Happy almost Valentine’s Day, friends! Who here spends way too much time in Facebook groups? I know they can be a time-suck, but if you’re in the right ones it can help you land clients and strengthen your connections. To me, the best Facebook groups have a thoughtful community of members that ask questions and answer others, offer insight, and stay positive. They also happen to have members that understand proper Facebook group etiquette! Here’s what I mean (and tips for those of you just joining ones):
Facebook group etiquette: search your topic first
Before you post, use the search bar (on the right sidebar when you’re on the group page) to see if your question has been answered or if there’s a discussion on your topic already going. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, there’s no reason not to post on your own, but you might be able to figure it out without the trouble. When I join a group and notice that I’m seeing the same 3 or 4 really basic questions asked several times a day, it’s hard to benefit from the more unique content, so I generally leave.
comb through the feed to see what you have missed
If it’s a group your actively benefitting from, you want to keep up on its content. When you log on, take a quick scroll to see what you missed and any discussions you can add to or connections you can make. You can change the feed from “new activity” to “recent posts” to make it easier to scroll through a timeline.
let people know you DM’ed them
Want to respond to a call for your services or offer info to the post author in private? People miss Facebook messages all the time, especially if they have higher privacy settings and you’re not friends. Let them know to look out for your message!
move to email when appropriate
Most Facebook groups for bloggers and freelancers foster a great environment for collaboration–that’s our favorite part of them. If you connect with someone you want to hire, work for, or collaborate with, be sure to exchange info and move to email where you can have a more professional conversation that’s more appropriate than an online chat!
don’t expect feedback if you don’t give it too
Just like all of social media, you get what you give. I find that when I’m more active in a Facebook group, I get better feedback when I do need it. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be online all the time, but if you think you’ll want to occasionally ask a question, try to occasionally also provide an answer or bit of advice for someone.
serious inquiries only!
There’s nothing wrong with testing the waters on a project, so feel free to reach out to connections for more information on things you’re interested in. However, don’t express interest in something if you don’t really care or aren’t online enough to follow up. It’s just not the best use of time. Instead, join discussions or collaborate when you’re really interested, and if you do have to back out, just let the other person know.
Are you in any creative or blogger Facebook groups? What do you love about your favorite ones?
Photo of moi by Charity Hestead