Local News: Now is the Time to Create a Successful Facebook Group
The evolution of the Facebook feed changes every few years. From minor tweaks to noticeable headache causing dilemmas. While impacting all its users, companies, and news organizations have suffered greatly with some of the latest changes. Here is an example, years ago people’s News Feeds were littered with auto-playing videos, news articles both real and fake, and nonsensical gibberish from their racist uncles or high school acquaintances. Facebook is now placing more emphasis on content from groups that users join. Thus, no longer can news organizations have a Facebook page that just posts click bait for story links that drives the audience to their news website. Even the engagement effort post “what’s your favorite thing about the fall season”, gets hardly any traction. News organizations need to go a step further; they need to create and manage their own Facebook group.
Facebook is the number 1 marketing push (for local news) with the call to action of driving the demographic to the station website. News organizations must harvest the Facebook member relationship for their own bread and butter. Yet, with so many social media platforms and news organizations offering the same information, relationship building is how to set your news organization apart. This is how you will stand out from the crowded news space. Give people a reason to check Facebook multiple times a day. Engage in conversation, build that bond with individuals and do so with a Facebook Group so your posts are seen by more than 45 people.
Facebook has found that groups keep people online longer, which is more profitable to them as they can gather more data for its advertisers. So, they reward groups with post exposure to more members. The members of the group gain something too. People to customize their social media experience by connecting with other people with similar interests and needs that they have handpicked. It’s a win win situation all away around!
Here is how to do it.
1. State a clear goal of what you want your group to feel like and be about.
2. Set rules and guidelines like:
a. Be Kind: We are here to help each other know what is happening in the community around us. We need to be polite with our speech so that the real message can be heard.
b. No self-promotion or spam: Lets help each other stay safe and grow community outreach with a positive place to be. Self-promotion, spam, and irrelevant links are not allowed.
c. Respect everyone’s privacy: Being part of this group requires mutual trust. Authentic discussions make groups great but may also be sensitive and private. What is shared in this group should stay in this group. If someone has a news tip, clearly state you want your information shared.
3. Invite all current Facebook followers, On-air talent followers and competitor followers to join your news group. Explain how they will have access to a reporter at their fingertips, behind the scenes information daily and a chance to talk with other members of the community on what really matters around them. The red velvet rope is lifted for them to join the “We Are (insert city) Group”.
a. When members join, ask for their email, city the live in, and why they want to join the group.
b. Use the email for the first 100 days to send them a message about what was posted today and encourage them to add to the conversation.
c. Use the city so you make sure to get city officials out of those areas and what locations to focus on for news coverage.
4. Create content that feels exclusive every day.
a. An on-air reporter can ask a question about one of the top stories of the day. The reporter than stays at the computer for 30 minutes continuing to engage with comments.
b. Behind the scenes video or raw video of an interview should be posted daily.
c. Invite the mayor, chief of police, and other council members to take over once a week where they will answer the groups questions for 30 minutes. (Make video of it, to use in a promo).
d. Quarterly post a poll about what members would like to see more of.
5. When discussions get heated, remind members of the rules.
6. Build your team to share responsibility.
a. They could work at the local news stations, or elected city official
7. Coordinate get togethers at NFL tailgate or MLB pregame that bring the community together in a positive frame of mind to get to know each other. Reporters should come and mingle (not like they are a celebrity, but one of them).
8. Measure Success.
a. Growth of group.
b. Number of people to attend live meet up.
As Facebook continues to change, news organizations need to do so as well. Doing the same thing your competitor is doing, does NOT set you apart. It’s time to join the community, not just talk about what others are doing in it.
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