10 FACEBOOK GROUP GROWTH HACKS to Explode Engagement.

Hey There!

Today, we are continuing the Blow Up Your Biz Series! It’s day 2. Get ready to Explode Your Facebook Group! In today’s show my student success and operations manager, Lydia Santos and I share how we grew my Facebook community to 7K members & exploded engagement.

We talk about why building a TRUSTING community is a MUST. We also go over 10 Facebook group growth hacks that can absolutely work for you, too. If you want to follow the Stef Gass business model – this is a must-listen!

Don’t forget we have one more epic day of the Blow Up Your Biz Series happening on Monday! We will be going over How to SELL with SOUL! 5 Ways to Transfer Believe and BLOW Up Your Profits. Why Learning to LOVE Sales is a MUST. Don’t miss it.

I pray this blesses you!

FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION:

(00:00):
Hey, sis! Welcome back to The Blow Up Your Biz Series! Welcome to Day Two where we are going into Facebook groups. Lydia Santos, my student success manager and operations manager and I are really gonna talk to you about how to explode a Facebook group, how we, she and I, and a few other peeps on the team grew our Facebook community to 7,000 members, exploded engagement and grew really a sisterhood and a kingdom community.

(00:37):
It’s just so different than anything you’ve ever experienced. People are so engaged. It’s where they go to get help and insight. And it’s truly a sisterhood. It’s not just another group. And we believe that that is something you can do too.

So we’re gonna be sharing all of our secrets with you today on how we did this and why this is super important for you to blow up your biz is because creating community allows people a safe space to highly connect.

(01:03):
It allows them a safe space to come and find other like-minded people who are on a similar journey as them, but all with one thing in common, you. And when you are positioned as the expert within your Facebook community, it just helps conversions. It helps them know that your coaching or your program or whatever you offer, your products, they are the answer because everyone in the group is doing what? pointing to you.

(01:35):
So let’s find out today how we can explode a hugely successful Facebook group, why it matters all of the things that Lydia and myself and our team has set up to make a Facebook group thriving and successful. So let’s do the things.

(02:52):
All right, friends, I’m here with Lydia Santos. Hey, Lydia!

(02:56):
Hey!

(02:57):
So, we’re here today because so many of you are constantly asking me whether you’re in P2P or PPU, and you’re saying Stef I’ve created the Facebook group, because I know that this is really where we should host this community, whether it’s the free community or the student communities, but it’s crickets not hearing any engagement.

(03:15):
It doesn’t seem like people care, nothing’s happen in here. And so what I decided to do is have this really just raw conversation with you about what it really takes to grow a thriving Facebook community. But I did not do this alone. Obviously, Lydia has really played a huge hand in the explosive growth that we’ve experienced over the last eight months.

(03:37):
And then before her, Angel was helping me and I have had help in this process so we’re also gonna talk about that as well, but let me just start by telling you building a Facebook group is just like building a podcast. You’re building a foundation, you’re building this house of stone and a Facebook group also doesn’t have instant gratification like video or reels or any of those things.

(04:01):
It’s the same as our podcast. We’re marrying at you guys. It’s a long slow grow. So, first of all, Lydia Santos is here with me and she is my operations and student success manager. And Lydia started seven, eight months ago with me.

(04:20):
And she was truly a God send in so many ways, but also like a prophetic hire. This like a download from God of like hire Lydia, because we were looking for Angel’s replacement to come in and take over the Facebook communities and all of that. And I had created a form so people could fill out that form and apply for the role. And Lydia puts in there, Lydia, remember the verse I’m sure.

(04:49):
Yeah. Isaiah 30:21.

(04:52):
And it says, “This is the way; walk in it.” And she references this verse in her application and I’m opening the app because somebody was like, Hey, Stef, you got a new app so I went to check it out. At the same exact time that I’m editing a sales page and I’m on the verse, Isaiah 30:21 “This is the way; walk in it.”

I’m like I’m walking straight to Lydia’s inbox. She’s hired. That was God. And I know that was God for you too, Lydia. So tell us a little about how you came on the team, what you do here and then will get everybody into some Facebook conversation.

