Gabi Bruckner

Thanks for sharing Gabi! Yes, I use Facebook Groups for lots of things similar to you. I have used it for housing, selling products, event ticket resales, the list goes on. I think the purpose for these groups is most definitely community but I think they have evolved far beyond this. Facebook groups now act as a resource, a source of comedy, on top of connecting us to groups of our past like Alamaters. I would be interested to hear the FB side of it – what was the initial purpose of the Facebook Group feature?

Also my favorite group is: Dog Spotting. Literally a group where people pose photos of dogs they see around their city, it brightens my day and I love to contribute the content.

GB!!!! Love, love, love this.

Couple reasons why:

1. I fully believe micro-communities are the future for marketing, and anything that hosts “niche groups” has a lot of promise…
2. GenZ uses FB groups A LOT for class/school… and what’s funny is… folx be saying “GenZ aint on FB”, but I’ve always smirked at that because my whole thing is: NAH, GenZ IS on FB, they’re just using it differently. So, please, keep posting your content on FB and serving ads there — they’ll see it. Heck, they may even click on it. And, content on multiple mediums builds a lot of brand trust and credibility, so JUST DO IT.

Jb

Wow, what a group. While I would include myself in this generation, I can’t relate to many of these cause I didn’t have cable. I always wished I saw these tv shows cause my friends would always talk about them. Before I lost my account to a hacker, I used Facebook to buy my first car. I think Facebook stands out from the rest because of its popularity. While its rediculed by the younger generations, Facebook is still the top social media site throughout the world. I think that’s why you can find these niche groups because of the sheer size of the website. The only other sites I can think that can match it is either Instagram (which is owned by FB) or possibly Reddit.

The 15 Biggest Social Media Sites and Apps [2021]

Wow I have never felt more seen in my life, I related to 95% of the things listed and I’m wondering how we all had the same childhood! As someone who lives in the in-between of those two major groups a community like this is very much needed and appreciated! I’ve had Facebook ever since I was in middle school but it wasn’t until college that I actually learned about FB groups and communities as I had to join one for the major I was in. I agree with you Gabi, I find these groups perfect for connecting with others who have similar interests or careers as you and also a great place to share and receive knowledge. I recently joined a design group as that something I’m interested in and even though I’m not super active on their, I have loved listening to those with many years in the industry and connecting with those who are just starting out. I think the communities are one of Facebooks biggest assets and one of the main reasons why I still have the app.

Gabi I am so glad you posted about this because if I am being honest I do not know what I would have done without Facebook Groups when I moved to Austin!

Through these groups I have been able to meet so many people, I have joined about 3 groups that I am very active in and through there I have met friends in this new city, without it it would have been very difficult for me to meet new people. I think it is so interesting to see how it has opened myself to the idea of utilizing these platforms to get to know others I would have otherwise been to shy to reach out to. I meet with new people about 2-3 times a month and I would not change it for the world. It has given me a social life in a city I did not know a single soul. It has made me fall in love with this city so much more and it has done the same for the people I have met. There are other applications like Meetup that bring people together but to me there are none like Facebook groups.

Jen, your comment made me chuckle… We can probably imagine a good list of reasons why GenZ doesn’t want to admit using FB. And, you and Sean make great points about the opportunities for marketers to engage in FB both in paid and organic ways.

Can’t recall if I shared this example in class, so just in case: Baby clothing brand Kate Quinn does a wonderful job with their private, moderated FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/katequinnvip/

What makes this group work:
– Employees rep the brand (vs a faceless logo)
– They create a sense of urgency for limited-quantity “drops” and offer early access codes for members
– They quickly and directly address CX issues
– They encourage members to share and support one another

Just goes to show the opportunity especially for small businesses…

Gabi, Wow, thank you for sharing. I haven’t been active on Facebook for like 5 years, but recently was invited to join a Facebook group Mental Health First Aid trainers to connect and share resources. A requirement of being a trainer is that there are two present at all trainings and you have to host at least 4 trainings per year to keep your certification. This really increases the need to be able to not only meet but really connect and get to know the other trainers across the country. Thanks for sharing, I’ll let you know how it goes!

Me and my friend just had an in depth conversation about this yesterday, who knew it was something that’s been actually happening! We touched on this in class that Zuckerburg had taken a bet during the pandemic that small group social media was growing, specifically around gen z and millenials. These generations had been overwhelmed with big business social media for years, where followers means everything. Since the pandemic, more and more younger folk are are going towards small-set social platforms, like Facebook Groups. My friend specifically had joined a group about “Your 20s is hard to navigate” that made me laugh but she has dead serious about. She said she really has found more value in the groups over Facebook overall.

I remember back in the day there used to be groups with excessively long titles. I really like that Facebook has groups because I can now use them for things like meeting up with friends or talking to people who share similar interests with me. It does remind me a little bit of Reddit, where each subreddit is dedicated around one topic or thought. I wonder if Facebook was inspired?