Are FaceBook Groups Any Good For Traffic Generation?

61 replies
Hey Guys,

I'm testing facebook groups as a means of free traffic and seeing some pretty good results.

My method involves creating an image using the free image editor canva. On the bottem of the image I put a big call to action, "Comment INFO Below"

Then I write a couple of lines of copy text (usually asking a question around a pain point the group is having.)

Then I run through about 20-30 groups posting the same ad.

This usually gets me an initial burst of anywhere between 40-50 comments spread over the 20-30 groups.

I then go to the notifications hit "like" and reply with "PM sent!" and then I PM them my link.

From my tracking I am seeing about 15 clicks on my link. The first product I tested MMO niche generated 35 sign ups and 2 sales over a 3 day period.

Has anyone else been using fb groups for traffic generation and would like to "brainstorm" to improve your results?
#facebook #generation #good #groups #traffic
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Meaney
    Yup, I like FB groups... and I'm fairly happy with the results, by sharing my content in groups that allow me to.

    Personally I hate the "comment below" tactic, but if it works for you kudos.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415080].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Crunchbert
      I'm really new to affiliate marketing but I have been wanting to try out stuff like marketing to facebook groups and stuff that I can do without having a following yet. Then I can at least make some money while waiting for the long term stuff to pan out, and getting some money to invest into websites and stuff wouldnt kill me haha.

      But I'm not really sure how to actually go about doing it effectively. Idk if I should be sharing images, or what. Obviously I should try to be commenting relevant and engaging stuff, but thats about all I know lol. any help/tips/pointers would be appreciated. Thanks.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415099].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Crunchbert
        Thanks for the info. I have a moderately failed gaming blog but I could use it to try and target the gaming niche. Do you have to PM people tho or is just putting the link in the picture description not that bad? I feel like pming everyone feels kinda spammy.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415159].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Michael Harris
          Originally Posted by Crunchbert View Post

          Thanks for the info. I have a moderately failed gaming blog but I could use it to try and target the gaming niche. Do you have to PM people tho or is just putting the link in the picture description not that bad? I feel like pming everyone feels kinda spammy.

          It's not spamming them.



          Because when they reply to your post commenting "info" they are asking you to send your offer to them.



          This is why I put the words "comment info" in my ad text and ad image.



          And then by following up their comment with "liking" it and "replying" to it.


          They are sent 2 notifications. That lead them back to their comment telling them to look for my message.



          I do this because when you message someone who doesn't know you, most of the time your message will go to their "other" folder.



          So my aim with all this "activity" in their notifications os to get them looking for the link I have messaged them.


          If you are looking for an automated approach this deffinetly ain't it.



          But it is a good way to get into the minds of your target audience and see what it takes to get them to click.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415331].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Crunchbert
            Ah ya makes sense, maybe I'll try something like this out. Automated generally sounds nicer than manual but currently I'm making 0$ so this sounds ok. Could also help to grow pages which could be useful later down the road. Thanks for the info.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415843].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Fred Kimberly
            Well Michael, its a good tactic as long as you're making sales through it. Make sure you give your activity a good break every once in a while to avoid the risk of losing your Facebook account. Because this can raise some flags specially in the closed groups.
            Signature
            Amazon Product Research & Tracking Software

            AMZ Insight 10-Days Free Trial
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11417183].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Michael Harris
      Originally Posted by Michael Meaney View Post

      Yup, I like FB groups... and I'm fairly happy with the results, by sharing my content in groups that allow me to.

      Personally I hate the "comment below" tactic, but if it works for you kudos.

      Comment Info Below tactic is done to increase engagment on your post.



      Doing this keeps it at the top of the groups page, (usually just under the group owner's pinned post.)



      That way you get more eyeballs on your ad and that relates in more clicks to your offer.



      I would be interested in hearing more how you use groups. Especially if you "hate" engagement on your ads.

      Originally Posted by Crunchbert View Post

      I'm really new to affiliate marketing but I have been wanting to try out stuff like marketing to facebook groups and stuff that I can do without having a following yet. Then I can at least make some money while waiting for the long term stuff to pan out, and getting some money to invest into websites and stuff wouldnt kill me haha.

