“The Facebook Group is nothing new,” states Ryan Holmes, founder, and CEO of Hootsuite.  “Spaces for like-minded people to congregate and discuss specific subjects — from hobbies to pets and celebrities — date in one form or another to the platform’s earliest days. But for a combination of technical and cultural reasons, Groups are suddenly having their moment.”

At last year’sF8 developer’s conference, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg shared, “In a community, you can meet new people who share your values – for some, this might be a support group for new parents. For others, it might be about a disease you have. For others, it might be about finding people to come together and volunteer. People want to be a part of meaningful communities.”

At that time, the company announced 1.4 billion people on Facebook used Groups every month, with 200 million people belonging to so-called “meaningful Groups,” considered a vital part of the users’ daily lives.

What’s not to love about like-minded folks gathering to discuss common interests, more often passions, coupled with clear posting guidelines that deter spam and dedicated moderation that strives to keep the feed focused. Groups may choose from three privacy setting options that determine visibility to the public.

A “closed” Facebook group creates a private forum where only members can see what is shared within the group. Members are invited to join or make a request that must be accepted by the group’s administrators. While the group itself is visible to the public, its posts and content can only be viewed by members.

A more private option is the “secret” group. No one outside of the group’s members can see a secret group, and such groups will not appear on anyone’s profile. This option is popular among persons planning an event or individual families, to establish a private group for communication and picture sharing purposes.

A third option is a “public” group where anyone can see who is in the group and what has been posted, but only members of the group can make posts.

Consider these examples of thriving Facebook groups:

  • The Women Who Travel Facebook Group counts more than 50,000 members, three-quarters of whom are active on a daily basis.
  • Indoor cycling workout company Peloton boasts more than 100,000 members in its official closed group, which now registers upward of 300 posts and 5,000 comments a day.
  • The genetic genealogy group, DNA Detectives, focused on using DNA to find biological family, has more than doubled its closed group membership in the last two years to over 111,000 members.

The future and potential of Facebook Groups is tied to the sometimes magical, often quirky, forever unique world that is social media. ASJ Partner’s team of social media experts can assist your staffing firm in harnessing the power of a dynamic social media presence that engages both clients and candidates. Establish a connection with us today!