“How do I generate repeat sales inside my Facebook group?” is a great question, and I hear it a lot. I think many Makers ask me this question because they know I have hosted Facebook Groups for over a decade. They also know how uncomfortable it can feel to behave in an overly sales-y way toward Facebook Group members.
The problem comes in when you confuse being “overly sales-y” with “selling.” There is a difference.
A well led Facebook Group is the perfect ecosystem to foster repeat sales … and you don't have to behave like an obnoxious used car salesman to create and support that ecosystem either. Here are some strategies and actions you can take in your Facebook Group right away … like, right now, today … to begin producing repeat sales.
10 Ways to Generate Repeat Sales in Your Facebook Group
1. Ask relevant questions upon entry.
Facebook allows you to ask 3 questions before admitting a new member to your Facebook Group. Ask questions that qualify people as part of your target audience. Doing this on the front end maximizes the chances that you are only admitting people who are interested in buying products like yours.
2. Mention in your Facebook Group description that products will be offered for sale inside the group.
Let people know in advance that you are in business, and they will have opportunities to buy your products int he Facebook Group. Doing this puts people on notice that they will be able to connect personally with you as you share your products with them inside the community. If they read that and are not interested in buying things, they can opt not to become a member.
3. Use the poll feature.
The poll feature allows you to ask your members for their opinions and feedback. People love to click a button and immediately see that their vote counts. You can ask about fragrances, colors, packaging options, hobbies, and more. The more your members are invited to participate in your Facebook Group in meaningful ways, the more likely they are to warm up to you and be open and accepting when you offer opportunities to purchase your products.
4. Ask your members what their favorite products are.
Add a post asking members what their favorite products are. This gives members a chance to share valuable feedback (see above), and it exposes newer members to your products as seen through the eyes of people who already use and like them.
5. Interview a happy member who is also a happy customer.
Invite a group member who loves your products to join you in a live or pre-recorded interview to share what they love most about your products. (You can download the video and share it on your blog and newsletter, and on your public social media outlets.)
6. Welcome new members.
Use the built-in Facebook welcome option to welcome new members, tagging them for an opportunity to introduce themselves and share their favorite product or questions about your brand.
7. Sell stuff!
A Facebook Group will die if all you do is sell, sell, sell.
On the flip side, your business will die if you don't sell, sell, sell.
Find a balance between selling overtly and selling in more subtle ways, as outlined in this post.
Sometimes, you just have to sell, and that's a good thing. Go live in your group with your products all shined up and pretty, and host a good old-fashioned show-and-tell-and-sell … with links to your shopping cart, of course.
8. Ask members to invite their like-minded friends.
This seems obvious too, but again, I'm surprised at how infrequently it happens. If Sue likes being a member, her friend Lisa might as well. Why not remind Sue to invite Lisa to join the fun? If she does, try to take the time to thank them both. They are friends, right? And now each of them has one more good reason to visit your group — to hang out with their friend.
9. Update the group cover graphic when you host sales and promotions.
When you host a sale or offer a special deal, update the group cover image to share the news. When you update your cover image, a new update is inserted into the group feed and members who have opted into notifications will receive a notification. Make sure the graphic contains a call to action for non-members who stumble across your group in search, to join the group to get the coupon code.
10. Ask members to post pictures.
Invite your members to post pictures of the products they purchased from you, and share how they are using and enjoying them.
To be specific, for example, you could ask members to post a picture of an unopened box of your products as they are shipped, so you can see what your boxes look like to your customers when they pick them up off of their front porch. This is a great way to inform yourself of how the shipper is treating your packages, and it creates a fun little unboxing for your community — which showcases your products and helps boost buying interest. It also shows all of the members in your Facebook Group that you genuinely care that their orders are arriving in good condition.
Questions for discussion and sharing
After reading this article, I hope you can see at least a few things you can do right now to generate sales in your Facebook Group. Facebook Groups are fantastic at bringing people together around shared enthusiasm for your brand. It's like have a living, breathing online ecosystem for your brand — who doesn't want that?!
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. How do you create engagement and sales opportunities in your Facebook Group? What tips and strategies can you share? What questions do you have? Share them in the comments below!
