If you are not using Facebook groups to build a name for your practice in your community, you are losing out on SO MANY opportunities!
Facebook groups are designed to pool together a collection of people who share similar interests, are passionate about something, or NEED a sense of community.
When you immerse yourself in an established online community of people who need your support, you have the chance to provide solutions to their problems. This ultimately creates a name for your practice in that community and you will become a trusted advisor for them.
Your first step is to find Facebook groups full of your ideal patient.
Let’s say that you’re a family chiropractor who specializes in infant care. Your target market is mothers with infants, right? By joining local Facebook groups of mothers in your area, you have access to a niched-down audience.
Use a combination of search terms within the Facebook Groups search to narrow down what groups would be a good fit for YOU and YOUR PRACTICE. Following our family chiropractor example, that might look like “[your city] moms group” or “holistic moms in [your city]
Join as many relevant groups as you are able not. Some groups will allow you to join using your Facebook Business Page while others require that you join with your personal page.
Once you have gained access to those Facebook groups, begin interacting with the members in an organic way.
What you will quickly notice about local Facebook groups is that they are a place where people come to ask questions, ask for trusted referrals, or share experiences. Especially moms groups. Use this to your advantage.
The most productive way to leverage a Facebook Group is to search for posts that have a question relevant to your niche that you can answer and provide value.
That second piece is critical. By providing value when you answer questions you are doing three things.
- 1. You are giving the reader a “right now” solution to their problem
- 2. You are showing that reader that you actually care about their well-being – not just the money in their pocket.
- 3. You are laying down the foundation to build their trust (and anyone else who reads it!)
Let’s check out a real-life example.
These are screenshots from a local Facebook group. How could you answer this question in a way that makes the poster feel heard and understood but provides them value based on your experience?
Here’s how I would guide a chiropractor to answer:
- Hey momma, remember that you are strong, your instinct is strong and you are doing the best for your baby. It might feel impossible to navigate this challenge right now but there are things that can help! The mothers in my practice have shared that X, Y, and Z have helped their babies who are feeling this way. If you would like to chat about how chiropractic might help, feel free to send me a message.
- Note: In the above response, X, Y, and Z are NOT chiropractic care. There are other solutions. Right now solutions. Things that the mother can implement at that moment or very soon after.
This is playing the long game.
Do not go into this strategy thinking that the very first time you add value to a post you will be swarmed with new patients. But as you continue to provide value, people will begin to recognize and remember your name.
Over time, you will have experiences like this one:
Here are some final etiquette tips to help you navigate the Facebook Group world!
DO:
- Join Facebook groups that are relevant to your practice’s target market
- Check the Facebook group daily to see if there is a conversation that you can chime in to either with personal or professional experience
- Answer any comments or questions directed at you (never leave a comment unanswered)
- Use the search tool in the Facebook group to look up keywords relevant to your niche
DO NOT:
- Post unsolicited ads in the Facebook Group. Some groups allow businesses to advertise on certain days of the week. If that’s the case, awesome! Create a post that adds value and share it on those days.
- Give unwarranted advice in the Facebook Group. If your advice does not align with what the original poster was asking, don’t post it.
- Cold message members of the Facebook Group. This is beyond tacky and will usually get you kicked out of the group.