(05:24):
Well, yeah, the short version of coming on the team is that I was listening to you in summer 2020. And I also knew it was a holy spirit moment cuz I was painting my boys’ bedroom in the middle of July in Texas. So it’s hot. And I was listening to you and you had just quoted Isaiah 30:21 after I had prayed over that verse, the night before of what to do as far as leaving my teaching career and all of that.

(05:46):
And I got holy goosebumps all over my body and it was just this weird moment. I was like, who is this person? And why is she speaking through the holy spirit to me? So I started listening to you for about six months and started homeschooling my boys.

(06:03):
And then in January found your group because of a workshop you were doing, joined it, became mompreneur of the month right away cause I just dove in and then by April, this position opened up and it was the holy spirit because I wasn’t anyone qualified to do anything. I was like, oh Lord, cross my fingers, other people were probably just as qualified if not more. So I was just very grateful for that direction.

(06:31):
You started with my promise of working what, like five hours a week?

(06:35):
Yeah,

(06:37):
I got jokes, you guys, cause Lydia’s working all the hours, she’s managing assistance for me now and her role has just exploded and expanded, which is so fun. When you’re partnered with a company like mine, that’s growing as fast as it is there’s so much opportunity for growth. And I’ll tell you when Lydia came on, one of the best things, finding people that are opposite than you is they fill your gaps.

(07:03):
So we had so many gaps in the Stefanie Gass organization when it came to organization and SOPs and Asana tasks and just getting so organized that Lydia’s incredible brain came in. I say one of her actual roles is organizing Stef’s brain. So she’s just been such a godsend. Anyway, what’s it like to work for me, Lydia? I wonder if people wonder this?

(07:25):
It’s like working with a best friend and I mean that so sincerely because I wake up and I’m making my coffee and as it’s brewing, I hear the Voxer beep and I’m like, oh, there’s my friend. I listen and she’s like, hi, good morning. And then we just kind of brainstorm the day and she’ll just kind of verbally dump what she needs and I just type it out and then execute and it’s a back and forth dynamic that’s really fun. And yet it also accomplishes things.

(07:56):
Yeah. Do you feel like I’ve pushed you and stretched you in ways that you were not expecting?

(08:03):
Oh yeah, 100%. Because part of it was, I was stuck in this place of I’m just a teacher, I’m always a teacher. I had been one for over 10 years. And what else am I good at? A lot of teachers struggle with that. So discovering that I can actually apply those skills and abilities in these ways as Stef is needing me to find new tech for this or different ways of thinking about this or coming up with a strategy for something it’s used my things entering from something else, but it’s stretched me in new ways and I’m loving it.

(08:33):
So fun. And I’ve also forced you to get on video. I have forced you to become a leader. I have forced you to help interview, I have forced you to help train, like there’s so many pieces that I think Lydia has stretched and really stepped up into. So super excited just to have her. It’s just been such a blessing.

(08:51):
So Lydia, one of the things that you really helped me solidify when you came in, the first thing we hired you for was the Facebook group community. And I asked you to pull some stats and this is so crazy, you guys, since Lydia joined the team, the group has grown 62%.

(09:08):
And remember this is in just seven short months. We grew the group from 4,000 to almost 7,000 members at this point, which is absolute insanity. That’s almost doubling the membership of this Facebook group community. Lydia, what do people say about the community to you? Like what are some of the things you’ve heard?

(09:30):
A lot of it comes down to the fact that it’s really sincere engagement in the comments, people don’t go unheard. They’re seen. And they get all of their questions answered, whether it’s from me or from other people in the community. And one person said all the connections of like-minded entrepreneurs I’ve made in this group, everyone in this group is so supportive of each other. It’s beautiful.

(09:51):
I’m so glad to have been able to watch it grow. Another person said the community here is different from many other female Christian groups. Thank you for this space, the engagement, support and the fun laid back personality behind this group.

