There are a number of steps involved in planning and setting up what you hope will be a successful Facebook group.

 

First, consider your goals and audience size. There are actually 3 different types of Facebook groups:

 

• Public – Any Facebook member can join. All members can invite and add anyone.

• Closed – Facebook users can ask to join and must be approved. Members can add or invite any Facebook users.

• Secret – Members must be invited and approved. No one can see any information shared in a secret group except other group members.

 

Public will help you gain the widest exposure, but it can also garner you unwanted attention from spammers and people who behave badly online due to the relative anonymity of the Internet. A closed group will be more manageable and prevent the group from being taken over by people who love to express their own opinions and attack others.

 

The type of Facebook group you create will depend on your type of business. You should also consider your marketing goals. For example, a Facebook group can actually be a valuable add-on to a product you are selling if the group is secret and exclusive, and you promise access to yourself for anyone who signs up and participates. You would just need a proof of purchase to approve them or send them an invitation to join.

 

Whatever marketing approach you take, remember that Facebook is a social community. This means interacting with real people, not trying to sell all the time.

 

Most businesses prefer to create a closed Facebook group in order to have more control over what is going on in the group. A closed group also gives you an air of authority and exclusivity that a public group might not. Those in your niche will appreciate your expertise and be willing to tell others about it. A closed group can help build brand loyalty, which in turn can mean more subscribers and sales.

 

Note that you can always change your settings if you need to, provided that you are under 250 members. Once you are over that number, you can only make the privacy settings more restricted, not less so. This means you could not turn a closed or secret group to an open one.

 

In general, closed will be your best option for marketing your business on Facebook.