Facebook groups are an amazing way to connect with other bloggers and creative entrepreneurs online. We have met some of our greatest online friends by interacting in them. They are usually a safe place to as questions, and get feedback.

We just launched our own Facebook group Instauthority, to foster a community of creative entrepreneurs that want to grow their business on social media. It is centered around actionable tips and steps to use to reach authority on your topic.

We often get asked what is typical group etiquette on facebook groups? And this is a great question! Today we are going to share 7 rules of Facebook group etiquette you must adhere to before joining any Facebook community. 

#1 Know And Respect The Rules

Before joining most Facebook groups, there will be a set of questions to answer. Not only is this is to help weed out the spammers and bots that don’t belong, but to also find out if it is the right community for you to join. Once you answer the questions, you will be asked to agree to a set of rules and guidelines.

There are Facebook group rules for a reason. They might suck sometimes, but they maintain order amongst the chaos. Click To Tweet

Some groups are strictly for promoting content, while others aim to provide more value and build lasting relationships. The last thing you want to do is break a rule and get kicked out. Right?!

As the group grows, there is more work for the administrators to do, and therefore stricter rules. The rules ensure a good atmosphere for everyone to be in. The administrator (s) in the group are often the founders, or volunteers who do the best they can to create a sense of community and maintain a safe environment.

Most groups will have rules or guidelines either in the description or in a pinned post to the top. Make sure to read them, and follow them.

#2 Be Nice

Let’s just remind ourselves of the Golden Rule : do to others what you want them to do to you. Ok?

There is absolutely NO reason to ever be rude or arrogant in a Facebook group.

Everyone is at a different level in their business. Although you might think a question is pretty self explanatory, it might not be to the person who asked it. Use your expertise on the topic, and help them out! Not only will they be incredibly grateful, but it will build your authority on the subject.

Put yourself in their shoes, and remember the struggle you went through to get to where you are now. Sometimes people just need to be pointed in the right direction.

Although you may never meet these people face – to – face, make sure to treat them as if you would. You never know who you could bump into one day and you wouldn’t want to be remembered as rude, catty or dismissive.

#3 Be Helpful

Although being your own boss can be empowering, it can also be daunting. Owning a business comes with many challenges.  In the beginning, you will have many questions that need answering. Facebook groups are wonderful places to find answers.

In order to establish credibility, you must be helpful to others. Click To Tweet

Answer questions and provide feedback on topics that you are knowledgeable of.

If a member poses a question in a Facebook group, you can give them a short answer and include a link to your more in-depth blog post so they can learn more. This creates a win-win situation. They get their problem solved, and you gain blog traffic!

Make sure your blog posts are relevant and packed with helpful information. Click To Tweet People don’t like to have their time wasted.

Don’t Just Promote

It’s very obvious when people only pop in to promote themselves, then leave. This doesn’t add value to anyone, and you are simply wasting everyones time.

Participate in Facebook groups regularly during the week - not just on promo days. Click To Tweet

If you join groups solely for the purpose of promoting yourself, you won’t win any new friends. Build connections and always reciprocate the support you gain.

Before sharing a link to your blog post, make sure to refer to the Facebook group’s rules. In many cases, you can’t self promote, and that’s ok. Over time, people will begin to see you as the authority on the subject, and seek you for advice. Think of your blog as a library of knowledge that you have obtained over the years, and at any moment, someone could stumble upon your helpful posts.

With that being said, nobody likes a know it all so don’t feel like you have to answer every single person’s question unless you truly have something to add that hasn’t already been said.

#4 Interact Regularly

When you join a Facebook group, you become part of the community. Stay active, and interact regularly. Progress can’t be made if the group is full of observers.

There should be a balance between asking questions, and giving information freely. You will stand out amongst the members if you are constantly showing up.

Often times, Admins take notice of the members who interact the most on a daily basis. Facebook monitors the engagement of members, and it can actually help the group grow. Why does this benefit you? The more members that are in a group, the more opportunities you get to show that you are an authority on your topic.

#5 Keep It Private

Enough said. What is said in the group, stays in the group. It is a HUGE Facebook group etiquette no no to screenshot a conversation from the group, and share it with others. Even if you believe it is harmless, the community is private on purpose.

Although Admins do their best to keep members safe, and their conversations private, it gets harder to do as the group grows. Just because you are behind a computer screen, doesn’t mean there aren’t real people on the other side that you are talking to. Sharing screenshots outside of a Facebook group could be detrimental to someone’s livelihood, or mental health.

That being said, when posting content to the internet, even if the group is private, you are taking a risk. Don’t share anything you wouldn’t want people outside the group to see – just in case.

#6 Use The Search Bar

Please, please, please use the search feature before asking a question. You can find it on the top right under the cover photo of the Facebook group. If a group is well established and has been around for awhile, your question has bound to have been answered before!

For example :

How do I come up with a name for my business?

How to buy a domain name?

What is the best hosting to use for my blog?

There is nothing wrong with wanting to know the answers to these questions, but please respect the groups time by not being repetitive.

If you DO use the search bar to find previous posts about your question, and find it is outdated, then by all means, ask again! Sometimes asking again will gain you a fresh perspective from new members.

#7 Stay Focused

Facebook Groups can be time consuming. Focus on the groups that you feel will benefit you the most.

Participate regularly, but don’t let them distract you from your end goal.

It’s easier to get to know people when you aren’t in hundreds of Facebook groups. You will start to recognize people and become familiar with the community. It’s better to be a part of a few niche groups, then have hundreds cluttering your news feed.

If you find over time that the community isn’t the right fit, then leave. We reassess our Facebook groups at least once a month. If it is no longer beneficial to the growth of our business, then we simply un-join.

Don’t know which Facebook groups to join? We’ve compiled a list of 30 groups just for creative entrepreneurs and bloggers like you! Click here to go to the post now.