Want to understand your customers better? Start a Facebook group
Yep, we’ve all been there.
Sales targets? ✖︎, copy converting? ✖︎, follower growth? ✖︎, times yelled at screen, 833? ✔︎
Sometimes the reason why may be obvious. But others, and let’s face it more commonly, it’s not.
Whether you hire an overpaid advisor or do a quick google search the answer you get will often be the same.
Take a step back and understand your customers.
(In fact, Marketing Guru Neil Patel swears it’s the only marketing strategy you need.)
If you’re anything like me you’ve probably rolled your eyes at the above statement.
Why?
Well, you get that you need to understand your customer but the real question is HOW to understand them.
For me, the answer is community groups. And more specifically, Facebook groups.
Facebook has been around for a while now.
While some of its core functions may not be as popular as they once were their groups are fast-growing pockets of consumer insight gold.
There are two main ways you can use them:
1. Create your own
(hint: your best option but also the hardest)
Creating a group where your customers can interact is a great way to build and maintain a tribe of loyal followers.
The idea is to create a space where your community of fans can talk about everything related to your brand and the lifestyle you sell.
Take a look at Aussie skincare brand Go-To Skin Care’s group ‘Your Go-To Gang’.
They have created a place where skincare lovers can:
- Bond with like-minded Go-To fans
- Get all their skin woes answered
- Receive exclusive discounts and goodies
While it is pretty great for Go-To’s customers, it is even better for Go-To themself. Why?
It generates and validates product ideas.
Customers in the group tell them exactly what they want. Even better engagement on posts gives them an instant idea if it is something they should explore.
It builds customer loyalty.
Customers engaging directly with the brand and other customers mean that, as corny as it may sound they sound,… they feel like they are apart of something.
As they get more engaged with your community they fall more and more in love your brand.
It encourages word of mouth marketing.
Is there anything better than a great recommendation from a friend? Now imagine recommendations from 1000’s of friends. This is exactly what being in a Facebook group is like.
Other members do the selling for you.
They share before and afters and their admiration for your products. Not only that, but they also provide credibility as the comments come directly from their profiles instead of random testimonials.
It normalises spending on your product.
If you’ve ever gone to purchase a serum this will stand out to you. At first, the price seems extortionate. You have to question whether you really need it.
These groups take all the spending guilt away from your customers.
They see others ‘shelfies’ and see that like them, others are buying as much or even more of your product making it seem ohhh so normal.
It helps them understand their customers.
Being able to chat with customers and observe conversations between members helps them understand exactly who their customer is and well naturally, what makes them tick.
Want to see another example of a brand killing their Facebook Group strategy? Check out Mecca’s ‘MECCA Chit Chat’.
Hint: like anything, if you are not going to put the thought and time into the group. Then you are probably want to go with option 2. There is nothing worse than starting a group where you are the only one posting (Ummm, awkward).
2. Join other groups
Don’t just join them, engage with them.
Better yet, look at the language they are using as this is the language you should be using to market to them.
To find groups that resemble your target market…
Start by typing a keyword related to your business category into Facebook. For example, sticking to the skincare theme you could type in something like ‘skincare’ (yep, original).
Starting broad, and skimming through the group names can give you an idea of what is out there.
Once you know this narrow down into your niche. Eg) Korean Skincare, Eco-friendly skincare etc. and start joining all the groups!
Once in, start reading and engaging.
Understand what consumers are talking about, this will tell you what they are interested in. Understand what is getting engagement, this should give you an idea of the bigger problems for your customers. And look at how they are talking, use this to improve your brand voice.
While these may not be your exact customers if you have found a group that is niche enough to your segment they are likely to resemble some of your customer’s traits.
So what are you waiting for?
Stop wondering why things aren’t working and start getting to know your customers.
Ruby.
