another advantage of using Facebook Groups. Properly made and maintained Facebook groups can go a long way in showing how committed a business is in doing what they’re doing.
For these reasons, the use of Facebook groups cannot be neglected and it has become something that requires every bit of a business’ attention.
