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As you might have guessed from the title I’m closing my Facebook group. As a social media coach, I support people to best manage their presence across social media. This summer I’m taking my own advice and reviewing all my channels and the first on the list is my Facebook Group; the Social Savvy Society.
It’s all too easy on social media to get caught up in content creation and making connections. You’re so busy doing these that things like evaluating your engagement rate gets pushed to the bottom of the pile.
Even if you have a nagging feeling that something isn’t working too well then it can be hard to stop. The sunk cost fallacy kicks in. You feel you’ve committed so much in time and resources that you can’t stop! You cling on to the idea that if you just keep going a little bit longer it’ll all work out for you. That’s why I’m committing to making a full assessment of my online presence in the coming months and encouraging you to do the same.
When is the right time to assess your Facebook group?
The answer is regularly but it’s a bit like asking how long a piece of string is. Don’t wait for that sinking feeling before reviewing how things are going. Remember you’re not just looking at whether to keep it going, but at what's working and what isn’t.
While I would definitely suggest scheduling in time for reviews at least every few months, other events such as a change in direction of your business should prompt you to consider your position as well.
How do I assess the performance of my Facebook group?
I’m always telling clients to think about their audience and the same applies here. I wanted my group to be a place where inspiring conversations about social media for small businesses took place. A virtual space for a community that answered each other's questions. It would be a place to share and showcase my knowledge and skills as well as providing value for the community members.
But building a community always comes with a cost attached. Facebook groups are free to set up but they require time and energy to create content and manage the community. The Facebook algorithm means that you see more of the content you engage with. So when a group member doesn’t engage they’ll see less of the content from your group. This means they’ll be less likely to engage and so the cycle continues.
Staying motivated as engagement declines is difficult. It’s also a hint that that group isn’t working out.
However, it’s not surprising that groups don’t work out as hoped. There are tens of millions of groups on Facebook. With users spending around 34 minutes a day on the platform that doesn’t give them much time to get involved with a community. And consider that half of all Facebook users belong to five or more groups!
Actions you can take with your Facebook groups
What are you trying to achieve with your Facebook group?
Take a careful look at what you wanted to achieve from the group. Consider your outcomes and ask whether your own group is still the best way forward. Even if the group is doing ok there may be other ways and better ways that you could connect with a community.
Log the resources
Over the course of a month be really honest about how much running the group actually costs you. How much time do you spend planning and postin