Start by logging in to your Facebook account. Click on the Home tab located at the top of any page. Scroll down and choose Create Group on the left sidebar.

 

Add your Group Name in the pop-up window, and then add a member. Note that Facebook will not allow you to create a Group without having at least one member, to begin with. It can be any of your Facebook friends or a family member. It doesn’t matter whom you add, because you can always delete them later.

 

Choose Public, Closed, or Secret as your group type.

Check your work and then click on Create Group on the bottom right corner of your pop-up window. That window will close and another will appear which will allow you to choose an icon for your group. You could add a business logo, but why not try something related to your niche instead?

 

Once you have completed these steps, your group will be officially live on Facebook. Now it will be time to market it to your target audience.

 

• Add a group description - Look to the left of the page and click on the link that says Add a Description. Use keywords and enticing language to encourage people to join your group. Emphasize benefits, features and what they can expect if they join. This description is also important because the keywords will signal to Facebook searchers and Google users if your group is relevant to their interests.

 

Keep the headline short and to the point, no more than about 10 words. Make it catchy. Then add details about the group that will make it sound like a group they won’t want to miss out on joining.

 

• Add a cover image - A colorful graphic will grab attention, and also show that you have taken the time to customize your group page. Click on the tab that says Upload Photo or Choose Photo from the Personalize Your Group section at the top of the home page. Facebook changes the sizing of their images every so often. Currently the optimum size is 851 pixels wide, 315 pixels tall.

 

Once your group page is looking its best, you can start posting content on it. And once you start posting content, it will be time to invite people to the group and start engaging with them.

 

• Invite people to your group - Start by inviting people you know will genuinely be interested in your group about X niche or topic. Invite all staff and colleagues. Consider allowing a couple of them to be moderators to help you run the group. As your group grows, it can be tough to try to do it all yourself, so it is a good idea to train people up from scratch who will grow as the group does.

 

Next, look through the groups you have joined. Which people stand out as being interesting, engaged with the group, and well-informed? Issue them an invitation to join the group. Which ones have been actively discussing the kinds of solutions you offer? Invite them as well.

 

• Creating questions - Facebook allows you to set questions for prospective group members to find out why they want to join. This can help you separate out serious prospects from “tire-kickers” or potential problems. The questions should be easy enough for most people genuinely interested in your niche to answer. These questions can also help you establish your authority as someone who does not waste their time. The questions can also be a good source of information on what their most pressing need and concerns are. You can also use this information to plan free and paid content to cater to their needs.

 

• Create an incentive to build your list - Once you have started inviting people, consider the best ways to convert them from Facebook group users to subscribers on your email marketing list. A free ebook or multi-part ecourse can help you build a closer relationship with them and enable you to demonstrate your expertise. These sorts of items also tend to “go viral” on social media sites, that is, spread quickly. Your group members will tell their followers, who will tell theirs, and so on, in an ever-widening circle, connecting you with more and more people interested in your niche.

 

Use some of the ideas you got from the other groups you joined, or the information products you have created, to lure prospects onto your list. Once they are on your list, you can build an even closer relationship with them and hopefully convert them from prospects to customers.