      But I'm not really sure how to actually go about doing it effectively. Idk if I should be sharing images, or what. Obviously I should try to be commenting relevant and engaging stuff, but thats about all I know lol. any help/tips/pointers would be appreciated. Thanks.

      I'm not sure what niche you're targeting. I'm targeting IM/MMO niches and I try and keep it simple.

      Usually I ask a question about something they are most likely struggling with in the text section above my image, e.g "Are you still struggling make money online?"



      Then I create an image with text offering the solution to them, e.g "Copy and Paste Income System Has Newbies Crushing It Within 30 Mins Of Starting"



      Hope that helps
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415109].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Michael Meaney
        Yup I know why it's done.

        Originally Posted by Michael Harris View Post


        I would be interested in hearing more how you use groups.
        I use groups in the way I described; sharing content that is welcomed by the community and the admin.

        Originally Posted by Michael Harris View Post

        Especially if you "hate" engagement on your ads.
        I hate it because it looks desperate (personal opinion). But if it works for you, great
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415171].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author luciesmazanska
        wow very nice short but helpful minimguide!
        Signature
        ★★★★★
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11416373].message }}
  • Thanks for sharing this Michael. I am currently working on improving my facebook engagement so I think I will try this....

    Christina
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415091].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ryanbiddulph
    Yes Michael; FB Groups help you generate traffic if you help Facebook Groups by doing these things (see the analogy

    - join or start groups clearly related to your niche
    - generously answer questions
    - talk with Members; ask about their problems related to niche, and how you help
    - only allow valuable blog post links, questions related to your niche, and content rich videos or text updates to be published to the Group

    All successful Groups I join are built 1 to 1, humans chatting with other humans, helping. Numbers mean virtually nothing because if you lose the human 1 to 1 friendships and engagement, you lose the group. This is because humans click links; not numbers

    Note; set a months to year time frame to do it right. Good things take time. Forced things take your time, and money

    Ryan
    Signature
    Ryan Biddulph helps you to be a successful blogger with his courses, manuals and blog at Blogging From Paradise
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415092].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Stefan Ashwell
      Great advice, been there and done that on the "spammy" approach - it garners short term results if any at all. Being a human and helping people and making friends in groups works better for the long term
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11416142].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author writeaway
    FB groups are great sources of traffic - especially if you use the KNOW - LIKE - TRUST method of using content to turn visitors into buyers

    The key is to create different pieces of content and sequence them to line up with the KLT conversion process

    Also, you would need to build credibility first by sharing high quality curated content instead of just blasting links and leaving

    Here's a case study chart using 2 tier content in FB groups. See the improvement?

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415250].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author troy23
    We find they work very well for generating clients to our live events, which result in a lot of sales.

    There is a question though on their future as being free as Facebook are currently testing the idea of paid groups.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415306].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Michael Harris
      Originally Posted by troy23 View Post

      There is a question though on their future as being free as Facebook are currently testing the idea of paid groups.

      Thanks for the heads up about testing paid groups.



      I wasn't aware of that.


      If it did come about, that would mean your message is getting in front of people that are willing to spend money on getting information.



      As opposed the current free member model there is now.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415338].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author writeaway
      Originally Posted by troy23 View Post

      We find they work very well for generating clients to our live events, which result in a lot of sales.

      There is a question though on their future as being free as Facebook are currently testing the idea of paid groups.
      Paid groups might actually lead to higher sales due to greater self-selection
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415692].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author wentzco
      Originally Posted by troy23 View Post

      There is a question though on their future as being free as Facebook are currently testing the idea of paid groups.
      Originally Posted by Michael Harris View Post

      Thanks for the heads up about testing paid groups.

      I wasn't aware of that.

      If it did come about, that would mean your message is getting in front of people that are willing to spend money on getting information.

      As opposed the current free member model there is now.

