Ep 15: When to Shut Down a Free Community / Free Facebook Group

May 31

When to Shut Down a Free Community / Free Facebook Group

Has anyone ever told you need a free community, like a free Facebook group to grow your business? We’ve all been there, so we start one. One of two things typically happens. Either we stop showing up and the group gets neglected and ultimately becomes a ghost town, or we don't really have a clear structure causing it to become chaotic and difficult to manage. In some cases, someone else might even take over as the group's leader.This leaves you asking the question, “should I shut down my free Facebook group?” Instead of giving you a specific answer, I am giving you a list of five questions that I want you to think through so you can make this decision on your own.

I give you these questions to think about because I want you to make this decision from a place of strategic thought versus an emotional place, which is often what happens when we decide to start or shut down a free Facebook group or other community. Often, we don't give it much thought and simply follow the notion that having a free Facebook group is expected, so we go ahead and create one without much deliberation. We think, "I'm supposed to have a group, so let's do it." After investing so much time and effort into building the community, it's disheartening to see it wither away or become unmanageable because we didn't adhere to the framework I teach in the first four episodes of my podcast. As a result, we may feel overwhelmed and contemplate shutting down the group as we're uncertain about how to proceed.

Let's walk through these five questions that I want you thinking about when you're making a decision about your free community or your free Facebook group.

Question #1: Does the purpose of the community or group you created aligns with your present business objectives?

The first thing I want you to consider is the foundational pillar of a thriving community which is the alignment with your current cause. Reflect on whether the purpose of the community or group you created aligns with your present business objectives. If the answer is yes, that's excellent! However, if it's no, it doesn't necessarily mean you should shut down the group. Ask yourself if the purpose is similar and if you can realign the group around this new cause or purpose. If not, it may indicate that this group is not the right fit.

Imagine you initiated a free Facebook group centered around essential oils. You were previously involved in the MLM industry, and you had a thriving Facebook group dedicated to essential oils. Now, suppose you decide to shift gears and transition into a healthy eating blog or launch a course on healthy living. Although your focus is no longer solely on teaching people about essential oils, the purposes of the two topics are closely related. Therefore, you can likely realign the group to refocus members on the new goal, whether it's healthy eating, healthy living, or any other related theme. This highlights the importance of evaluating whether the community was initially created in alignment with your current cause and purpose.

Question #2: Is there a significant cultural gap that requires attention?

Secondly, I want you to evaluate the culture within your community. If there isn't a significant gap and the group culture aligns with the culture you desire for your present and future community, then that's great! No red flags there. However, if there is a misalignment, it's important to assess the extent of the issue.

Are we only talking about a few cultural missteps, such as occasional spam or certain individuals causing disruptions? Perhaps removing a couple of people from the group would resolve these issues. In such cases, you can initiate a realignment moment, as discussed in episode eight, to bring the group back together around the desired culture and expectations. This process is relatively simple as long as you have clarity regarding your community's culture. If you lack clarity, I recommend revisiting episode two for guidance.

However, there are instances when the culture becomes toxic and irreparable. Let's consider the example of my friend Corinne, who once managed a large free Facebook group. During one of her launches, the group dynamics turned chaotic. A toxic culture emerged, characterized by questioning the need to join the paid program and making remarks about Corinne, and asked why she cussed so much. Recognizing that this negative energy wasn't conducive to her business, Corinne made a decisive move. She didn't want that toxic culture infiltrating her paid community or distracting her team's focus. Consequently, she promptly shut down the group, making an overnight decision to remove it. I admire her ability to make such decisions swiftly and with conviction. Nonetheless, it's a question you must ask yourself. Is there a significant culture gap? If there is, can it be realigned? However, if the culture is significantly misaligned or toxic, it may be challenging to salvage the group.

Question #3: Are the people in your curated space your ideal audience?

The third question I want you to consider is regarding the people in your curated space. Are they your ideal audience for your future offerings? If the answer is yes, then that's fantastic news for you and your business. However, if the answer is no, it doesn't necessarily mean you should shut down the group. In this case, I would recommend asking yourself a couple of additional questions.

If these individuals aren't your ideal customers, can you nurture them to become your ideal customers?
It's possible that they may not be a perfect fit for your current business offerings, but they could potentially connect you with your ideal customers.

