119: Facebook Group Yay or Nay?

This episode answers two questions I get asked a LOT. Should your subscription box be on a separate page from the rest of your business? Should you create a private Facebook Group for your subscribers? The answer to both questions is, “It depends.”  Whether you need a separate page for your subscription box is determined by your answer to the question, “Is your subscription box for the same ideal customer as your regular business page?”  If yes, there’s no need for a separate page. When you make your subscription box part of your main business page, you:  Avoid doing double work.  Don’t have to build an audience from scratch.  Are able to sell multiple things to your audience - it’s not one thing or the other, it can be both.  However, if your subscription box is for a completely different audience, you will need a separate page.  The next question you might be asking yourself is whether or not to have a private Facebook Group for your subscribers. In order to determine this for your business, you need to answer two questions:  Are you delivering content outside of the products in your box?  Teaching  Tutorials  Book clubs Accountability groups Etc.  Do you need a private community in order for your subscribers to feel comfortable sharing? This is particularly important for topic-focused subscriptions like:  Health issues Relationship issues Marriage and/or kids Other sensitive or highly personal topics  If you answer yes to either of these questions, you may need to have a private Facebook Group. It is important to understand the pros and cons of managing a private Facebook Group.  Pros:  It allows you to create a sense of community and engagement that takes the experience beyond just the box. Subscribers feel more connected to you and each other. Private groups are great for research and development. Get subscriber buy-in, get their help with processes, etc.  It creates a sense of exclusivity. Subscribers feel special knowing they’re part of a select group.  Cons:  It’s time consuming. You will need to dedicate resources to moderating the group, creating engagement, responding to questions, and addressing any issues that come up.  There is the potential for negative feedback.  You may end up doing too much behind closed doors and not enough front facing. Front facing is necessary for audience building and you always need to be building your audience!   Join me for this episode as I talk about how to decide whether a private Facebook Group is right for your subscription box business.  Important Links:  6 in 60 Workshop  Join me in all the places:  Facebook Instagram Launch Your Box with Sarah Website  Are you ready for Launch Your Box? Our complete training program walks you step by step through how to start, launch, and grow your subscription box business. Join Launch Your Box today!  Get 30 Days FREE when you switch to Subbly: https://join.subbly.co/sarah-williams  Use code LAUNCHWELCOME at https://www.boxup.com/ to get 10% off your first order