Facebook Group or Page? Which one do you need and why?

One of the topics that comes up ALL the time in conversations with clients and inside my Facebook Group is: Facebook Group vs Facebook Page!

In this blog post, I will explain why I think everyone should have a Facebook Page and why I love Facebook Groups, and also the main differences between the two.

So let’s go! Facebook Groups vs Facebook Pages…

Do I need a Facebook page for my business?

Yes! In my opinion, every serious entrepreneur whose potential customers are hanging out on Facebook needs a Facebook Page (so not only a personal Facebook Profile). Here’s why:

1. If people want to learn more about your business, they will check you out, they will want to get an idea about your business. Maybe they will go to your website, maybe your personal profile on Instagram, or on Facebook, but VERY probably, they will check out your Facebook Business Page. So make sure you are present with a page that gets regularly updated (doesn’t need to be daily though, more about that later in this post).Your Facebook page is like a “brochure“. People can browse around and read about you, and your business, and your products and services. This is not possible with a Facebook Group (because it is closed (or at least, I recommend you run a closed group, more about that later in this post)).
2. For entrepreneurs with online stores, for example on WooCommerce or Shopify, Facebook offers the option to sell directly from Facebook (and Instagram) on a Business Page. This is super easy to set up and basically gives you a second shop window, next to your website!
3. If you want to run ads, you need a Facebook Business Page. You cannot run ads from a personal profile (or from a group). So if you want to run ads in the future, make sure you have a page. Ads are the best way to scale your business quickly, so even if you don’t have budget now, you will want to be able to run ads in the future if you want to grow your business.
4. If you want to retarget people you need a Facebook Business Page. Even if you have a SUPER small budget, retargeting is the single most cost effective way of advertising. What does it mean? It means that people who have visited your website see your ads on Facebook! You already know that these people like you, because they were on your website, so these are the people you want to stay in touch with, and retargeting ads are a great way to do this. So even if you have only 1 euro budget a day, retargeting is worth it!
5. You can have only 5,000 friends, but you can have an unlimited number of followers on your business page! So if you are dreaming big, which you should then a business page is for you!
6. You are not allowed to run a business from a personal profile. If someone reports you for doing that, your account can be taken down!
7. Facebook Business Pages come with insights (statistics), which are very helpful. Personal Profiles do not even tell you how many people visited your profile. Groups have some insights, but also limited.
8. Content on a page has the potential to go viral, which content in a private group does not (because the content cannot be shared outside of the group).

So yes, you definitely want to have a Facebook Business Page! Now over to groups!

Should I open a Facebook Group for my business?

My answer is: it depends! Below, I will walk you through the benefits and disadvantages of a Facebook Group

Benefits of Facebook Groups: 

1. Groups are at the core of the Facebook strategy. Facebook want the platform to be about meaningful communities. The fact that they are at the core of the strategy means that Facebook will be spending money and time on developing groups in the future.
2. The content you post in a group has a way better reach than the content you post on your business page, meaning that it will be shown to a higher percentage of your followers. 
3. Groups are communities. People get to know each other and like hanging out in a community and belonging to a community (a basic human need). That also means that they have an extra reason to come back to your group, compared to coming back to a page.
4. Groups are safe spaces. Unless you have a public group (which I do not recommend), a group is private. It will be way easier for someone to open up about what they really think or feel in a private community than on a public page where their mother / uncle / neighbour / crush can read their posts. If you want to learn what really drives your ideal clients, then groups are the perfect place to find out!

So yes, I love groups. I personally prefer groups over pages. But there are also disadvantages, so read on!

 

Disadvantages of Facebook Groups

• Running a group is a LOT of work. If you really want to build a community, you need to commit to showing up daily in your group and pouring lots of love into it. I love doing tat, but not everyone might have the time and energy to do it (hello introverts!)
• The content you produce for the group stays in the group, which basically means that the number of people that see it is limited. This means, you will also need a public platform where you can reach new people.
• Not all topics are suitable for a group. Your topic needs to be a topic that people love talking about and that they love so much that they want to find likeminded others. Not all products and services are suitable for this.

So I would recommend a group IF you have the time and energy to pour love into it AND if your topic is a topic that people like talking about all the time and that is suitable for a community setting.

But… in the end, there is only 1 thing that really matters for your online success: what do YOU BELIEVE will be the best platform for you? If you believe that you will be successful with a page and not with a group, then that will be the case. If you believe vice versa, then that will be true as well! Choose a platform that you believe in, that you find fun and that inspires you to show up daily, and you will be successful!