Creating an Engaged Christian Facebook Group

Facebook groups are incredible ways of connecting with people around a similar interest or need, and they are incredible tools for ministry and for growing your own business or ministry.

As a mother of two children with special needs, I knew how lonely the special needs parenting journey could be. I knew the challenges in life and in your own faith. So when COVID hit, and mothers of special needs children felt even more isolation and lost the tiny village they so desperately needed, I felt led to create a Facebook group for them. I thought it’d be temporary, getting us through the times of social distancing, but God had other plans. Today, almost five years later, our group has slowly and steadily grown to over 1700 members who support each other and pray for each other. We share resources, prayer requests, praises, and so much more. My Facebook group is one of my absolute favorite places to hang out online, and so many of my group members have said the same thing. I share that not to brag, but to share the power of creating an encouraging community. What an incredible ministry opportunity, to share the things God is teaching you with others who may be struggling and in need of support.

Here are my top tips for creating and growing an engaged Christian Facebook group:

Set Up Your Group for Discoverability

Group Name: When I first set up my Facebook group for Christian special needs moms, I named it Embracing This Special Life, which is named after a book I’d written for that same audience. As much as I loved the name, it meant that only those who knew about me and my book might find my Facebook group. So I renamed the group with the very keywords these mamas were looking for. It is now Christian Special Needs Moms Embracing This Special Life. New members started requesting to join a lot more frequently, and when asked how they learned about the group, they would say they searched for it and found it. They weren’t finding it before, as the group didn’t have the keywords these moms were looking for: Christian Special Needs Moms

Group Description: Create a compelling Facebook Group description that clearly outlines the group’s purpose. In your group’s description, include additional key words they may be searching for. My description indicates it’s a community for mothers of children with special needs and disabilities who pray for and support each other, as those may be additional key words my ideal audience are searching for as well as helping to set the expectations for the group.

Private vs. Public vs. Hidden: If you want people to find your group, do not hide it. A private group means it can still be found by searching for it, but the content inside the group cannot be shared. Public groups can share posts, memes, etc. While public groups may experience the most growth due to people sharing content out of it, if you are trying to create a safe environment for your gropu members to share, then keep it private.

Create Engaging Content

Your goal in your Facebook group is to create or share valuable, relevant content with your audience that they will resonate with and respond to. The more they engage with it, the more of your members will see your content. Here’s a few tips for posting content and keeping your community engaged:

Utilize Themed Days. I recommend keeping a list of the type of content/theme you will post certain days of the week. This helps you plan your content and keep it consistent, and also helps your Facebook group learn what to expect from you and your group. For example, on Wednesdays I have what I call a mid-week check in, asking members to share what’s going on and how we could be praying for them. On Fridays we have what I call a #FridayFun engagement post, where I ask fun questions to get to know each other better.

Schedule Your Content. Facebook makes it really easy to schedule content ahead of time in your Facebook group. At the end of each month, I schedule out my content for the next month. It takes me about an hour and then my posts are ready to go for the whole month. If I happen to see a resource or meme or there’s something I want to share with my group, than I can do that in real time, but otherwise, I’m free to go about my day without worrying about what to share with my group.

Give Clear Calls to Action. Sometimes people need to know how to engage with content. Tell them what you want them to do. It could be as simple as asking a question to get the conversation starting, or ask them “Drop an emoji if you relate”. You can run polls, do live video and ask questions, ask questions with fill-in-the-blanks, or share memes you know your audience can relate to. The easier you make it to engage, the more responses you will get.

Engage With Your Group I try to check in at least a few minutes each day to my Facebook group. I answer any questions I need to, respond to comments as needed etc. When your group is just starting out, it requires a lot more engagement, but as your group grows, group members start answering each others questions and you don’t need to be as involved. But still, you want to be there. It can be very discouraging for a group member to ask a question or share something vulnerable in a Facebook group and not have a single person respond. Make sure you respond and get the conversation going, like a good host would do at a dinner party.

Bonus Tip: Welcome New Members Use the Facebook Group welcome message feature to greet new members and guide them on how to get the most out of the group. Make them feel welcome and they’ll be more likely to participate.

Getting People Into Your Group

There are several ways you can get people aware of and joining your group, besides having them search for it and find it. Here’s some recommended things to try:

Directly invite people who fit the Facebook group. This is especially helpful when you’re starting out. Invite your friends, family, and connections who fit the Facebook group. Click on the ‘invite friends’ button and start inviting. Ask your friends who join the group in the beginning to invite their friends too. Start with your own connections, and it’ll slowly grow.

Share About Your Facebook Group. I mention my group for Christian special needs parents at the end of my book, at the end of every blog post I write for Christian special needs parents, and in the emails I send to my email list. While most of my group members say they’ve found the group from searching for it, some will tell me they found it while reading my book or in one of my blog posts or in my email.

Share about Your Facebook Group from time to time in the following places:

• In your marketing emails/email signature
• On other social media channels
• In the related products you create (For example, I have a note at the end of my book to join my Facebook group)
• At the end of blog posts/articles you write
• In your bio in guest blog posts
• Mention it in podcast interviews you participate in

Run a Challenge Some Facebook groups run a 5 day challenge (or however many days you want) that relates to your topic. You can then promote the challenge, inviting people into your group to participate in the challenge. If you have the money to do so (and something to promote during or after the challenge to make some money back) this may be a good time to run an ad for your FB group by promoting your challenge.

Need Some Individualized Support for Your Christian Facebook Group?

Hosting a Facebook group can be time consuming, overwhelming, and also an incredibly rewarding ministry. If you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure what to do next, I’d love to help you figure out your next steps. I offer a half hour brainstorming/coaching session for those running a Christian Facebook Group. I’ll help you figure out what next steps you can take to create and grow your Facebook Group. If you’re interested, send me a message using the contact form below (or at the bottom of my connect page), and we’ll see if we’d be a good fit for a coaching session or two that will fit within your budget.