Facebook Group Etiquette

As Facebook Group popularity soars, it’s important that we understand how to use groups in a way that makes people want to hang out in them - because the day that people start to complain about groups is the day that Facebook starts to think about removing their functionality.

And that would be a shame, since Facebook Groups add that extra level of trust and connection that we so often need for our audience to trust us with their hard earned money.

As an Admin or Moderator

Do’s

• Create group rules and structure about what you will and won’t allow in the group, what kind of community you are trying to build, and who should join.

• Enforce your group rules and update them as required.

• Create a pinned post if there is important information members need to see when joining.

• Tag members of your group if you are posting or commenting on something that may apply specifically to them.

• Be present in the group.

Dont’s

• Add people as a friend so that you can more easily invite them to your group. If you’re not actually friends this is just a sleazy marketing tactic.

• Create group messages for all members (other than some sort of emergency) - being added to group chats can be super annoying (All. The. Notifications.), especially if the topic doesn’t apply to the person, the chat has hundreds of people, or they don’t understand how to remove themselves from the chat.

• Call people out for breaking the rules - try to contact your group members privately if they have broken a rule, especially if it’s a post that has to be deleted. If you must mention them in a public post, just say that you sent them an email/PM/etc. and just wanted to make sure they saw it - don’t mention the violation.

As a Member

Do’s

• Read & follow the group rules! They are most often found in the group description, which you can read before you even request to join. The rules are there to foster the kind of community that the admin wants, to let you know what they want you to do as a member, and to prevent you from making a faux pas.

• Introduce yourself! I know it can be weird and awkward, but it’s also weird and awkward to have someone over to your office and they just sit in the corner staring at you and not talking.

• Engage with other members. When someone posts for feedback or has a question or something they’d like to share, nothing is more discouraging that getting no response - the more you engage, the more other members will be willing to engage back!

• Use the search function. There is always a chance that your question has already been asked and answered, especially if the group is large or has been around for awhile - use the search function to find out.

• Answer the questions that pop up when you request to join. Sometimes these questions are mandatory and you cannot be accepted if you don’t answer - so your request just sits there in limbo. The admin likely has no way to contact you or remind you to answer them.

Dont’s

• Be a jerk. :)

• Promote your own products or services that are in direct competition with the group owner (unless invited to in a promo thread). This would be like walking into someone’s flower shop, grabbing the customers, shoving your business cards in their pockets, and telling them to shop at your flower shop instead. See previous point.

• Repeat your promo endlessly. This is specifically for promo threads, and is most important for smaller groups. If you copy/paste the EXACT promo over and over again, people will get sick of seeing it. Even if you only have 1 thing to promote, you can switch up the text you're using or include a different photo.

• Send unsolicited marketing messages or friend requests to group members.

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