How I Got Started Using Facebook Groups
How do you first “get yourself noticed”? Facebook groups are a great way to do that.
When I first started making party supplies, I definitely didn’t have nearly the focus or direction that I have now, but that continues to increase each year. At first, I wanted to see what would sell, and quite frankly, I NEEDED to make money. Sometimes when you’re starting out on shoestring, you don’t really have the money to invest in things that aren’t going to pay off for you. Buying supplies up front might be a sacrifice, and you need to bring some money in from your ideas.
One great way to get noticed is to sell on Facebook, specifically in groups. It’s great to have your own Facebook group, but you still need a way to get people there- some way other than just adding all of your friends and family. Joining groups designated for handmade products, or your product or service in particular, is a good way to dip your toe in the water and drum up some sales, clients, or custom orders. Here are some things I did at first to get sales, attention for my Etsy shop, and custom orders when I was starting out.
If you sell a product, join a variety of quality Facebook groups that allow you to share links to your website (or Facebook page, Instagram, or Etsy shop), and sell your own products. Do NOT join groups that do not allow selling or links and then do it anyway. Not only will you get kicked out, being spammy and unable to follow directions gives your shop a bad name. Look for Facebook groups that are intended to be shopping markets, that are brand rep groups that like to work with small businesses, or are focused on your specific business (example: handmade boutique children’s clothing). Don’t join hundreds of groups- or at least don’t stay in that many. Find several groups that are friendly, supportive of creative businesses, a good fit for you, and stay above the fray of drama. (Drama in a shopping group, you say? Oh, yes. It’s there. Beware, and don’t sink to it.)
Be engaged and polite to others. Like I said, there can be drama. I have left so many groups that just felt “icky” for lack of a better word. Stay in the ones that have value for you. Whether that is learning, support, community, or a great base of shoppers for your product. If a group offers their own content most of the week, and allows you to post your products or offers one day a week, or on a specific thread, don’t be someone who only shows up that day. If the group is offering you value, engage with the other posts throughout the week, as well. Have good group etiquette, follow their rules, and be supportive to others just as you would also like encouragement. One tip that I think is really important is to LISTEN to what people are asking. I often see people post an “in search of” post, and in eagerness to make sales, people just drop links that have nothing to do with the request. How frustrating for the buyer! Stand out by answering the question asked, not ignoring their specifics and posting your links anyway.
Have your information readily available in your Facebook bio. There are so many times that I see someone post an interesting comment, or talk about their great sales, and I get curious- what do they make? What do they do? What are they all about? And so I click on their profile, and find nothing. I cannot stress this enough- have your links in your profile bio. You are always selling, even when you are not posting a link to your shop. Let people find you easily. When you engage and have something good to say, people will check you out. They will want to see if you know what you’re talking about. Maybe you share some advice about playing guitar in a music group. Make it easy for someone to think, “That sounded pretty good, I wonder if they know what they’re talking about?” If you have your website link in your profile, that person can easily take a sneak peek at what you do, see that you offer virtual lessons, etc., and tuck that information away, or follow you. Make it easy, don’t make it a hunt.
Here are some ideas of the kind of Facebook groups to join:
Handmade/product sellers: join marketplace groups, local small business groups, Christmas or other holiday themed groups, party themed groups, Etsy and Shopify support and coaching groups, brand repping groups, photography trade for product groups, local buy and sell groups, handmade only groups.
Service based sellers: join marketplace groups, local small business groups, business coaching support groups, blogger groups, groups for your specific field- music, blogging, podcasting, etc. If you are offering things like lessons, especially if they are in person/face to face, local business groups are going to be very key for you! For things like blogging and podcasting, I have found some of my favorite people to follow and listen to through coaching groups where once a week, people can post what they are offering. I have gone on to work with more than one person who posted in my favorite, high quality, low drama coaching group.
A final thought- make it a goal not to need to sell in Facebook groups forever. I used to post in local buy and sell groups, brand repping groups, and more pretty constantly. I would search the “in search of” posts daily to see if there was something I could offer. I had a list of folks who engaged with me that I could follow up on to seal the deal on custom orders. I do exactly NONE of that now. I have outgrown it. I am so grateful for these outlets and opportunities, but they are stepping stones. Your goal should always be to build traffic to your own space, and create your own audience. Now, My Pinterest traffic and Etsy SEO bring me in plenty of work. I hardly have the time to post in my own Facebook group. I still belong to many of the groups I love- local business groups, excellent coaching groups, photography groups, and of course, my own. PLUS, some of the ones I found through their thoughtful engagement and posts! But now, I am there for other reasons- encouragement, trouble shooting problems, learning, and even purchasing from others. But not really to make sales myself, though it’s flattering when people head to my shop! It’s ok to launch from constant, active selling. But don’t stay there. Work toward building great traffic to your own space!
