Episode 110: How To Use Facebook Groups To Grow Your Local Pet Sitting Business

Facebook Groups are a powerful tool on social media that can serve a number of different purposes to help your pet sitting company. They can be an asset in finding new clients, networking with other local businesses, and becoming a driving force in your community. This week, Erika and I take a deep-dive into all things Facebook Groups to discuss how they can be used to grow your pet sitting company. Biggest Takeaways You Don't Want To Miss Before setting up any Facebook Group, we always want to consider the logistics of the group and how you plan on running/growing it. Think about what type of community you want to build and nurture. Is it "Pet Lovers of CITY," "Pet Mom's & Dad's of CITY," or something else? Give some thought to what the description of the group is. Why should people join? What are the rules? Do you allow advertising, pets for sales, and/or negative talk about other businesses? Next, it's time to actually create the group. You'll need to click in the top right of your Facebook browser and select "Create Group." From there, simply enter in your group name, add group members, and then choose the privacy setting of the group. Be sure to pick an icon and upload a cover profile as well. Click "Create" and you are up and running! How To Grow & Leverage Your Facebook Group So now you have your Facebook group - but how do you grow the group? When you are just getting started, I would only invite people that you know personally until you get it built up. Get your grounding and feel comfortable. You should have this in no more than a week! You'll then want to start thinking about the types of people you want in your group. It might be easier to attract businesses who already have a great following on Facebook in your community, and then ask them to invite THEIR community. How can you leverage the group? Use it as a conversation starter at networking meetings. You can also use it as a way to break the ice and connect with pivotal people in your city. It's also an opportunity to do Facebook Live videos where you interview people in your community on split screen. Lastly, it's also a place where you can post lead generations. Do Your Research An important step that you don't want to forget is to research who has large Facebook pages with good engagement in your community. The best way to do this is to type your city name into the search box on Facebook, click "Pages," and then click on "Groups." When you find a group you're interested in, click the page/group, and add the administrator as a Facebook friend. Try to get to know them personally whether it be through a phone call, email, or even over coffee. Share the intent of your group and ask if they would want to help by promoting your group or even becoming a moderator. In return, you might offer them a free plug of their business once a month. There are a few things that you want to beware of when running your Facebook group. It is critical that you lead the group and check in at least once or twice a day. Always respond to everyone in the group, and feel free to find some other Moderators to help you. Try to plan content in advance and schedule it to post (I suggest a minimum of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). You may have to ban people that don't follow the rules or create drama. Be willing to be a leader and keep the group on track. Share The Show Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review! Click this link – Bella In Your Business Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section Click on ‘Write a Review’ Transcript: This is episode 110 of Bella In Your Business. The next series of episodes are from a previously recorded live event training series that Erica Goodwin and I did together. The following is a past recording, but the information is just as juicy. I hope you enjoy it. Welcome to Bella In Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready—Bella's got your chute. Let's jump. Welcome everybody to the Jump into Marketing Show. Today we're going to be talking about what if there was a feature on Facebook that you actually could get more clients and get more employees. I'm sure you've heard about Facebook groups, but you're wondering, why do I need to have a Facebook group and what can that do for my business? Today, Erica and I are here to show you exactly how you can do that and highlight three pet sitters who have actually been very successful doing this. My name is Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. I'm a pet business coach all around the world, and I help people expand their companies. Erica: My name is Erica Godwin. I am the co-founder of ProPet Software, Kennel Management Software, and also the owner of Marketing Solutions, which is pet business websites. Bella: That actually goes really well into who sponsors this show because you guys, whether you realize it or not, it takes at least $200 of Erica and I’s money to launch each one of these episodes for you. We are not charging you for them, but because of that, we do have to have sponsors and some incredible products that allow us to do that. Erica: We now have four templates that you can choose from. We have different levels depending on your customization needs, and essentially we build and manage your website for you every month. Bella: Starting in January, I launched the Jump Mastermind. It’s a small group of pet sitting professionals all over the world with goals, and they're achieving them and growing personally and professionally. Some have said they got more done in three weeks than they have all year. Many report that their businesses are up by over 50%. If you're ready to get out of the “I'll do it tomorrow” mode and actually say “I did it,” check out the Jump Mastermind at jumpconsulting.net/jump-mastermind. Erica, I know you have a Facebook group or two or three now, right? Erica: I do, because they work. I started my group back in 2012. I was one of the first to start one that said, “Own a pet sitting company with staff,” because before that, it was just all pet sitting groups. Groups are a great way to reach specific people that you want. Bella: That’s amazing. Mark Zuckerberg actually directed product teams to focus on helping people find meaningful social interactions. Where do you actually have the most interactions on Facebook? Is it on a page or inside groups? For me, it’s groups. I follow companies, but I mostly engage inside their groups. Now I want to tell you about three people who have used this successfully. One says she keeps a close eye on her group every day. If anyone asks something, she answers immediately—either with a blog related to their question or directly. She also does a search every day for “pet sitting,” “cat sitting,” or “dog walking” to make sure she doesn’t miss any posts. She has group rules that say if you’re promoting a business, you must be insured. That keeps out unqualified people. Another sitter said that starting a local Facebook group was a game changer. She created a hub for all things pets in her area and positioned her company as the go-to for animal-related information. People ask her for recommendations now, and she’s built brand recognition—even among people who aren’t her clients. The third sitter said she started a community group as a way to reach out in a fun, non-selling way. It built relationships and brand recognition among people who know others who need her services. These are perfect examples of how to grow awareness without being salesy. Erica: Exactly. It’s like the old days when people joined meetup.com groups for dog breeds or activities—this is the same, just virtual. Bella: Before you start, you need to decide what type of community you want. Is it for your town? For example, I could do “Pet Lovers of Scottsdale” or “Scottsdale Families and Pets.” You could also have a general “Scottsdale Community Page sponsored by XYZ Pet Sitting Company.” It’s like launching a mini business—you need a plan and clear intentions. Erica: You could even focus on a local dog park. In Ottawa, every dog park has its own group moderated by pet owners. They share advice and recommendations for services all the time. Bella: I love that. When I used to take Rocco to the park, that’s the first thing I looked for—a Facebook group for that park. But if you want to include businesses and local partners, make sure your group name reflects that too. You’ll also need to write a good description and decide on the rules. Will you allow posts about adoptions? Sales? Criticism of other businesses? Will you require that anyone promoting a service be insured? Write those clearly in the description so it’s consistent. Erica: You also need time to moderate. Bella: Absolutely. You should be active in your group every day, or have someone help you. Jessica asked whether to create a group owned by your business page or personal account. You can link it to your business page, but it has to be owned by you. Cherry asked whether it should be closed or secret—I recommend “closed.” You want people to find it, but still control membership. Now, how do you actually create a group? Go to Facebook, click the little downward arrow in the top right, select “Create Group,” name it, add members, choose “Closed,” click “Create,” and then set up your cover photo and icon. Choose “Community” as the category. Once you have a group, how do you grow it? Don’t just add people randomly—it’s offensive. Add close contacts first, then invite local connectors. Partner with vets, groomers, or other businesses with active followings. Ask them to share it on their pages. That helps growth exponentially. Erica: And make sure to engage those partners personally—call them, email them,