At this point, it’s not shocking to say that Facebook business pages and creators have seen a steady decline in engagement and reach. The platform has become a "pay to play game" and brands have been forced to increasingly put money behind their posts to see impression numbers they saw organically a few years ago.

After facing public scrutiny over the spread of misinformation and mishandling of user data, Facebook has shifted its focus to private conversations and meaningful interactions. In turn, this shift has affected the news feed. Instead of favoring viral content and posts from publications and business pages, the Facebook algorithm is now showing users more posts from their friends, as well as posts from Facebook groups.  On the group side, they’ve highlighted this shift by giving group admins new metrics and capabilities, including live video.

Groups vs. Pages: What’s the difference?
Mark Zuckerberg described pages as town squares. They are public spaces intended to attract as big of an audience as possible. Anyone can like your page and see your content, even without having a Facebook account.

In contrast, Facebook groups more closely resemble a private home. Members need to request to join, admins can set rules, and the overall feeling is that users are in an exclusive space where they can have more candid conversations with likeminded people who are interested in the same hobby or topic. There are Facebook groups for every interest, groups that focus on local communities, groups specific to certain fields or professions, the list goes on. There’s likely to be a Facebook group for every topic, and if not, launching one is simple.

While businesses and creators are struggling to see organic reach on their page posts, groups offer a way to connect with your audience without the limitations put in place by the algorithm.

What To Know Before Launching a Facebook Group
While Facebook groups are great because they’re favored by the algorithm and allow for meaningful interactions, there are a few things to consider before jumping on the bandwagon and creating one.

Groups are not Pages 2.0. Avoid using your Facebook group the same way you use your business page. Pages are a form of one way communication with the admins doing all the posting with the hopes of receiving likes, comments, and shares. Facebook groups allow for both admins and group members to create posts. The goal is to encourage your audience to ask questions, post content, share personal thoughts or experiences, and interact with other members. If all the posts are coming from the business or creator with no effort to garner authentic engagement and spark conversations, users are likely to leave the group.

Flesh Out Your Purpose
People don’t like to feel like you are selling them something, especially in a medium that’s supposed to be more authentic. If your goal in creating your Facebook group is to directly promote your product and drive sales, then this might not be the best avenue for your business. Groups should provide value to the members and make them feel as if they belong to a community.

One popular Facebook group subgenre is Instant Pot communities
While there are hundreds of groups dedicated to this topic, Instant Pot the brand runs their own group with over 2 million members. One quick scroll through the page, and you’ll notice that 90 percent of the posts are from the members sharing their recipes, Instant Pot hacks, and asking questions with Instant Pot admins moderating and commenting back to their members. This is a prime example of how Facebook groups should be run.

Interacting in Existing Facebook Groups: An Alternative
Perhaps starting a dedicated Facebook group is not feasible for your brand. Last year, Facebook rolled out a new setting that allows Facebook pages to request to join Facebook groups. Instead of starting your own community from the ground up, your marketing team can identify existing communities that make sense for your brand to be interacting in and providing useful content and feedback.

Be wary, many groups have strict rules about self-promotion and sales. Use your time spent in groups to interact as any regular member would and mindfully link back to your website or a piece of content when it makes sense.  

At Produce for Kids, we launched our Healthy Family Project Facebook group as an offshoot of the Produce for Kids podcast, Healthy Family Project. Since its creation late summer, the group continues to grow week over week. Our goal for the group is to encourage our audience to continue the conversation from the podcast, ask questions, and find a safe space where parents and caregivers can seek advice, give feedback on episodes, and post relevant content.

While organic reach will likely continue to decrease, Facebook groups offer a glimmer of hope for brands and marketers looking to reach audiences in authentic ways.

(Grace Vilches is the marketing coordinator for Produce for Kids)