Facebook groups are a useful tool to build your business, either as a group owner or a group member. Much of the advice recently about finding your perfect readers or customers is to use Facebook groups. The only problem? This has created a culture of people behaving badly in groups. From shameless self-promotion to poaching group members, people seem to have forgotten their manners. 

[Want to join my Facebook Community? You really should.]

 

How NOT To Be Smarmy in Facebook Groups as a Member

The easiest, overarching thing to remember in a Facebook group is that it's not YOUR group. 

• Follow the rules (listed usually in a pinned thread or in the description in the side)
• Listen before you speak when you join a group- see the culture
• When in doubt about posting, ask the group owner. 
• DON'T JUST DROP LINKS TO YOUR POSTS/SALES PAGES/OPT-INS. (unless that is allowed in the group)
• DON'T POST YOUR AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS. (unless that is allowed in the group)
• DON'T POST YOUR PRODUCTS IF THEY DIRECTLY COMPETE WITH THE GROUP OWNER'S PRODUCTS.
• DON'T COPY AND PASTE THE SAME MESSAGE TO MULTIPLE GROUPS AT THE SAME TIME. IT'S GROSS. 

If you want to bring value to the group, you can engage in conversations and respond if people ask questions. When it comes to posting content in the group, make sure what you are posting is not a thinly guised, smarmy promotion, but something that's actually helpful.

Remember that you didn't build the group. This is someone else's work. If you feel bitter that you can't share or build your own platform from the group because of the rules, you may be there for the wrong reasons. Build your OWN group. 

How NOT To be Smarmy in Facebook Groups as an Owner

Many people join the larger groups because they are unhappy with their own group and want to access more people. 

REMEMBER that at one time, that giant group was small. It grew because that group owner valued the people in it. 

• Don't add people without permission. 
• Promote discussion. 
• Allow people to share links, even if that's within threads, not on the wall. 
• Be a good moderator. 
• Be present.
• Don't just schedule all the posts for the group. 
• Value members with exclusive content. 
• Use Facebook Live. 
• Disclose Affiliate Links.