Sometimes, people confuse Facebook groups with pages, and while they both allow you to share ideas, discuss topics or come together as a community, they are different in many ways.
A Facebook page is something people can like. They can stay up to date with posts from the page, and comment and react. While you are following the page, you aren’t part of a community as such because you aren’t joining anything.
You can make comments on the page, but you can’t share your own posts. Pages will allow you to tag them, and these statements can be viewed in a section of the page showing interactions. However, you can’t create your own post on the page.
Groups, however, allow you to be part of a community. Some groups are public, therefore anyone can view the group. But, they often can’t comment or post unless they join it. Almost like becoming a member of a secret club.
Alternatively, groups can be made private. This means people can find the group and read a little about the group via their public about section. However, they cannot read the posts within the group, comment or share anything without joining.
Sometimes, groups have questions set up. These must be answered by the person wanting to join before they can be accepted. Groups have admins who monitor the pages. You can have more than one admin per group. The amount is up to you.
The admins are responsible for the running of the group. They have to ensure no one is going against Community Guidelines or posting anything that could get the group blocked. If they find something breaking any rules, they have to act to remove it.
It’s possible they will also have to report or block the user and ban them from being part of the group if they continue to break the rules. Groups normally have rules they set themselves. For example, no advertising, spamming or outsourced links.
Not all groups will have rules, and not all are private, where you must request to join. However, these are becoming more popular because it weans out the spam that unfortunately can overrun Facebook and makes the group a safer space.
How to create a Facebook group
- When on your feed, click on your Groups on the left. If it doesn’t appear, click on See more.
- Click on Create new group.
- Type in your Group name.
- Choose your privacy option. If you choose private, select either visible or hidden.
- Add people into your Group.
- Click Create.
You can personalise your group by adding a cover photo. Also, ensure you include a description so people clicking on your group know what you’re about before trying to join. You can change the group at any time by making an announcement.