If you've built loyalty, trust, and meaningful connections with the members of your community, they will be more than willing to refer and recommend you to people whom you can serve, even if they themselves aren't the right fit.

To illustrate this concept, let's imagine that you established a community specifically catering to new moms. You created a Facebook group where you facilitated discussions on various topics related to new motherhood. However, let's say that you've now shifted your focus and are primarily helping women, particularly moms, start their own businesses. While the members of your group may not currently be your ideal target audience in terms of starting a business, they are still new moms who aspire to be present for their children, and they could benefit from earning extra income to support their families or transitioning from their jobs to stay at home with their kids. By nurturing the people in that group, you can guide them toward becoming the perfect customers for your business, which aims to help moms start their own businesses.

Question #4: Clear Distinction between Free and Paid

The fourth aspect to consider is whether there is a clear distinction between your free group and your paid group. It's important to evaluate how you interact with and serve your free community, which essentially acts as your audience, and compare it to how you interact with and serve your paid community, including your programs, courses, memberships, or group coaching programs. Do you see a clear distinction between the two?

If there is a clear distinction, then you're on the right track. However, if there isn't, it's crucial to ask yourself if you can create one. This often entails increasing the value of your paid program by providing exclusive access, additional resources, or personalized attention that members cannot find within the free community. On the other hand, it's possible that you've been putting a lot of effort into your free community and unintentionally setting expectations that surpass what should be offered in a free setting. In such cases, it may be necessary to step back and realign the group by establishing clear guidelines for how you'll engage within the free community versus the paid community.

This situation commonly arises when individuals launch new programs or memberships. They may have been overdelivering in their free Facebook group, which leads to concerns about maintaining both free and paid resources without a clear distinction between the two. Consequently, they may opt to narrow the gap and reduce the amount of content delivered within the group. Making such adjustments is entirely possible. If you choose to do so, I recommend employing the ADKAR process for change management, which I discussed in episode eleven. Taking this approach will ensure a smooth transition with minimal disruptions.

Question #5: Is there a positive return on investment from your group?

The final consideration I want you to reflect on is whether there is a positive return on investment (ROI) from this group. Running a group solely for the sake of having one is not a sound business strategy. As a business owner, it's crucial to understand your numbers and determine if the Facebook community or any other group you manage generates a positive ROI.

Take a closer look at the numbers and assess if you can directly attribute program purchases, customer conversions, or effective nurturing and sales occurring within the group. If you can see a positive ROI based on these indicators, then you're on the right track. However, if you're not seeing the desired return on investment, it's important to track and analyze the data.

Ask yourself, "Could I be leveraging this group more effectively?" While I discuss how to leverage free communities in episode twenty-four, it's essential to honestly evaluate your selling efforts within the group. It's not uncommon for individuals running free communities to encounter challenges when selling to their community members. Some people within the community may feel uneasy or possess reservations about selling activities, perceiving it as an intrusion on their space. Remember, even though you created, managed, and curated the group, there will always be individuals who hold differing opinions when it comes to selling within a community.

However, these varying perspectives do not necessarily indicate that selling is wrong. Take a moment to reflect and ask yourself if you're genuinely afraid of selling or if you've been actively promoting your list builder, workshops, courses, or programs through comments or direct messages with engaged community members. Are you leveraging the group for launches and utilizing it strategically for your paid program promotions? If not, and you're not witnessing a positive ROI, that could be the underlying reason.

Ensure that you have a well-defined strategic plan for effectively leveraging your free community during your paid program launches. This will enable you to optimize your efforts and increase the chances of achieving a positive ROI from the group.

Answering These 5 Questions for your Free Community

When deciding whether to shut down a free community, it is crucial to approach the decision strategically rather than emotionally. By asking yourself five key questions, you can assess the alignment of the community's cause and purpose with your current focus, evaluate the culture and its potential for realignment, consider the audience and their potential for growth and referrals, establish a clear distinction between the free and paid communities, and determine the positive return on investment from the group.

Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all answer, and opinions on maintaining free communities can differ. It's crucial to make an informed decision based on these considerations to avoid losing a valuable asset in your business. If you know someone grappling with a similar decision, share this episode with them to provide them with the tools they need to make a strategic and confident decision. By approaching the decision strategically and thoughtfully, you can ensure that your free community or Facebook group continues to serve its intended purpose and aligns with your overall business goals.