Finding Your People In Online Groups
In the past few years, my participation on Facebook and other social media platforms has shifted from content creation and sharing to more group participation and looking for opportunities for discussion, service, and meaningful interaction. This has been liberating.
In the old model, I'd spend hours creating content to share, hoping it would reach enough people and stimulate enough likes and shares to be picked up by the algorithm for more people to see. I did social media this way for many years until I went through a period of burnout.
Looking back on all that activity, I learned some important lessons. First, the content creation didn't amount to much more than busy work when I looked at the overall return I received from my time investment. Playing the algorithm and going viral was a losing proposition in gaining business.
The one area that had a high payoff was Facebook groups. I tried hosting my own for a while, but that didn't get off the ground, mostly because I didn't enjoy hosting and managing the group. The groups where I flourished were the ones where I could participate in meaningful discussions.
Not all Facebook groups are alike. The ones where I found my greatest opportunities had some things in common:
** High group participation, not just the leader.
** Lead phishing hook questions and frequent sales pitches are not present, or they're discouraged.
** Legitimate questions aren't met with snarky, arrogant answers (*RTFM - Read the F-ing Manual)
** Enough safety is assured by group hosts and moderators for people to ask vulnerable questions.
** Dialog is encouraged over advice-giving.
These are some criteria I've used to find a handful of amazing groups. The Solopreneur Society and Marketing for Hippies are two I mentioned in the show. These two are exemplary.
Two things happened as I shifted to more group participation and less content posting. I don't get social media burnout, and I am actually experiencing a nice boost to my business. If you want to talk more about shifting your social media and marketing strategy to be a much more enjoyable and fruitful experience, start by scheduling a free Best Next Step coaching session at https://bit.ly/BestNextStepCall.
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