I’m in many other groups that are just support with a blah feeling and I thought that one was really fun because I know what they’re talking about. It’s a lot of maybe share links and drop information, but not a lot of back and forth. And people become friends in this group.

(10:22):
Yeah, that’s so true. Some of the ones I’ve heard is live coaching in here is the bomb and people have specifically shouted you out. They’re like Lydia’s the bomb. Connecting with other Christian women, learning from Stefanie and the team, people are kind and generous, willing to help and serve, the feedback and the honesty I’m here because of the like-minded positive women and encouragement.

(10:44):
So I think what we’ve done here, not just another Facebook group, but we’ve created a true Christ centered community of kingdom women who are of the same mind, heart, spirit, and soul with the values, morals and dreams. Everyone in this group came to the table and said, I have a goal, a vision and a dream, and I need you to help me see to it that I achieve it. And they join hands and they lift each other up. And it’s so beautiful to watch this true sisterhood that has emerged from a Facebook group.

(11:18):
Yeah. I didn’t even have a podcast when I came in and I didn’t feel like I didn’t belong. Sometimes groups feel like if you’re joining too late, that you are too low on the totem pole to really be cared about, but people are cared about from the time they show interest to the ambassador of the week program that your students do this community. And so there’s just this broad spectrum of growth and information and you are able to grow regardless of where you’re starting.

(11:47):
Yeah. That’s so good. So when Lydia came in, here’s what was working and what wasn’t working, and then we’re gonna go through with you guys, 10 specific things that we did to get this group up to almost 7,000 members and what you can do in your communities, if you wanna create just a next level experience for your members.

(12:06):
So what was working? I did have a team member on who was helping me grow the group before Lydia and she had great ideas, she was wonderful at engagement. She did help me change the name to something SEO searchable instead of The Stefanie Gass Show.

(12:21):
So one of the things, here free tip for you, is have a Facebook group name that is searchable. And what I tell my students and clients is use your tagline as the name of your Facebook group, because that has so much SEO, so much searchability in it versus the Stefanie Gass Show. Only someone who listened to my show would type that in.

(12:42):
So it was one thing that she did prior and then engagement was doing phenomenal. We actually all started using one account, Stefanie Gass and team, which started to boost the algorithm of our posts. And so we were really getting found instead of four people posting from different accounts all the time so that really helped.

(12:59):
Here’s what was not working. We didn’t have strategy. What was this group for other than fun at that point? Where were we driving people? What were the end goals? What were the guides? What should those look like?

How is this an experience from somebody that comes into the group cold lead or lukewarm lead to hot lead buyer? What does that look like? And how do we create that? We didn’t have that. So what did we do, Lydia? Why don’t you take ’em through a few of the first couple of our 10 steps?

(13:29):
Well, I feel like it started with a tough question of where are the metrics? My brain kind of thinks in flow charts and so coming in thinking, well, where are we taking this? How are we measuring this? Facebook does provide insights to your groups once you grow it above a certain number, you’re able to go in and see.

(13:51):
So we started studying and I don’t know if it’s the teacher in me slash student lifelong learner, but I was like, let me keep learning and studying the growth every month and what’s working, what’s not working and what can we cut out? What can we change? Let’s set some goals. Let’s see if we reach it. And I just feel like it started with studying and really learning.

(14:13):
That’s so true. I forgot about that. We didn’t even have that written down. I’m so glad you brought this up Lydia, because when she came in and was like, well, what’s not working, what are the baseline here? And I’m like, oh, and Stefanie Gass’s brain goes to action all the time. Like action, are we growing? Are we making profit?

(14:29):
But in order to know what is leading to the profit, what is leading to the growth you do have to have KPIs and tracking not to the death of you, where you’re constantly focused on numbers and metrics, but just some very staple KPIs.

(14:45):
So Lydia and I now on a monthly basis, when we meet we’re looking at engagement growth, membership growth, we’re looking at conversions, also like how are people communicating with each other inside of the group? Like which posts are doing the best, those type of things. Like really what we care about is, is engagement growing. Is the group growing? If yes, why? If no, why? Super important.

