YES, A Facebook GROUP CAN WORK, for this reason:
Hi all,
(yeah, I wasn't going to be here that much anymore (seeing that I got the Ambassador status haha), because I need to work on my niches, but here I am, with some more promising news lol)
Not much is said here about Facebook groups, like on the contrary more like: 'don't bother'.
Disclaimer, this might not work for your niche, so always consider this
But, in my opinion, creating your own FB group CAN work, in niches like: lifestyle, crafting, art, humor, books, etc.
First, if you have a niche site, find out if the topic is popular on Facebook. If their is interest, try it out!
Not to get more traffic to your website, I am not seeing that much towards my website, about 2% of my traffic, BUT!
And this is where I mention AndyCalvin , (thanks again Andy!) who helped me out diving deeper into these FB groups, as how I could monetize my groups, who are growing larger by the day.
I have 2fb groups, one has about 6000 members, the other goes to 14000 members.
Andy showed me a fantastic tip; show straight away when someone joins your group the way to your newsletter!
This includes to mention your newsletter in the info section in your group, ABOVE THE FONT:
(above the red line in the screenshot is seen above the rest)
BUT ALSO!!!!
On Fb groups, you can generate an AUTOMATIC WELCOME MESSAGE , this means when people apply to join your group, you can automatically welcome them. It is up to you to decide at which point you greet the newcomers, you can change the settings of that any time.
Here again, when you are welcoming the new people in your group, you can mention that you have a newsletter, to which they can unsubscribe at any time! You could offer them something in return, in my case I offer free miniature printables.
Ever since I have done these 2 things, the subscriptions to my newsletter have risen immensely, which is a good thing in times of SEO troubles, because attracting traffic in this way is a lot more predictable and it is traffic that IS INTERESTED IN YOU PARTICULARLY!
BEWARE that managing a Facebook group still requires lots of time and work, but so does blogging.
So if you think this could work for your niche, give it a try I'd say!
Good luck!
Lizzy
Recent Comments
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Lizzy, that's interesting. Thanks for sharing this information with us. You are not it is not for every niche. I wish you all the best with FB Groups.
I did watch Jay's class about Facebook. I understand it about the business page. I understand FB Group requires time, just like blogging. As everyone else has pointed out, diversifying these SM platforms seems to be the best way for marketers to go where these people hang out. I did read Andy's post about Facebook groups. I know it's a challenge. Keep going with it. 😀😀
Well yes, luckily I ignored Jays advise (twice) about ignoring FB groups as there 'not worth it', and digged deeper into opportunities of making money with them. If it keeps growing,I could even sell it eventually if I'm ever tired of it.
We need to keep looking further than just SEO and Google nowadays, and one of the things is building a larger email list. And this is a way of gathering those emails in a legal way from people who are really interested in what you have to say.
These types of things are also the best way to gain traction to your website,in a consistent way, not just depending on SEO,what most SEO gurus out there have been doing for years, without diversifying.
(these groups also grow my FB Page organically, without spending a dime on ads and so on).
Keep thinking outside the box folks!
Good luck with blogging though;-)
Lizzy
Thanks! 😀. I feel like its a great idea to keep doing what works for you. I find it hard to find all the time to do that. Keep us posted.
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That's awesome and so encouraging to hear, Lizzy!
I dug around quick, and actually have a few points of improvement that you could try. I could be wrong, but I think that you Buying and Selling group is growing a little faster than your other group.
In either case, I would recommend experimenting with something - right now, you have both your links pointing out to your newsletter or free printables/small gifts (screenshot below). I would recommend that you make a PDF about something like "5 fast tips on how to sell faster online (Etsy, Facebook Groups, etc)!", and then link to that in your buying and selling group. For example, instead of saying:
"In this group, you can sell anything related to dollhouses and miniatures but also subscribe to my newsletter for small gifts: https://everyth…"
You could say something like,
"Sell anything related to dollhouses and miniatures. Tried selling on other groups, but never made sales? Get access to my 5 tips on how to sell faster below: (link here)"
You'll have to experiment with whether or not everything shows up, but the point being is that I'd highly encourage you to find or create something that is highly relatable to buying/selling and offer it to them in exchange for their email. I wouldn't be surprised if it double/tripled your opt-in rate after some testing.
But over all, well done!
That's a great idea as well Andy, thanks!
Yeah, the selling group grows quickly,without me having to make any extra effort now at all. Years ago, I noticed that this type of group was missing in the miniature world, as almost every other mini group out there doesn't allow 'sales, Etsy links or promotion' or even Youtube links. There are one or 2 other FB selling groups in this niche, but that's it.
I was actually thinking about something similar for my other group as well and pin that, but first I want to write my own 'how to create dollhouse printable patterns yourself', and then create some kind of ebook in a pdf file, that talks about everything regarding this topic. (how to resize printables, how to print them, how to assemble them, etc)
I have always been thinking about creating a free e book to give them as a gift, and then maybe later sell for a small price. But that's a project that will take me some time and energy (I need to figure things out myself lol, take step by step pictures, create videos ). Just thinking about it wears me out haha!
But sure, I could write something shorter with these 5 tips for my selling group, good idea thanks!
Lizzy