Fb groups for more blog power

In the quest to better define the role of Fb groups in a global online strategy, here's a very helpful post from Dennis McDonald's blog.

Basically, he noticed that Fb is full of groups or organizations' inactive pages. Those pages were created as the people behind it enjoyed the easiness to execute the required steps to get a group.

However, maintaining the group is a different cup of tea. If you haven't set a strategy beforehand, then you're most likely to fail.

Here's the link:
Don't Make "Ready, Fire, Aim!" Your Organization's Facebook Strategy

The post that follows doesn't talk about blogging and Facebook, but about how Facebook is slowly integrating itself as a valuable management tool.

Here's the link:
'Facebook Fridays' Enrich Enterprise Software Firm
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3710336

There's no group involved there. However, this article shows that companies understand that employees should be given time to surf Fb during office hours for numerous reasons, but it shows as well that they do not control this activity... Yet.

So I've recently interviewed Chris Larsen from Prosper.com.

It was a very interesting interview, but that's not the point of focus here.
The interview was chopped up into three separate parts, and the part that talks about using groups of friends for money sharing went on the Facebook group.

Again, here's the url:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19549975016

Next step is to keep an eye on traffic and watch incoming visitors from Facebook to the blog.

By the way, does anybody know if you can track the traffic of a Fb group or profile?

I've just recorded the first interview designed for this Facebook project.

While the video is being edited and will probably be ready this coming monday, I'm inviting interested persons of this group to join the Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19549975016

As I always say, you are always free to leave the group if you don't like it.

Again, the video is an interview of a Web 2.0 personality. On my blog, I post the part where the person describes his company, and for the Facebook group, I ask this person a compelling question, or one related to some recent breaking news (his opinion of opensocial, for example).

Group members are invited to blog their reactions about the video and share their post with the rest of the group.

What's interesting in this project is that group dynamics are being fully applied (at least I hope so), which holds a great value for understanding how to apply marketing on Facebook. Plus it offers members (I invite as many web 2.0 bloggers as possible) a compelling topic for a post that they know they will share with others on this platform.

Here's a story that was pointed out to me by the Faceosphere.

What I like about it is how this teacher doesn't rely on heavy communications tools to keep in touch with hundreds of his students, but simply use Facebook groups to keep track of everything.

Again, we find behind this story the basic pattern of group dynamics that most Fb groups are clueless about: 2+ members (students), a common activity (learning), a common goal (diploma), a leader (teacher).

Here's the link (too bad we can't post news on a group's page)

Texas A&M professors join online social community to connect with students

Benchmark of other blogs that opened a dedicated Facebook group.

I'm working on creating a group for my blog about the Web 2.0, and since I'm sharing my work progress on Gooruze, I thought about making it a little bit more constructive by looking at how others do it. Here's the benchmark:

Analysis
Sugarrae - Never Mess With a Woman Who Can Pull Rank - http://www.sugarrae.com
group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4752614308
From the group's description, the purpose of the group is not clear: "Well, since stuntie did it, I needed to do it to see some things... so I guess this is Facebook's home for Sugarrae.com "
There are no photos, no videos, no discussion, 4 posted items, 150 members for 1 administrator, and a good load of negative comments:
"But for you, I clicked confirm instead of ignore. Mainly because you scare me."
"Who the hell is Sugarrae?"
"I don't see a hello... though I do see a hell"
"I can't believe you made us all do this. I feel so dirty."

The Sugarrae group doesn't have a real purpose, doesn't use media to encourage activities, and the strategy to recruit members seems to have been a negative experience for a good majority of the members.

Search Engine Land
group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10467315541
The group's description is kinda vague: "A home for Search Engine Land readers on Facebook." So what is there to do?
There are only two photos, no videos, about 20 posted items, over 5 discussion boards, over 1 000 members for 1 administrator (Danny Sullivan) and interesting comments that gravitate around SEO matters.
"Danny, thanks for creating this group. When will you bring SMX to Miami?"
"Get updated Internet Marketing acquires Just Search, one of England’s largest Search Engine Optimization companies"
"Please take a look and forward this job on to anyone you think would be interested in the position, or anyone else who could help me find a great candidate."

