Facebook groups have major advantages compared to pages, especially with the changes being made to the news feed. However, they still lack in basic functions that we use in pages.
Here are the pros and cons:
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Facebook Groups Pros:
- Mark Zuckerberg in his official statement for the changes in Facebook said: “The first changes you’ll see will be in News Feed, where you can expect to see more from your friends, family and” Meaning that groups will still be on the top of the list regarding what people are seeing on their newsfeed, whereas pages will have a major disadvantage.
- Pages are difficult to find again after you’ve liked them, unless they keep posting. Whereas groups you’re a member of are shown as a link on the sidebar of your newsfeed.
- Groups are a place where you can gather your ideal clients. Members of a group are more loyal and active than likers of a page. Therefore, the rate of engagement is higher in groups.
- A closed group inspires trust within it’s members. It’s easier for them to engage freely in conversations knowing that only immediate members can see, rather than the entire Facebook audience.
- You can get more immediate and honest feedback from a published poll.
- Groups can be self-sustaining. It’s possible that the group members will continue to be active and create new conversations which will keep the group going without any activity on your side. Pages require constant posts in order to remain active.
- Groups allow you to post announcements on the top of the page that display in front of all members, whereas page posts can get lost. Facebook just announced that you can now post up to 10 announcements on the top of the page.
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Facebook Groups Cons:
- Groups won’t show up on Google searches, whereas pages will.
- Groups do not provide insights and analytics regarding the activity of the group.
- In groups you address a much narrower audience than you would in a page by default. However, that could change with the upcoming newsfeed changes.
- To be a member of a group you need to request it and the page admin will approve. This requires someone to be active in checking membership requests frequently.
- Groups don’t allow you to use any form of advertising.
Regarding content, groups require a cover photo, an about section that states the purpose of the group and now have added a rules section where the admins can display the rules that apply to the members.
Overall, groups are a good way to reach a certain close circuit community with more engaging and informative content. This provides a more meaningful audience for the content you want to display. It also seems that Facebook itself is turning towards groups by including them in the new newsfeed and by announcing new changes and tools for the group admins.
Wondering whether your business needs a group too? Contact us!