      Facebook groups will be still free. They are just testing out the option for some group admins to charge membership fees. It's like a paid upgrade sub-group within a free group to provide additional access to special content, tutorials, live/recorded videos, benefits, tools, etc... . At the moment, I believe most or all of the membership fees go to the admin but I'm sure that would likely change if/when Facebook expands the pilot program on a larger scale. Think of it as a hosted membership platform for marketers in a variety of niches to generate income... a good idea IMO.
      Signature
      - Resellers Needed For 6TB Backup/Storage (Earn 200% Month One, Residual & Override Commissions)
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11416880].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author writeaway
      Originally Posted by troy23 View Post

      We find they work very well for generating clients to our live events, which result in a lot of sales.

      There is a question though on their future as being free as Facebook are currently testing the idea of paid groups.
      You are absolutely correct that FB is experimenting with Paid groups https://www.engadget.com/2018/06/20/...ptions-groups/

      It remains to be seen if this will DISPLACE free groups though...

      FB better step up with some SOLID INCENTIVES for people to want to PAY for group functionality
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11463835].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Apratim Barua
    Generating leads from facebook groups can really help you grow your business. If you are sending traffic direct to sales page without generating an opt-in list then you are missing out on a lot of potential sale.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415506].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    No.

    Instant traffic generation? No.

    A FB group is good for what we can term an "oven"...a place for people to warm up to you and learn how they can make use of what you offer.

    Can you get a steady stream of qualified leads out of your oven? Absolutely...but it's going to take time to get going, just as any method to fill a pipeline will.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415517].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author mark4
      Exactly, i don't expect to make any sales from fb groups...It's free good method for promoting your websites or blogs...
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11416711].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author ChrisBa
    I've tried this and have not had good results. With that in mind, i haven't fully explored it. With some of the feedback on this thread, it's making me want to give it another try
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415562].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Harris
    Update my findings.



    First off.


    Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread so far. Your points and feedback have been awasome!


    So I've run a direct link test for about 20 hrs. I posted a typical text and image post in about 30 groups last night as I outlined in the beginning of this thread.


    I also uploaded a 1 page PDF to about 30 seperate groups. And put in the post description the text "Easy copy and paste work -- Instant payments"


    Here's my affiliate dashboard stats for the 20 hrs.





    Because pretty much all of my posts are still sitting at the top of the groups due to the engagment they have generated I'll leave it as it is for another 24hrs.


    Based on how it goes overnight I will decide whether to to put up a pre-sell page or "can it"


    There's a couple of reasons for this #1 fb called me out twice in the 20 hrs for being a robot and threatened to block my account.



    #2 Even though the target audience on the surface seems very keen to want to make money online. A lot of their messenger communication suggests that they want it "all" to land in their laps with no work.


    E.g I recieved about 10 comments along the line of " I want to make money for free and not hard work."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415583].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Steve B
      Originally Posted by Michael Harris View Post

      "I want to make money for free and not hard work."

      Surprising, isn't it? Spend some time on this forum and you'll understand why so many online money seekers fail at this work-required path.


      Steve
      Signature

      Steve Browne, online business strategies, tips, guidance, and resources
      SteveBrowneDirect

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415644].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author chuckholmes
    I use Facebook groups for organic traffic. It's pretty good, especially when I do a Facebook live and have a strong call to action. I've also found that keeping a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio works good. That means you have 3 or 4 regular educational messages and then 1 marketing message. That way your followers don't think your only purpose is to sell them stuff. Hope that helps.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415695].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Lousiphonsek
    yes and if your posts are pinned then surely gonna get much traffic no doubt.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415700].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author boblev
    Sure it can work, but be aware that facebook is cracking down on group spam and I know from experience that soon you will likely be getting notices that "your post was removed because we think it is spam".....

    The good news is that facebook is much more lenient on paid newsfeed ads as long as you are creative in your comment baiting....