The Search Engine Land group doesn't have a purpose of being, but it still created a community of participative and like-minded people who understood they could talk SEO there (Even though it's not a crazy group activity for a 1000 people). Little foul though: There's no direct link to the blog.

Web Analytics World - http://manojjasra.blogspot.com
group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4987100546
The group description isn't really exciting either:"Facebook for Web Analytics World Readers." Sure, then what?
There are recent news posted, 12 photos, 3 videos, 36 items posted, 4 discussion topics, 337 members for 1 administrator (Manoj Jasra), and constructive and friendly comments on the wall:
"I am looking for International Search Marketers, Analysts or consultants who are interested in a blogging project."
"If you are interested in online Customer Engagement then it's worth spending..."
"i was writing for my Web Analytics course with UBC and saw that you are on facebook. I just wanted to say "hello". Talk soon"

The Web Analytics World group doesn't offer any concrete group activity except for discussion boards. However, the administrator seems active in updating the content.

The Marketing Pilgrim - www.marketingpilgrim.com
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4880738716
The group description is pretty useless :"The official Marketing Pilgrim group on Facebook. If you've ever said "Howdy Pilgrim" you can join. ;-)"
There ...

So the Facebook group has started.
I have started by inviting personal contacts to jumpstart the group, and to make it more than a one-person group (Which by definition isn't a group).
I'll now take the next step: Invite respected top-bloggers to join in, which will encourage all Web 2.0 bloggers to join as well.

I've already try to invite some of the founders of the Gooruze social network.
Even though they are all really nice people, I think my straight-forwardness made them shrink back, just like you do when you don't trust the person you are talking to.

I have confidence in my work. I'll reiterate my invites when the group will be more mature.
Anyone has a Facebook group experience they would like to share?

I've recently opened a Facebook group for Hyve Up: what now? Manoj Jasra gave a few tips yesterday on this regard, which kinda left me wondering if I was on the right track.

My group had no real raison d'etre - purpose of being - no element that linked people together to form a group. So I really gave it a lot of thoughts, and finally came out with a structured idea:

1. From your company's DNA to your group's leitmotiv
Hyve Up has one unique feature: video interviews of Web 2.0 personalities. These videos are the main muses for my posts. I thought this could be a federating material.

2. Target
As an online discussion agent, my main activity is to participate to online discussions with other bloggers and offer new perspectives. Hyve Up is Web 2.0 focused, so my main targets are all Web 2.0 interested bloggers.

3. Group activity
Members of the group are not just here to say that they belong to a group. A group has to act like some kind of app that facilitates interactions in between the members of the group. For the Hyve Up group, members will be invited to watch a video of a Web 2.0 personality posted on the group's page, write about it on their blog, share their posts on the group's page, and find other members with similar approaches on this same page again.

4. The structure
A new video will be posted once every two weeks. A message will be sent to all the members of the group to invite them to watch the video and write about it.
Members will use the posted item feature (enabled for all members to use) to post what they wrote.
Fresh content always shows on top of the posted item box, making it more easy to find live discussions.

5. A general truth about blogging and why bloggers will want to be members
That's a little delicate to talk about this, but we know that even top bloggers sometimes don't know what to write about and just write anything just to keep their content fresh. Being a member of the group is a guarantee that once every two weeks (it'll hopefully get a faster pace), they'll have something serious to think and talk about.

The next video should be posted in two weeks.I'm inviting any Web 2.0 blogger interested in this group to join via this link. You can always leave the group if you don't like it.

Also, I'll be following up on the progress of this group on Gooruze. So if anybody wants to join my Gooruze group Facebook groups howto, you're welcome to join and contribute, or just follow on the progress.

Bloggers should really pay attention to this initiative as it could be a turning point to finally make their blogs more social.