No one doubts how important it is to have a Facebook page so that your followers can be abreast of your news. Google+, although it does not have so many defenders, also remains an important social network and worth having a page on it.
Almost all organizations have a page on Facebook and Google+, but very few make use of another important function of these networks: the groups and communities.
The groups of Facebook, and the communities of Google+ are quite similar. It is a sort of forum where users discuss about a particular topic. There are people from all the subjects that you could imagine.
What are the advantages of using groups and communities?
- Usually the topic of discussion is predetermined, that means that people are getting there have a particular interest. Your job is just to find those groups or communities that fit your interests.
- They’ll serve to give greater spread of your publications.
- Properly used, can serve to humanize your brand. It is important to actively participate and answer questions or comments of others. It does not serves to leave your link and without interact.
- It is an opportunity to make new contacts and enhance your networking.
What are the disadvantages of groups and communities?
- In Facebook only people can enter and interact in groups. You can not participate as a brand, so you’ll have to do with your personal profile. Sign up as a community manager or representative of a brand from the beginning. In Google+ you can participate in groups with your brand page.
- In some of these forums there is no real debate. Users share their links without actually participate in publications of others. You must avoid them because it is not going to bring benefits.
- The management of groups and communities can be tedious if you join many at once. Try to be selective, sometimes the most interesting groups are not the most numerous because there is less real dialogue.
- Beware of being too pushy with your own content and links to your website. Apart from the fact that it can be frowned upon by other users, in Google+ you run the risk of being labeled as a spammer if you post a single link too much in several communities.
To start using this resource, you should look for those groups and communities that are most relevant to you. Then request for member (in some it is automatic, in others there is a moderator that gives you access) and introduce yourself.
It is a good idea for you to participate in discussions initiated by others before you start posting your own content.
After a while, you can assess which of all groups and communities are more interesting for you and focus only on those.