Facebook has made so many changes to its algorithms lately that it’s hard to know how to brand yourself appropriately on social media. One of the questions I frequently hear is, “Which is better, a Facebook page or group?” There’s no right answer to that question. Instead, let’s look at the pros and cons.
Facebook Pages
Facebook pages are free, and – if set up properly – can turn in good results on search engines. You can schedule posts out for weeks so you don’t have to constantly be on Facebook, and you can share a variety of post types (photos, videos, links, etc.).
I love Facebook pages for retail establishments or anyone that sells something. Facebook pixel tracks the people that have clicked between your site back and Facebook, allowing you to target Facebook ads directly to them. This is a social media manager dream come true.
The major downside to business pages is that they need a lot of TLC (tender loving care), and by TLC I mean paid ads. If you don’t understand Facebook ad manager, take some time to learn it. If you don’t have much of a budget for paid ads, you won’t have much reach. I hate telling you that but the unfortunate reality now is that Facebook business pages do not have much organic reach anymore. Even if you’re getting lots of likes, your posts won’t show up in very many newsfeeds. Posting live videos and photos helps, but they don’t have the reach of paid advertising.
Facebook Groups
What if you don’t have a budget and don’t have a website?
Maybe you’re an up-and-coming artist who would like to start promoting your work on Facebook. Or maybe you’re starting a different type of business and are looking for community participation. I’ve consulted with a few artists who have benefitted from creating a Facebook group.
When you create a group, you’re basically starting a community forum. You can make the group public or private, start conversations, create photo albums, and more. You can’t advertise, but you increase the likelihood of showing in peoples newsfeeds, especially if you post often.
The good, and potentially bad, thing is that you can add your friends and family without their consent, and they can then add their friends and family without their consent. People can always leave your group without any hassle. To get attention, live videos are the best to post, then photos. Don’t post just text (no one reads them!).
One word of warning about Facebook groups: if you make them public, watch out for spammers. It will happen. If you don’t keep a close eye on your group, some guy in another country that you’ve never heard of will try to get your fans to click on a links that could do some serious damage to their computers (or show them something very uncomfortable!).
Regardless of which direction you choose, having a social media presence takes a lot of care and energy. Make sure you are engaging with your customers. If they comment on your work, make sure you respond graciously. Not only is that the right thing to do, but Facebook takes note of that too and will reward you.
Enjoy your social media journey!
If you’re still having a hard time deciding, or have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at leslie@blackdogbusinessgroup.com.
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Leslie Krukowski is the principal, CEO, and main consultant of Black Dog Business Group. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English and sub-concentrations in both marketing and business management. After spending several years in management, marketing, and social media marketing positions, she received a Master’s Degree in Administration. She has proven success in managing large groups of people and loves leadership development. Leslie has two black dogs at home, Bertuzzi and Scout. Feel free to reach out to her at leslie@blackdogbusinessgroup.com for a free initial consultation.
