What do you know about Facebook Groups?

Because doing a bit of a research on Google, I saw that there are lots of questions; from “can Facebook Groups be combined” to “how many Facebook Groups can you create”.

Even though Facebook Groups have been around since 2006, I can see that in the recent period there has been an increase in their use. While back in 2006 Facebook Groups were used mostly for personal situations (work, colleagues, friends), nowadays it's a bit different. Facebook recently started to put a lot more into developing Facebook Groups. They understood that these groups represent a new way of marketing based on relationships and genuine communication. As a bonus, I'll present you the new features of Facebook Groups that appeared this year. For time travelers, this will be useful for comparison; a description of how Facebook Groups were back in 2018.

Here's a list of all the Questions:

What are Facebook Groups used for?

Can Facebook Groups see my profile?
Can Facebook Groups be combined?
Can Facebook Groups have subgroups?
What are Secret Facebook Groups?
Can Facebook Groups be deleted?
Can Facebook Groups run ads?
Can Facebook Groups charge for membership?
Can Facebook Groups have multiple admins?
Can Facebook Groups go live?
What is Facebook Group id?
What is Facebook Group cover photo size?
What is Facebook Group auto poster?
How many Facebook Groups can you create?
Facebook Groups watch party

Facebook Groups 2018 New Features

Nowadays, Facebook Groups are used for:

• Selling;
• Learning;
• Finding information;
• Hobbies;
• Events;
• Online Courses;
• Cities Communities;
• Jobs;
• Looking for partners;
• and many many others.

Even if you want to have your own group, or you are just a member of one, see down below if you know the answer to these questions about Facebook Groups. I'll write the exact questions I found.

I think this is referring to the situation regarding a member of a Facebook Group (if he/she can see your Facebook profile). This only depends on your profile's level of privacy. If anyone can see your profile, then other members of the Facebook Group you're in can see it too. You are the one that decides what information is shown and what not.

A Facebook Group doesn't act like a Facebook Profile. You have to have your own account in order to create a Facebook Group and be its admin. This means that no one can use a Facebook Group to check people's profile. And you shouldn't worry about the imaginary situation when a Facebook Group admin has more privileges than a person that doesn't own a Facebook Group.

You can't even check personal profiles with a Facebook Page; you will see people's profile through your own, personal Facebook profile.

Same answers can be applied to the two other similar questions:

• Can Facebook groups see my photos?
• Can Facebook groups see my timeline?

I would say that they can be linked. This is the term and the feature you can use. Combining two or more Facebook Groups is not possible. Maybe just merging your members.

If you have two or more groups that are all owned by you, you can link them. They will appear in the Discussion Tab.

Thinking of this in a literal way, a Facebook Group can't have subgroups. Although there are two ways to go around this. One is linking two or more groups. If you have, for example, a Graphic Design Facebook Group, you can create others likes Logo Design Facebook Group or Using Vectors Facebook Group. Afterward, you can link them, so that everyone will know about all of your groups.

Tip: Add to the names of your secondary groups the word “Subgroup”. In this way, whoever finds first the subgroup, will know that there is a bigger one around.

Besides this, there is something new ahead of us. Facebook recently tested out Subscription Facebook Groups. I've read that you have to have a big group where you can post an invitation to a smaller, subscription-based group. So, this can actually act as a Facebook Subgroup. We'll have to wait and see what happens with this feature. You can read more about it here.

This is a simple one. Not that the other questions were harder, they were just a bit trickier than this one.

So a Secret Facebook Group is a type of group, categorized by its privacy level (See here more details about classifying Facebook Groups). This kind of group is hidden in everyone's searches. That means that if you know the name of a group, you start to search for it; if you don't find it, it means that it is probably secret.

The only way to join a secret group is by invitation. Someone in that group has to invite you to join it. Otherwise, your hands are tied.

Of course, until someone approves your request to join, you won't be able to see any of the group's discussions.

Facebook Groups can be deleted only if they have less than 5000 members. Otherwise, your only option would be to archive it.

Let me explain a bit more. If you want to delete a Facebook Group you must know that there isn't a special button for this, that can instantly delete your group. I think Facebook thought that once you created the group, you're tied to it forever – just like a marriage. You'd have to think twice if you want to do this.

This is what Facebook says: “Note: If you're an admin, you can't delete a group you didn't create unless the original creator chooses to leave it.”

The first step in deleting a Facebook Group is removing all of your members. After this, leave the group yourself and the group will *puff!* disappear. This would be simple if you have a small group. But think of those that invested some time in it and they have thousands of members. This makes you think twice: should I really delete the group or should I do something else?

By “something else” I mean either making someone else the admin and removing yourself from the group. Or by archiving the group. You can choose the first option if you think your group can be run by someone else; if you think that your group is actually helping people, but you're just not committed to it anymore. In this case, you can assign another admin yourself, or you can simply remove yourself from this position. The group will be admin-free (jungle installs – joking), and every member can choose to be the admin. Just for organizing things, I suggest you pick an admin yourself, someone that is a great fit.

