Companies big and small benefit from using Facebook as part of their marketing strategy. It establishes their brand and becomes a place to share their values. Maintaining a Facebook presence boosts a brand’s credibility and customers have come to expect it. The question now is whether to create a Facebook page or a Facebook group for your business. Which has more to offer your business?
Facebook Group vs. Facebook Page
What to post on a business page vs a group on Facebook? Both of these spaces are designed for different purposes. Here’s what you can use them for: A Facebook group is meant for Facebook users to interact with one another about a common topic. For instance, those who love luxury cars could form a group and begin discussions on various subjects around this topic. It could be about the latest luxury model released by Lamborghini or the pros and cons of a specific model, etc. Once users join a group, they can create posts on it themselves. These could be enquiries, ads, interesting information and so much more. Facebook groups can be made ‘private.’ This means that only people whom the admin approves of would be allowed to access or see all of the posts and interactions that happen within the group.
A Facebook group can be about anything from pets to crafts to cooking or even sewing. As you can see in the image above, this group brings together dressmakers/sewing enthusiasts and they’re able to share ideas, tips, and more to further their hobbies. A Facebook page is a profile page that is dedicated to your business or brand. It’s a great way to publish updates or information about your brand. Businesses often use it to highlight their USPs, values and even drive business by putting out CTAs. The layout for a Facebook page is similar to a Facebook user’s personal profile. But rather than having ‘friends’, a Facebook page is ‘liked’ and ‘followed’ by Facebook users. Users who have liked your page will see your updates on their page.
An example of a Facebook page is Etsy. They’ve successfully created a vibe that’s hard to resist. While it is obvious to users that they’re being marketed to, the feel they’ve put together is of a chic lifestyle blog.
Facebook Group vs. Facebook Page – What do they offer your business?
When it comes to making any choice, it really comes down to what you want to achieve. Both of these features are designed to perform different functions and you just need to see which one works for you. So if you’re wondering what to post on a business page vs a group on Facebook understanding their design and purposes could give you a few ideas.
Facebook groups
Anyone can create a group as long as the group follows Facebook’s community guidelines. With this group, you could:
- Cultivate a community: Facebook groups are designed to encourage networking, collaboration, and a sense of community. So if you’re a new business in a niche market, then it makes a lot of sense to create a group where you can talk about issues related to your field. You could discuss problem points with customers, really understand their needs, and establish your brand as an authority in that space. Even non-profits benefit from this as they can raise awareness on certain subjects, answer questions, and so on.
- Lower your marketing budget: It’s free to create a Facebook page or group but the Cost Per Click (CPC) for a page is usually higher than it is for a Facebook group.
- Generate higher engagement and conversion rate: Due to the design and nature of Facebook groups, there is a high level of engagement among the community and this contributes to a higher conversion rate. So, despite reaching a smaller audience than a Facebook page, if your goal is higher conversions then a group is ideal for your business.
Facebook pages
A Facebook page is typically created by an organisation, a company, or even public figures. These offer a number of features that are beneficial to businesses. With a Facebook page, you could:
- Promote your business and brand: With Facebook pages, communication is largely one way. Brands can release information about new products, events, and more.
- Garner a wider reach: Facebook pages are public and are searchable so they have a much wider reach than groups.
- Use more specific targeting: With pages, your ads can be targeted to a more defined group so you can tweak locations, genders, age ranges, and even behaviour. You even get insights into how the page is performing.
It Doesn’t Always Have To Be Facebook Group Vs. Business Page
Several businesses start off with a Facebook page and then add a group or vice versa. You don’t have to choose between them. If your Facebook page isn’t getting the level of engagement that you want, just add a group to it where you can interact directly with your customers. In fact, once you create an engaged and strong community in your group, you can use it to drive traffic to your page.
The best news of all? For groups or pages, you can schedule your content beforehand with Postfity!
Postfity’s scheduler allows you to plan your content earlier and schedule your posts to go on at pre-determined times. This can be done for multiple Facebook accounts and it can even accommodate up to 10k posts. Did you know that it allows your team to manage accounts with different approval levels? Postfity aims to make social media management easier by providing you with features that save time.
Plan your marketing schedule with Postfity to run things like clockwork!
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