How to find Facebook groups in your industry to help grow your business

Networking is often essential to growing your business. But it doesn’t have to happen in person. Especially with so many businesses going remote for the time being, business owners should look into new ways to find connections in their industry. Virtual networking, by way of Facebook groups, can offer valuable insight and advice from other entrepreneurs in your industry.  

Virtual networking

Many enterprising business owners have started Facebook groups to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs to share advice and get information. These groups are usually specific to a certain industry and allow business owners and practitioners to network virtually. 

Here are just a few examples:

Hairdressers Helping Hairdressers: This private group has over 95,000 members. According to their page, the group shares ‘questions, tips, ideas and inspiration’ and is ‘open to anyone in the hairdressing industry from first year all the way through to qualified hairdressers.’

Pro tip: Here's what you need to know to get a cosmetology license.

Coaches, Consultants and Course Creators: Per their page, ‘a closed group for coaches, consultants and course creators who are interested in online marketing and training.’ The group has over 6,000 members. 

Landscapers of Facebook: Eight hundred plus members ‘sharing business advice, favorite landscaping equipment, favorite landscaping products, meeting new landscaping buddies, (and) landscaping giveaways.’

Female Personal Trainers: This closed group has over 1,000 members ‘who want to grow their training business to make more money and real impact. Get support from like-minded coaches, trainers and fit pros in a strong female driven environment.’ 

Pro tip: Insurance for personal trainers.

Florist to Florist: This is a closed group with over 10,000 members. The page indicates that it is a ‘fun (but private) group for Florists to share great ideas, photos, tips, tricks, humor and wisdom.’ The group serves as a place for florists to swap advice and opinions in an environment that is exclusively for people in this profession.

In addition to industry-specific groups, there are Facebook groups that can help with specific aspects of running your business. For example, you may find groups dedicated to sharing marketing ideas, or groups that will help you network to find leads. 

Tips for finding a Facebook group to help you run your business

With all the groups out there, it can be a challenge to find the best one for you. Here are some tips. 

1. Look for a group that prohibits advertising. Unless that’s your purpose for joining a group, you’ll want to filter out those groups that let members hawk their products or services. Otherwise, you’ll end up having to scroll through a lot of marketing messages to find useful information. 
2. Find a group that vets its members. If you’re looking to connect with professionals who can help you, make sure that the group admin screens prospective members to verify that they are who they say they are. 
3. Make sure you’re comfortable participating. If you join a group that is primarily comprised of people with a lot more experience than you, it may feel intimidating. Likewise, if you’ve been in business for 20 years, you may not want to join a group for start-ups. It can take a couple of tries to find a group you’re comfortable with. 

Finding the right Facebook groups can help you grow your business right from your computer or phone. Here are some other tips for using social media for business.