The second option is pretty simple. Archiving a Facebook Group means that you'd still see everything that this community discussed, every member. But no one will be able to post stuff or to find the group. I wrote a detailed explanation about this in this article.

No, you can't run ads in a Facebook Group. This is a two-sided situation. From the marketers' point of view, this is a bit unfortunate, because …well… they are used to running ads everywhere. From the community point of view, this is one of the most important features of a Facebook Group. This is why, at least in my opinion, Facebook Groups has grown in popularity.

I'll be off the track a bit, but I have to point out some things. Seeing ads every day, everywhere, people just wanted a place where they can discuss in peace. No ads, just communication. No one that tries to sell things and persuade them to buy. Facebook Groups are great for content, for advice, for friendship and honest relationships. And I'm not talking about those specific groups where you can find your other half. I'm talking about the relationship between the vendor and the customer.

Through all of the ads and even through social media, the companies appear to be untouchable. You can talk to them (with customer service, that is), but there is no feeling of a connection. Yes, in this big world we live in, there are lots of companies that are trying their best to build a relationship with their customers. But some of them don't, or they simply tried and failed.

Facebook Groups can help companies and freelancers and whoever to build trust and a strong relationship. You'd have to share valuable content and to engage with your members. In this way, people will feel involved and will become loyal to you. Selling has to be more subtle. All the actions you will do in your group (content, engaging, asking questions, giving advice & answers etc.) will lead to a sale. Not just once, but a repetitive one.

Well, right at this moment, Facebook Groups are free. And they will continue to be free. BUT Facebook has started to test out Subscription Groups. I mentioned them earlier.

The rate will be chosen by the admin, and it will be between $4.99 and $29.99 (monthly rate). These new groups are supposed to be smaller, giving everyone (members and admins) the chance to be in a community that is interested exactly in the same thing. Also, will give the chance to see much more valuable content, on a regular basis. This could include regular video tutorials, online courses and so on.

info from TechCrunch.

Just to clarify, Subscription Facebook Groups won't replace the classic ones. They will just be an addition. 

Yes, a Facebook Groups can have multiple admins. There is no number limit, but I advise you to not go bananas and make everyone an admin. Choose the roles and the persons carefully; you want to leave your group in great hands. These are the other roles you can choose from admins or moderators. Admins have all the power, while moderators can only take action regarding member requests, and posts.

As a matter of fact, yes, they can. I mean, not the group per say, but the members of the group can post Live Videos. These will be visible only to the group members, as long as the group is Closed or Secret.

This is a new feature that gives more opportunity to engage. Talking live with your group's members can really help to build trust. They will see that you are involved.

You can also use Live Videos to teach courses or to explain the articles you wrote. Whatever you need them for. Just make sure that you plan and announce them ahead. You have to do this in order to give everyone the opportunity to take part in the Live Video. If you announce that you are going live for a few hours before doing it, you will not have such a big audience. Some members will not see the notification, some will have others plans. Make sure that everyone (or almost everyone) knows about what you're planning to do. You can read here about how to do a Live Video.

Facebook Groups don't need IDs! Just making a joke. A Facebook Group ID is represented by the word(s) that you choose to appear in the Group's URL. It's basically a URL customization. You can do this by clicking on the “More” button, the Edit Group Settings. Find the Web and Email Address section, and click on the button there.

Write whatever you want, but I advise you to write exactly the group's name. In this way, people will find you more easily. This is one of the things you should know about Facebook Groups.

One of the most common questions about Facebook and social media, in general, is related to photo sizes. The Facebook Group photo size is 851 x 315 pixels.

Going off the track a bit, I must tell you that you should create a group cover that looks professional. That is the first thing people see. If they will not like it, they will probably choose to not join your group. Your Facebook Group cover should contain the group's name and maybe some keywords or small phrases – these can help people better understand what the group is about.

There are lots of tools that you can use to create the perfect Facebook Group cover. Besides, you can use them to create your content, to create a better image of what you're trying to say. I've put together some free tools for you to use. Just take a look at this article.

“Auto. Poster”… doesn't this ring you a bell? It's related to some online tools that help you schedule, therefore auto post, your content in your Facebook Group. There are times that you really need to schedule some posts, because you'll be away or because you just have to. Still, I don't advise to do this on a daily basis as it will make you look like a little robot. Your group's members will not enjoy this. They are there to talk to you, they are waiting for your comments.

Auto-posting can lead to the situation when you will forget that at that particular moment you posted something. People will comment on your post, but they'll not receive an answer right away. Maybe you'll forget it all, and this will do you no good.

What I would do is to specify that you're using a scheduled post, after you've explained/mentioned before that you will use the auto-posted content. I believe that in this way, members will see that you care enough for them to know that you don't want to be a robot; you just need to schedule some things.