(15:09):
Once you’ve set up the group for optimization, which I talk a ton about in P2P. So those of you guys that are coming in there with me, we’re really gonna go through optimizing your groups, promise, gonna help you through that. But once you’ve done that, when you’re really looking at creating a next level experience and having people organically just every day join, people want to be part of this community.

(15:32):
Let’s take you through 10 things that we believe we have done differently than other groups out there. Number one is we have a member focus. So just like with my podcast, my MO is always service first, service over sales. I will give it all away and then I will tell you what I’m selling to help you make that a reality.

(15:54):
Every single time, you don’t have to buy a thing from me. You can hang out with me for the entire day of your life and never spend a dollar and I will be the happiest person on planet earth if you just learn from what I give that’s what we’re here for.

(16:04):
And our group is the same mentality. So in our Facebook community there is no comment unanswered, period, within 24 hours, you will have an answer, whether it’s from my team, whether it’s from someone else in the community and we make sure of that. That’s something that we are combing through as a team every day.

(16:22):
We also are giving genuine, heartfelt feedback and we’ve actually hired some assistance as well, who are now helping us just pour into this, number one, giving heartfelt comment. One of the biggest things for me is making sure that you feel seen and you know that your comment matters where you’re stuck matters to us.

(16:41):
You’re just not a number. You are a person, you’re a part of the sisterhood and it’s our responsibility to help you have success by joining our Facebook group. You have your true in us that we can help get you to the solutions or the resources that you need. So that’s point one.

(16:58):
Yeah. And I’ll just say to that, that it’s genuinely sincere. It’s not coming from a place of numbers and sales. And anytime that I’m interacting in there, thinking about sitting across from this person at a coffee shop and having a one-on-one conversation with them, like how can I meet their need, answer their question, point them to you.

(17:19):
Because you are not just this person in this ivory tower up here, you really are someone that cares about these women doing kingdom business. And that comes from a place of you being filled up every day from the word of God, from your team doing the same thing. And it just naturally is poured into other people.

(17:40):
Yeah, that’s so good.

(17:41):
So I think that leads into the second point, which is Christ centered. It’s anytime that there’s a question of, especially when it pertains to business and how to start a business, even the people in your group, everyone’s encouraging each other to pray about it, to seek counsel about it, to go to the word of God and really think, how does this fit into their kingdom business and not just money or strategizing?

(18:12):
I think that’s one of the biggest pieces and something that’s probably repeated the most in the comments that I get.

(18:18):
Yeah. I would agree with that. I think it’s so easy to separate your business and your Bibles. You’re like, oh, I have to put on my business hat or, oh, I have to put on my spiritual growth hat right now, but really the are one and the same. And we don’t have successful businesses without God’s favor, without Him leading the way. And without us being spiritually mature enough to handle favor and provision and breakthrough.

(18:41):
And so that message that you guys probably hear in my show is just an extension of that right into the Facebook group and Lydia being of the same belief system as me and really yoked up in her faith it’s so great. And that’s why I know like God’s just handpicking people for this team. Cause we’re on a mission, it’s so much bigger than, oh, we’re here to grow a podcast and sell you some courses.

(19:03):
We have a true mission here to help you guys get this clarity and use it to build a kingdom because whatever it is that your gifting is, it’s part of God’s plan. And while you’re here, why not do something that doesn’t feel like work? Why not do something that creates so much impact for your life, but yet it brings you joy at the same time. So that’s what we believe. And we know that’s from God. So every post that we’ve bring you, we hope always has this Christ centered approach.

(19:35):
The third one is we do give you opportunities to self promo. Now the bigger that your group grows the more gangster you have to get, which we’ll get to in a little bit here with your rules, with your boundaries, but what Lydia and I came up up with as she was constantly battling spam was look, people are here because they’re looking for a way to create this community or to network, but how do we do it without it becoming spammy Andersonville over here?

(20:05):
So what we did is we created, or Lydia really created opportunities for self promotion, but she kept it organized and tidy and in some type of neat fashion where people know when and where they can promote. Lydia, speak to that a little bit.