    Bob

    P.s. It can be automated

    "If you are looking for an automated approach this deffinetly ain't it"

    You can use chatfuel or manychat to automate the follow up messages
    Signature

    "The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same." Colin R. Davis

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415783].message }}
  • {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415792].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author poojajnagda
    Great work by you Michael, I also use facebook groups and I like to use them as well. It is the best practice without paying and the best part of SMO.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415897].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ajit Khodke
    It's a lot messy with facebook groups these days as a lot of the publishers tend to promote programs they are into and it becomes very hard for one to get proper exposure for their business, groups that are heavily moderated seem like the best choice to me.
    Signature
    Webhosting.uk.com - (WHUK) :: Get 50% OFF on Shared Hosting, WordPress Hosting, Reseller Hosting | Coupon Code - Warrior
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415907].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Lousiphonsek
      that's what pinned post can boost up !
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415930].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author nguyendung
    Most importantly is the quality of products or services posted in the group on facebook, the traffic will be good if optimizing the curious to the best user.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11415922].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author RoyWoods
    Thank you very much for the post, this is what I need.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11416118].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author luciesmazanska
    Very helpful post
    we were doing basically almost the same
    its a psychological tactic which will works I think even jn 2022

    Me as a traffic provider I dont need these tactics anymore, but before when I started with IM I used this and it worked!
    Signature
    ★★★★★
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11416376].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tprestoza
    It would really increase the traffic but Ads Campaign is great!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11416429].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tprestoza
    All the kids left Facebook years ago for Instagram (now Snapchat) and a number of businesses gave up on Facebook marketing efforts when "organic reach" plummeted.

    Despite this, there are still hundreds of millions of users still on Facebook.
    In fact, Mark Zuckerberg posted a status a couple of months ago stating that for the first time in the network's history, Facebook had over 1 billion active users in a single day.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11416430].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Jamel Hassell
    I like the concept of having a strong call to action.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11416590].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JimPreston
    I believe that the traffic from Facebook is very useful, checked on my group and site.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11416758].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author wentzco
    One group I run is adding over 100 members a day now (15,200+) & growing higher numbers daily. It is an advertising group aimed at home businesses, MLM (Network Marketing), affiliate programs. Yep - I have a pinned post at the top of the group telling people to read the group rules before posting followed by my own sales pitch for my ad. It's always at the top as a pinned announcement.

    In addition, as the group admin I can click the link to "Write Post" to welcome the latest new members which they are tagged in. You can do this for up to the latest 100 new members you added (I admin approve all member requests). So now 1-2 times a day I use that Write Post" feature and send a post to the newest members stating - "Welcome to our latest group members. Please read & follow the group rules posted in the description. Every day I have to remove multiple posts and ban people who break the rules in this rapid-growing group. Administration is increasingly time-consuming - so I'd appreciate you would consider joining as an affiliate in the (program I promote & link). When I make this welcome post, I now immediately "Turn off commenting" for this post for the following reason. When people comment, all people that are tagged in the post get notifications. I found I lost a number of members when commenting was turned on for the welcome post.

    You can ask up to 3 questions for pending members as they apply to join. I ask one - "Will you read & follow the group rules that are posted in the description?" About 60% of people answer that question. (Yeah - I know there is a rules section I can add as well now for group administration... which I will eventually get done). I do approve most of the members that didn't answer the question with a quick glance of what is shown to me about them in the pending members list. I've gotten better in identifying bogus accounts applying and ironically most of them answer the question.

    So anyway I do generate traffic & occasional sign-ups from my pinned post, welcome new members post & regular posts. I'll continue to experiment for what I will promote myself to see what works best. I started the group 4 years ago as I saw some groups in the niche 100,000+ members in size. All growth has been organic by people finding the group through Facebook search or suggested groups.

    To give you a little help writing rules if you decide to start a similar group - here are my current rules which I frequently tweak. In the last 28 days I have blocked 501 people for breaking rules or blocked them before joining for reasons like bogus account or 99% likely to promote binary trading scam stuff -


    -----

    GROUP RULES: (BREAK RULES = BAN) - NO MORE THAN 1 AD POSTING PER 24 HOURS (NO BUMPING TO MOVE POST TO TOP)

    Advertise ways for people to make money - home business opportunities, affiliate programs seeking affiliates, MLM (multi-level marketing) / network marketing company, direct selling company, party plans, business start-ups, franchises, etc... .