Honestly, I don't think there is a limit to this. You are free to create how many groups you want. As long as you can manage them all. Try to get help from your colleagues and make them admins as well. Each one of them can manage each of your groups. Of course, link your groups, so that every member will know what you're up to.

One of the most recent features of Facebook Groups is the Watch Party. It lets you create a mini event (this is how I call it), invite whoever you want from the group, and add to a list of videos from Facebook. You can then watch them together. You are able to comment and react in real time.

Talking about engaging with your members? For certain, this is one of the greatest ways to do it. Just like in Live Videos, talking in real time can really boost your engagement level. You should pay close attention to all of your members' reactions and behavior. Its pure gold in terms of knowledge. You will know exactly what they want, what they like. Then you can customize your content (not just the one from your Facebook Group) in order to make them like you even more.

As I've mentioned at the beginning of the article, I wanted to present you this year's features. I will give you more details about the ones that I didn't mention above. Make sure you tune in next week for complete details about each one of the Facebook Groups new features.

• Pre-approval of posts from selected members – if you have a big group, but you still want to approve all of the posts, you may find yourself in a time-consuming situation. At the same time, you know that you have well-trusted members, that are good and are following the rules. Why approve their posts, too? Now you can select members, and pre-approve their posts. It will certainly cut back on the time spent to do this activity. Also, you can send them a private message, and let them know about your decision. They will really feel appreciated.
• Member request filtering – you should have a closed group, therefore you will have to approve every member request. It will not be a complicated activity while your group is small, but imagine your group growing, and growing. Approving every single member in your group is a necessity but is a burden. That's why Facebook introduced this feature. It lets you filter your member requests by age, location, sex, and answered questions (if you have). Then you can approve all of the requests all at once. Isn't this nice?!
• Group rules notifications – when you see that someone break your group's rules, you have to take action. Write him a private message, explaining to him what he did. You can give him another chance, but if he repeats the issue, you have to remove him from the group. To keep things easier and more organized, Facebook introduces this Rules notification. It means that whenever someone breaks the rules with a post, you can add a note to that specific post. That member will be the only one seeing it. In the note, you can explain exactly what rule he broke.
• Learning Units – I told you in one of the first articles, that you can select a Social Learning group type, which will give you more learning features. Now you don't have to have a specific group. You can simply select yo have leaning units. These are really helpful if you want to help your members learn some things. They are similar to online courses: some units can be optional, you can track your progress etc.

• Watch Party – this I mentioned above. It's about watching videos on Facebook along with selected members of your group.
• Facebook Group Stories – Stories are now everyone, even in your Facebook Group. You can't post a story from your desktop, only from your smartphone. You can see the stories on your desktop. They will appear in the right upper part of your group, but they will also appear in the newsfeed stories carousel. The admin can select to approve these stories. This will be a bit time-consuming but it will keep your group nice an tidy.
• Removed member clean up – now if you want to remove a member, you can also remove all of his content from the group, automatically. You don't have to search for every post of his. Who would ever do that, especially in a large group?! Again, I think this is all about organizing your group and making it a more nice place for your members to be in,
• Scheduled posts – I mentioned above the auto-poster tools. This year Facebook introduced the scheduled posts. A tremendous time-saving feature! As you don't have to constantly use other tools in order to schedule some of your posts. Still, you can schedule the post up to two months in advance. If you need a longer period than you'd have to use an auto poster tool.
• Group Linking – Group Linking is helpful when you created multiple groups. These will show up right in the About section of your group, under the name “Recommendations from admins”. In the last article, I talked about some graphic design groups: I saw a small company that had multiple groups, each of them with something else related to graphic design. So this can be a nice way to present all of your groups, assuring people that you recommend them and that they should join them as well.
• Facebook Group Insights – This is a really helpful feature, as it lets you see the impact of your posts. You will no longer shoot blind. You'll know the percentage of your new members if the group's activity is on the rise or not. You can even see the top contributors – maybe give them a reward? If you use the Learning Units, you will be able to track the completion of every unit. Making sure that what you are providing is helpful enough for your members.
• Admin support – I've seen the new feature on my smartphone. I got notified that now you ask directly to Facebook if you have some issues regarding your group. It is said that they will reply within one day, which is kind of huge. Let me know if you had issues, and asked Facebook – how long did they take to respond? Did they solve your problem?
• Organized Group Rules – Just until recently, you'd have to write your group's rules in the about section. Yes, to have a successful Facebook Group you have to have rules LINK. Now Facebook did some research and implemented this feature. Right in the Manage Group tab, on the left, you will find a section for Create Rules. Add up to 10 rules that will beautifully appear in the About tab of your group. Everything will be organized!

So these are the new Facebook Group features from 2018, and the questions I saw that you guys were asking. These are just a few things you should know about Facebook Groups. I hope that I managed to cover and answer in the right way. If you have other questions, let me know and we can discuss together!