A Facebook group and a Facebook page are similar in their features and capabilities, but they have different functions and are home to different types of content. This article will highlight the differences between groups and pages, explain how they can complement each other in your social strategy and how to manage both your group and page effectively.
What Is A Facebook Business Page?
Facebook Business pages are similar to personal profiles but instead of representing a person, they focus on a business organization as a public entity. Once you have your page set, you post updates similar to how you would post updates to your profile.
Create a page when you want to make announcements and updates about your business, produce your content and post updates, establish an official, public presence for your organization or advertise.
What Is A Facebook Group?
While Facebook Business pages are essentially Facebook profile pages maintained and updated by a single entity, Facebook groups are maintained by the community. A Facebook group can be set up to have a membership that’s open to the public, membership upon approval or membership by invitation only. Once someone becomes a member of a Facebook group, they can start posting to that community. Posts will show up in members’ news feeds.
This means members can share resources, events, ideas, and questions with each other (which will only be visible to other members of that Facebook group). Each Facebook group may have more than one admin. Remember that when you create a group, the admins are responsible for moderating the members’ posts, enforcing the rules as needed, and creating content.
Which One Should I Choose?
“Facebook Business pages and Facebook groups may seem redundant. However, there are a few major differences between how pages and groups are used that can impact (and deepen) the way you engage with your audience on the platform.” –Katey DiStefano, Organic Social Media Strategist at Austin Williams
Business Page vs. Group: A Real Example
Facebook pages are go-to sources for the public, which makes them a quick and easy must for businesses. For example, a Facebook page for your local hair salon will have its location, phone number, website, and a commercial description of what the business is and what it does.
Think of the salon’s business page as the place where you’d go to double-check salon hours or to see if the salon is running any general promotions that you don’t want to miss. This is also the place where customers can go to leave a review.
A Facebook group for the same salon will contain a completely different type of content if run with a marketing strategy in mind. For starters, some Facebook groups are private, meaning a user who wants to see the content within your group, needs certain permissions to join. Group admins can ask interested followers questions before allowing acceptance into the group.
This is a great way to gather valuable insights into your target customer. Group members are also allowed to submit content to a Facebook Group. In this example, the business could ask salon goers to submit pics of their latest service, post polls on hair trends and have group members weigh in, or host giveaways and incentivize the group with exclusive offers
You Should Probably Use Both
Both Facebook groups and Facebook pages can help grow your business. Facebook Pages have long been used by businesses to deliver key information to their customers, give them a place to connect with, or leave a review of the business.
Facebook Groups are hugely beneficial to your social media and content marketing mix because they foster social listening and engagement of your customers—one of the most important ways to keep your business strong. It’s no wonder then that the use of Facebook Groups among businesses has recently increased.
The Benefits Of Facebook Groups
Facebook groups are a great place to listen to your customers and targets. They not only foster a place for engagement but also serve as a forum dedicated to your brand where you can conduct meaningful social listening to inform future decisions. The following are the main benefits of creating a Facebook group for your business.
Better engagement
Facebook groups create a sense of community among members who frequently interact and share comments, giving them a place to voice their ideas and concerns, and connect with the community. This all leads to better engagement.
Self-sustaining
Even if you never make a post in a Facebook group, other members can still post and engage. Therefore, you don’t need to post all the time to create content for a Facebook group; content will also come from the group members, which keeps the group active.
Social listening
Since members can comment, post, and communicate with each other, groups are a place to find a variety of insights on your business that can help you gauge brand sentiment and make your product or service even better.
Control
Facebook groups have rules, so admins can control what is posted, who can join—and who can stay within the group. This makes sure the group is what you want it to be and protects it against spam and general topic derailment.
Disadvantages Of Facebook Groups
Not on search engines
Unlike Facebook pages, groups do not appear on search engines like Google or Bing.
Moderation
While Facebook groups give you the option to moderate and control what is posted to the group, that can be a time-consuming task—especially if your group has a lot of members. Having templates for responses can help.
Spamming
Facebook groups can be prone to spammers. When group numbers run into the hundreds and thousands, it becomes prime real estate for their plots. When spammers bombard group members (or potential customers!) with spam and notifications, this can turn off the people you’re truly looking to engage with. While these can be monitored and removed, asking questions before allowing members in a closed group is a great way to deter spammers from entering.
The Benefits Of Facebook Pages
Building brand image/hub
Your Facebook page is a hub for your brand. Reviews, images, hours, and posts will all live here. Facebook pages make your brand look professional and allow businesses to showcase themselves to their audiences on Facebook.
Audience Insights
Facebook pages provide you with analytics on how your audience engages with your posts, which help you make key decisions on how to target.
Targeted advertising
Facebook pages have many targeting options so you decide who views your ads based on their interests, demographics, and location.
Disadvantages Of Facebook Pages
Content creation
Content is needed to start building out your Facebook page. You’ll need to come up with ideas for posts and their accompanying assets to keep your Page fresh and engaging. Often, Facebook pages for brands need a manager to handle content, planning, and response—especially to answer comments on posts.
High cost
Building a Facebook page takes time and skill and can come with a high price tag. Facebook also has reduced the reach of pages so, for your posts to reach your target audience, you may need to boost the page with Facebook ads—another line item to add to expenses.
Facebook Pages and Groups Can Benefit Your Small Business’ Social Engagement
Use Facebook pages and groups to create a community where people can connect, engage, share, and get to know your business and brand. The right balance of content and engagement will help deepen your relationships with your targets. It’s all about finding out what works best for you and your brand. Get creative, leverage Facebook promotion tools, and don’t be afraid to use Facebook groups and pages to your advantage.