    This group is not for you to post affiliate links to products from Clickbank, Amazon, Warrior+Plus, JVZoo, "whatever affiliate program", (ETC.) unless you are the merchant seeking affiliates or an affiliate recruiting affiliates for override commissions. Break Rules = BAN

    The group is not for promoting investments such as stocks, binary, forex or cryptocurrency trading/mining (unless you are promoting the affiliate/mlm program) - Break Rules = BAN

    The group is not for promoting your social media accounts, Facebook groups/pages or blog posts. IT'S ABOUT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES! Post your opportunity! Break Rules = BAN

    This group is not for promoting leads for sale, solo ads, traffic generation, Fiverr gigs, gain Social Media follower programs, website services/design/hosting... unless you are recruiting affiliates/reps. Stick to the subject of "BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES". Break Rules = BAN

    Do not make "Drop Your Link", "Exchange Links" posts, Fluffery posts (Example: quotes, jokes, memes) - Break Rules = BAN

    Posts off-topic will be deleted & members may be removed or banned. Make sure posts are visible for all to see - "Attachment Unavailable" posts will be removed.

    Post ads free, promote & discuss in this networking group but don't spam in other people's ad posting. No sexual explicit ads. No attacks on others (comments meant to harass or threaten others). No offensive language. Break Rules = BAN
    Signature
    - Resellers Needed For 6TB Backup/Storage (Earn 200% Month One, Residual & Override Commissions)
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11416903].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author AnniesTips
      Thank you for this! I just applied to join your FB group!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11417175].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mosestheauthor
    We are driving alot of our traffic from our FB groups to our website. As long as you manage to keep the FB group relevant, it will be great for your site.

    Moses
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11416939].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Shkirr12
    But there are chances of getting banned bc it'll look spammy.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11417387].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author PaulLanders
    I also used the bands and it brought me a good result. You can work with this further and more.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11417420].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author XenG
    I checked with Google analytics referral and saw that we are getting decent traffic from facebook. You might want to check out yourself.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11417516].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Catchonco
    Following relevant facebook groups is the excellent way to generate traffic for a particular niche website. Chances to get likes and followers may increase or you can get traffic from your geolocation quickly.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11420749].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author buzzinteractive
    Facebook groups were use to be good source of traffic but now its not that effective as now. you can share valuable content and start building relationships in the group and then start sharing your site links so they don't kick you out from group.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11422888].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author amuro
    Yes they still are if you are posting great valuable content in your groups based on your group members' needs and wants.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11423339].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Ekramul007
    I think established page is better than group .
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11425648].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author itstrisha
    Yes definitely they are. You can share links of your website in various groups and get more and more traffic easily.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11425737].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author cainbrian
    One thing most people don't realize about FB groups and the algorithm is that Facebook will show your mutual friends of the same group a notification everytime that you post in the same group.

    So a simple trick to be at the top of mind is to be in the same groups as the majority of your friend's list so that they keep seeing a notification from you.

    (even the spam groups, because the post might go fast -- but it's another notification that your friends will see from you, might as well use that time to add massive value)
    Signature

    Thank you for connecting with me, I really appreciate everytime you respond or have a conversation with me. (hint: I'm an introvert, lol) --- http://attractivesponsor.com

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11426166].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author poweredspeaker
    Very great information with lots of useful tips which are very easy to follow by all.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11430915].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author kazim
    I tried several times to generate quality traffic from FB groups. Doesn't work for me..
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11431655].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Samaira Singh
    Banned
    Yes, it does work! Getting the right traffic to your websites via marketing from social media platforms does help only when the product that you want to sell is communicated well to the right audience. There are various strategies that one needs to apply to get the right traffic. FB groups are one of the big targets of the social media marketers.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11432098].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author cris Aborn
    yes I use Facebook Group i Will Converts Tarffic to blog
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11432197].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author JerryJunebug
    I haven't had much luck. Any recommendations?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11432198].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author socialmedia20
    Yes it is really helpful to get traffic and a huge source of traffic in growing your business.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11444882].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Niveda John
    This is one of the best and free ways to promote your app by posting about your new app to your friends and family on social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Plus, LinkedIn etc. On this, social website there is a lot of groups, app installs and promotion groups which you can join and share your apps or games there for free. Among these all Facebook is my favorite .
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[11464746].message }}

Trending Topics