(20:20):
Yeah. I was just gonna say in many other groups, it’s really hard to navigate them, to look for information that you’re wanting to find and your own stuff gets lost because there’s so much of it. And so having this sort of categorized way of having this guideline posted with daily admin posts or hashtags, they’re able to go find that specific day of the week or that specific post and then just scroll through the comments instead of the entire page.

(20:54):
Yeah. Super clean. And I think being organized, like I come into a Facebook group and if it takes me 30 minutes to figure it out, when can I post what? And who’s in charge of this thing and what’s happening, I’m out of there. We don’t have time for that.

(21:07):
So make your group super clean, streamlined, but don’t forget. Why is your person there? And for you guys, based on what your niche is that answer’s going to be different. But for me in this Facebook group, well, they’re trying to grow God-centered businesses using podcasting and courses. So of course they want to promote, so we have to find a time and space and way for that work.

(21:28):
So the fourth one is a variety and value of posts. So kind of referenced this earlier. We strategize and try new things. If we notice there’s a dip in engagement, kind of looking back and thinking, well, why, what was it? Was it the types of posts? Was it when we posted them, was it the value of the post mixed with some fun memes and just kind of gets people to have some fun with us.

(21:53):
And we just kind of tested it out. That’s the part that takes time. And so there is a level of patience and also some tough skin when things don’t necessarily go how you plan and you don’t reach your goals to just try something new and not let it get you down and then just stop showing up.

(22:11):
So it does take consistency and patience to try and strategize these different posts. And so having several different types of posts per day of the week to try out, mix it up, change it up and really listen to what people are saying in the comments too, which ones are getting the most engagement. Why are they getting that engagement and then creating more opportunities for those types of posts?

(22:36):
Yeah. And sometimes I get emotionally attached to stuff I’m like, oh, but my wisdom Wednesday was such a good idea. Guys, if it is a dud scrap it, do not waste valuable space in your Facebook group with dud, throw it out and really pay attention. If something’s blowing up, don’t just say, oh cool, that one’s blowing up. We’ll do it next week.

(23:00):
Say, how else can I say the same thing? How else can we do that same type of thing, but maybe in a different way or with a different question or on a different topic. So you really need to be insightful around why things are doing well.

(23:14):
Number five, the fifth thing that we believe we do that creates such a different feeling inside of our communities are live Q&A’s. This took a lot of arm twisting, my friends. Let me tell you, I was like, yeah, okay. I’ll go live sometimes. And it was truly sporadic sometimes, it was kind of a mess. And finally got to this point where I’m like, fine. I’m committing to this thing because I believe that my podcast is my freebie.

(23:41):
No matter what you want, there are, I don’t even know, 375 episodes. I promise you, there is an answer to what you need here on the show. And PS, Lydia has a catalog that she has created for you of every single episode that we have on the show, by topic, you can search in the little thingy and find what you’re looking for.

(23:59):
And that is in our Facebook group, gonna have to join it and get it. But there was this next level of Stef, how else can we support the members in this group and really on a consistent basis, have you showing up? Cause at this point, the group’s outsourced. I’m not in there very often. And so I committed to doing the biweekly Q&A.

(24:23):
I mean, this adds so much value because people that join your group, they’re here for you and they wanna see you. We don’t show up very often on video as podcasters. So think about once a month, can you show up and just answer questions? Can you show up and do a deep dive of whatever your topic was on the show, just to let people kind of see you in the 2d flesh and it’s another level of connection with you that they wouldn’t otherwise have.

(24:53):
Yeah, I would say that that was something when I first joined your group, I was like, I need more, I need personal interaction. I need her in my pocket and in my ear at all times. And one of the things that we came up with was creating that opportunity for someone that does show up, which we’ll get to in the next point, but does show up consistently, they get a special opportunity with you for doing that.

(25:19):
And it’s increased the way that people feel seen. They get a little bit more personalized tactic and strategy with you. So in the sixth one, it’s when you show up and engage in the group, when you’re commenting and providing answers to other people’s questions, and you’re not just dropping in a link every once in a blue moon, you’re in there too.

