One of the questions I get all the time is, “Should I have a Facebook group or a Facebook page?”
And I get it. When I first started my business, I was also really confused about which was better (and even what the differences were).
I knew it was important to get right because I didn’t want to spend a ton of time growing the wrong thing.
Eight years later, I have both a Facebook page and a Facebook group, and they both help me grow my business in different ways.
What is a Facebook business page?
Think of your Page as a digital storefront. Or, another way to think of it is like your Facebook website for your business.
It allows you to share information about your business.
This is my Facebook business page.
Below is a video walkthrough of my Facebook business page:
What is a Facebook group?
A Facebook group is a community of like-minded people with a common interest.
If your business page is a storefront, your Facebook group is like a book club. You all get together and chat about the thing you have in common.
This is my Facebook group.
Below is a video walkthrough of my Facebook group:
Facebook Group vs. Facebook Page: which is better?
The simple answer is, it depends on your business.
I know, not super helpful, right?
So here’s what I really think…
I personally think that Facebook groups are way better for most online businesses, especially if you don’t have a huge advertising budget.
Likely, most of you reading this aren’t planning on spending $30k/month (or more!) to run Facebook ads to get eyes on your content.
You probably are looking for a quick and simple way to reach more customers for free.
If that’s you, here’s a list of seven reasons I like Facebook groups better:
#1: Facebook groups have a better organic reach.
Right now, the Facebook algorithm is really pushing Facebook groups (more on that later.) And so they are prioritizing group posts into your customers’ main news feed.
Put very simply; people see group posts way more than they see any other type of posts.
Posts you make from your Facebook group will be shown to way more people than posts you make from your Facebook page.
As I wrote this, I thought it would be helpful to show you a visual example, so I picked up my phone and filmed a quick scroll of my feed.
Every single post I saw was from a Facebook group!https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/jyb01qiihd?
#2: Groups also create more community.
One of the books that changed my life was Peter Block’s book, “Community.”
(I actually made a whole list of books that help me make a million dollars, you can read that here.)
He says,
“We are a community of possibilities, not a community of problems. Community exists for the sake of belonging and takes its identity from the gifts, generosity, and accountability of its citizens. It is not defined by its fears, its isolation, or its penchant for retribution. We currently have all the capacity, expertise, programs, leaders, regulations, and wealth required to end unnecessary suffering and create an alternative future.”
— Peter Block, Community: The Structure of Belonging
When you create community, you create a sense of belonging.
You literally tell your ideal clients, “You belong here. This is the right place for you.”
And that is a very powerful feeling that creates a lot of trust.
#3: You get free results (vs. paid ads hooked up to your Facebook page).
Here’s the way Facebook wants it to work:
You post something to your Business page and don’t see many results (because Facebook page posts show up so infrequently in your ideal client’s feed).
You then worry that no one is seeing it (because they aren’t.) So you boost your post, hoping to get more views.
You’ve now just stepped into Facebook’s little game of “paying to play.”
However, with Facebook groups, you don’t have to do that.
You get your organic results for free. This means you can put out as much good content as you want to and give it the very best shot possible to reach your ideal clients.
#4: It’s easier to grow Facebook groups right now.
A window of opportunity is a short, often fleeting time period during which a rare and desired action can be taken.
Once the window closes, the opportunity may never come again. As a business owner, it’s so important to capitalize on windows of opportunity.
As we mentioned earlier, Facebook is really pushing their groups right now.
So, instead of trying to swim upstream (as you would be trying to grow a Facebook page), why not float downstream with ease by focusing on growing your Facebook group?
Take advantage of this window of opportunity.
#5: As the Facebook group owner, you position yourself as a trustworthy expert.
Think of your Facebook group as a stage.
It’s a platform, and you have an audience ready and eager to listen to you.
With you at the center of the stage, people can’t help but think of you as an expert they can trust.
Something as small and as little as the “admin badge” carries a lot of weight.
Here is an example of the kind of interaction my comments get. People respect the opinions of leaders.
If you feel like your Facebook group is too small, remember this helpful post from Angie Lee:
#6: Your Facebook group will easily attract your ideal clients.
Because you can be really specific with your group name and your group vibe, you can quite literally tailor your Facebook group to attract your ideal clients.
Pay attention to things like the description of your group and the group cover image, and make sure that it is intentionally tailored to speak the language of your ideal clients.
Bonus pro tip: throw lots of keywords into the description of the group to attract even more ideal clients.
#7: Facebook groups foster much more engagement than Facebook pages.
Check out these two screenshots.
The first one was posted to my Facebook page, and the second one was posted to my Facebook group.
^ Note the 21 comments and 9 likes. This was posted to my Facebook business page. ^
^ Note the 2.1k comments and 599 likes. This was posted to my Facebook group. ^
Enough said 😉
One final thought: what you focus on grows.
If you do decide to grow your Facebook group, I recommend you go all in. The more energy you pour into it, the faster it will grow.
I made a Youtube video showing you how I grew my Facebook group to 60,000 members.
Before you go, you should grab my little $7 kit that shows you how to grow & monetize your Facebook group!
