Facebook has signaled that their algorithm is changing again. If you’ve been thinking about starting a Facebook group, now might be the time to do it. Facebook is favoring more personal engagement, so your page might not reach as many people as it has in the past. Here are some things to consider about creating a group.

Give people an incentive for joining your group. You could offer early bird discounts to the members or previews for new products. Then once they are in, give them more information about your products and services.

Engagement is still going to be very important. You don’t want to start a group so that you can share information about sales. Eventually, people are going scroll right past you. You want to create a group of fans that you entertain, educate, and inspire.  If you do that, they are going engage with your content and share it with others.

Now you’re thinking: “What kind of group can a brick and mortar business have?” My answer to that is to think about what your customers are interested in. If you have a bakery, you could have a group with local people who love to plan parties. If you are a pediatric dentist, maybe your group could focus on family health. If you have a home cleaning business, you could feature information but you could focus on organization.

Don’t be afraid of change on social media, embrace it. Figure out a way to use it to your advantage and create content that draws in your customers. In the end, you might create a loyal following.

Theresa Mintzer can be reached at 484.686.2995; email: bytheresamarie@outlook.com; website: ByTheresaMarie.com.