How-To Attract Attention to Your Facebook Group
- Targeted Hashtags
Utilizing targeted hashtags is a fun and easy way to attract more attention to your Facebook group! However, it is crucial to conduct a bit of research on your topic’s hashtag popularity and platform visibility before publishing any posts containing hashtags. My Facebook group is Dog Lovers of Vero Beach so I started by looking up popular dog-related hashtags and researching which social media platform would make my hashtag use the most visible and beneficial. I decided to utilize Instagram’s Story feature to promote my Facebook group. The top three dog-related hashtags on Instagram are #Dog (281 million posts), #DogsofInstagram (212 million posts), and #DogLovers (31.9 million posts) so I included all three hashtags within my Instagram Story posts that I created using Canva — see below.
However, while conducting research on targeted hashtags I realized most social media users can be annoyed by hashtag use — especially promotional tags. The article The 2020 Instagram Hashtag Guide — How to Use Them and Get Results discusses this very issue and provides unique ways to utilize hashtags without annoying your followers or sacrificing your post’s aesthetic. The author, Christina Newberry, offered a brilliant tip that is perfect for those trying to attract more attention to their Facebook group. Implement your desired hashtags so they are “visible” to you target audience but hide the actual hashtag within your post by using GIFs or Stickers! This way users don’t have to see the hashtag and feel annoyed or bombarded but your post will still reap the benefits of including a popular hashtag. I utilized Instagram’s stickers to hide the hashtags used, see below, and saw immediate results! The number of members in Dog Lovers of Vero Beach increased after I posted the following Instagram Stories.
2. Third-Party Community
Taking advantage of a third-party community’s audience is a great way to attract new attention to your growing Facebook group but you must approach this strategy with grace! Before posting promotional content encouraging users to join your Facebook group, you must contact the third-party community’s administrator and request permission. If the administrator grants you permission to promote your own group within their community then post your attention-grabbing content and take advantage of the opportunity to engage with a new audience. This is a fantastic way to meet potential new group members and make a welcoming first impression.
I found the Vero Beach Neighborhood community on Facebook that has over 20K members and would be a perfect third-party group I could promote Dog Lovers of Vero Beach in. First, I contacted the group’s administrator and requested permission to post about my community but I also made a point that we could mutually benefit each other. I saw many posts within his community (Vero Beach Neighborhood) that included dog-related content. So, when I requested permission to promote Dog Lovers of Vero Beach within his group I offered a sort of deal — when one of my members post about general Vero Beach information I will direct them to his group, Vero Beach Neighborhood, and in exchange when one of his members post about dog-specific information he will direct them to my group, Dog Lovers of Vero Beach! See the Dog Lovers of Vero Beach promotional third-party post I created using Canva below.
I am awaiting Vero Beach Neighborhood’s response & post but I’m hopeful this exchange will be mutually beneficial and increase the number of members in both groups.
3. Influencer Marketing
Another useful way to attract attention to your Facebook group is to utilize influencer marketing! The power behind influencer’s post is surprising and can be extremely beneficial for your community. This is also another example of a great opportunity to connect with and expose your group to a new audience. It is important to note that influencers and their power can vary between different fields of interest. When I think of an example influencer, famous Instagram models come to mind but fashion and beauty are not the only fields that can utilize influencer marketing! In my case, I needed to contact an influencer within the Vero Beach community that focused their attention on dogs. So, I connected with our local doggie daycare owner, Cindy Wold. She owns and has operated A Dog’s Life Doggie Daycare & Training Center since 2000 and she is basically a local celebrity. She is responsible for the care and wellbeing of hundreds of Vero Beach dogs, daily! Thankfully, I own a cute golden retriever (Cindy’s favorite breed) and was able to form a great relationship with her and the daycare. I contacted Cindy to ask if she would promote my Facebook group, Dog Lovers of Vero Beach, by posting the following content to her personal Facebook page. Cindy agreed and we both saw positive results! Many of her clients are happy to be members of a group dedicated to local dogs / dog activity and I am happy to meet new group members. See the Dog Lovers of Vero Beach promotional influencer post I created using Canva below.
