How to set up a successful Facebook group

Groups have been a staple feature on Facebook for a long time, however they have evolved over the years. It’s only been in the last few years, for example, that charities or brands could set up a branded group, connected to their Page.

How charities use Facebook groups

Many charities use Facebook groups to build communities around fundraising challenge events. These are monthly, physical, virtual challenges where people sign up, join the Facebook group and then create a Facebook Fundraiser to raise money for the cause.

Having a Facebook group throughout the challenge helps with accountability, as well as it being a space where people can share their progress and encourage each other.

Some charities, like Cancer Research UK, are using groups for their campaign ambassadors. It’s a safe space where they can interact with each other and share news. Similarly, Breast Cancer Now has a Facebook group for their Change Makers.

The benefits of Facebook groups

There are many benefits to setting up a Facebook group that is connected to your Page. If you are a charity that works nationally, instead of having to run multiple Pages, you can set up local groups instead. This keeps everything in one place and can been managed and accessed through Business Manager – no more having to track down who created an old Facebook Page and trying to gain access to it.

The beauty of groups is that the interaction is two-way. Members can post themselves and interact with each other, in a way that’s not possible on a Page. This can help build a strong sense of community. It can also help you to really understand your supporters, their interests and needs.

How to set up a Facebook group

Ready to set up a Facebook group for your cause? Here’s how to set one up, step by step.

Head to your Facebook Page and click on the ‘more’ tab and then ‘groups’. Click the button called ‘Create Linked Group’. You will then be prompted to give your group a name and choose if it’s a public or private group.

Public or private

When you set up a Facebook group you need to decide whether the group will be public or private. Both public and private groups will come up in a search. A public group means that anyone, even if they are not a member, can see the posts and who is in the group whereas only members of a private group can see posts and fellow members.

For private groups, you can choose whether to hide the group or make it visible. Hiding the group means that only members can find it and it’s not searchable.

Most groups tend to be private, particularly if they are campaigning or ambassador groups. However, many charities set their challenge groups to private too. One reason for this could be due to the acquisition process of how the challenges are run.

Public groups tend to be big, mass participation events such as the Pink Ribbon Walk. 

Customise your group

Once your group has been created, you will be prompted to continue setting it up by completing four steps. Add an engaging cover photo for your group and add a description of what the purpose of the group is.

It’s also advisable to have at least one post in the group before you begin inviting people to join as members, in order to give them something to engage with immediately.

Establish group rules

It’s really important to establish rules, or a code of conduct, for your group. This is so that, when a member does something inappropriate or upsetting to others, you have cause to remove them from the group.

You can write your own rules or use Facebook’s pre-populated rules, which include things like ‘no hate speech or bullying’. You can have up to ten rules and you can edit them if needed.

Moderating the group

Just as you would monitor and moderate your Page, it’s super important to moderate your group. As members can post and comment, you need to ensure that they are sticking to the rules.

Unfortunately, there will be times where members might argue or disagree, and you will need to step in and diffuse the situation. Other members may report the person and you will be notified that a post has been reported for breaking one of the group rules. Depending on what’s happened, you may need to remove a member.

You can also set up keyword alerts and you’ll be notified when a post or comment contains the keyword. This can be useful if there is a topic that often comes up that may be sensitive.

Facebook has a thorough and useful resource for group management for Admins.