(25:44):
We notice that and Facebook tracks that and we go and we see who was this top person that showed up for that month. So we call it the mompreneur of the month and we have this whole fun kind of healthy competition. And people go for it and they are posting and commenting and learning as they go.

And then they are able to earn either one of your mini courses or a 15 minute coaching strategy with you live in the group, and many people choose the live coaching because it’s their chance to get to talk to you and get your brain.

(26:21):
Yeah and it’s so much fun for me too, because this allows me to help someone A), B), they don’t have to pay anything so that’s a huge win for them. And three, I can use it on my podcast. So it’s creating content for the show. So you guys think about how you can create more interaction using some type of reward, live coaching, or live Q&A, or some type of contest feel. Cause I think that’s been a huge driver for our engagement.

(26:47):
The seventh thing that we have done differently, and this is something new-ish, but I just think it’s so brilliant. We’ve really connected our free community with our student community. So our free group is almost at 7,000 members. Our student community is six hundred-ish, somewhere around there.

(27:03):
Yeah. Just about…

(27:04):
So what we’ve done is say, Hey students, do you wanna come basically self promote in our free community by doing ambassador of the week? And what this allows them to do is help basically, moderate, create the posts, take people on a journey of working with Stef and the successes they’ve had and what they’ve created over a week long period of time.

(27:27):
And it’s a win for them cuz they’re promoting, but it’s a win for us because they’re helping moderate. And then it’s a huge win because they also get that win at the end of having that extra perks of being that ambassador of the week. So think about how you can connect your freer groups with your student groups and start really meshing them. So that one is piggybacking off of the other.

(27:49):
Yeah. As a teacher, I love that because I think about when I taught fifth grade, we would go and have reading buddies with the little kids and just kind of get them excited about growing to the next step. And so it’s the same thing. It’s getting people in there excited.

(28:03):
Maybe they didn’t need know that you had these certain courses or whatnot. And it motivates them to see that, oh, someone really is doing it. It’s not just this thing floating on the internet. Like, oh, I don’t know if it really works or not. I don’t know any single person who’s taken this. It’s walking them through it. And I love that.

(28:21):
You know what else I wanna add on that point? When you start to merge your free group and your student group, and you’re driving people from the student community to hang out in the free group sometimes, people start to use the acronyms. They’re like, oh, you should do CYC for that. Or, oh man, when I was in PPU she taught this. People are using the acronyms of my course customer funnel. CYC, PPU, P2P.

(28:42):
And it’s getting the people that are new in the free group going what’s that? Then Lydia and our assistants are able to be like, here’s a podcast episode that talks all about it and they’re dropping podcast episodes or other value that lead the new people straight into the course suite. I truly believe that every single person needs these courses.

(29:04):
And you have to also get of that mind because while there’s so much free stuff that you can give away at the end of the day, people typically will not get a result unless they invest because then they show up for the work and there’s some accountability, there’s something on the line.

So we are not afraid of marketing the paid things in the free community. But I think it just really helps add that trust and that belief in the products, because the students are over there dropping testimonies and talking in the lingo.

(29:33):
Yeah, 100%. So the eighth one is that we do have some strict rules and a no spam policy. And this kind of came with time as we kept getting, like Stef said earlier, Spamela Andersons, and it was hard to keep track of them. And sometimes they’ll still find their way in. But for the most part, it provides a safe place where you won’t get spammed or cold DMs and you know, some people will try, but we really try to hold the value of meaningful, genuine, sincere comments and feedback.

(30:08):
And so that’s part of the reason why we created the guideline that’s in the announcements. That’s why we have specific days that you can post self promo. And if there’s a decline, it’s with a comment of feel free to post this in this over here.

(30:21):
Because it’s not that you are bad and you’re posting the wrong thing. It’s we have a place for this. And it’s just a matter of helping people find where it belongs then for the most part, they’re good. It’s just the boundaries and the rules that make them feel like, okay, I know what to expect when I show up here.

(30:37):
Yeah. And what’s so fun is like, because we’re super consistent it with our boundaries, rules and guidelines, the community now tells us, like I have noticed Anna, she has posted three times this thing and we’re like, oh sweet. People they have bought into the integrity of this group as an entire community. It’s not just us policing people at this point. The members, the group were like, this is our house.

(31:05):
Number nine. The ninth thing that we’ve done is we have not been afraid to grow the support in the group as the group grows. So what started out as just me pretty much ignoring people because I literally could not manage it along with everything else, Nina trying to run the group and going Stef, this is not my cup of tea, you’re gonna have to find someone else to me finding somebody and actually swapping for them to come manage the group while I figured out how to be able to afford help.

(31:36):
Then once my revenue grew and I was able to really hire people on to help more efficiently and effectively, and then being at the point we are now going, oh wow, we have an assistant in both communities and we’re actively looking for some interns to start joining us as interns, where we have a scholarship program and you help us moderate the group. And then you learn in that process. So we’re not afraid of growth.

(32:01):
I think for so many of you, especially when you’re starting, you’re terrified of growth. I dunno how to hire a person, I don’t know what that looks like. That makes me wanna vomit. I don’t understand it so I’m gonna hide from it and stay a solopreneur and drown in the small tasks in my business instead of becoming a visionary.

(32:20):
So that took a lot of checking my ego to first get help. And then now I’m like, oh gosh, like you can’t see what I’m doing, but I’m like, come on, we’re here for it, we’ll take all the help in the world because there’s always more to do.

(32:34):
So not having a lack mindset around letting go of some things, your Facebook group definitely being one of those things really once you’ve passed that 3-5,000 member threshold, anything you wanna say on that? And then you can share the last one.

(32:47):
I was just gonna say, pray about it. Because even I had a hard time taking my hand off of it going, no, but I love this and I love these people. And then I was like, okay, God is provide us the right person. And pretty much right when we needed it, He provided this amazing assistant who just has the same integrity mindset that we have for this group.

(33:09):
And so if your group, if you’re thinking about it, again, especially if your business is kingdom centered, just pray about it. And He will provide like He provided Stef with me with a verse, but some kind of whole story where He’s going to show you clearly who it is that you need.

(33:25):
And we’ve prayed for almost every hire has been truly a very clear word from the Lord. I’ve had people in my inbox the day after, and I just testament to pouring into your relationship with God because the closer you come to Him, the closer he comes to you, the closer you grow to Him, the closer he grows to you.

(33:45):
And every day in His word praying all day, every day, like I’m just super annoying. I told my husband the verse where it talks about God is your mighty counselor and I was like, once I heard that, I was like, oh, it’s on, Lord. Did I just hear that you are my counselor?

(34:01):
Yep.

(34:02):
Bug in His ear all day long. But the fruits of that is I get answers really quickly at this point. I’m not waiting constantly, cuz I I’m so tuned in with Him, I can quickly hear those answers or feel that holy spirit tug so there you go. Last one.

(34:18):
So number 10 really is just that this group provides a mixture of types of interactment. It’s meaningful, there’s growth, you get to learn, but then it’s also fun. And I don’t know, we’re just cracking up all the time. A lot of groups have a very narrow, specific thing that they do.

And it’s good to be micro niched, like Stef teaches with your business, sure, but in this type of community you’re gonna have, especially as it grows a variety of type of people in there and different types of posts that get different people to engage.

(34:53):
And so it’s kind of meeting their needs by paying attention to the types of businesses that they have, the types of posts that they enjoy. And just to kind of keep the feeling light and fun, but encouraging and positive, but then give them some good hardy feedback in there as well. So just as your group grows, keep studying your members and what they need. And just go based off of that.

(35:19):
And one of the coolest things we ever did, and I teach this in Podcast to Profit, so all optimization, you’re gonna learn in Podcast to Profit, but one of them was paying attention to the questions and people come into the group because we have thousands of answers at this point. And there’s so many consistencies in the words that our people are saying their pain points are.

(35:40):
A lot of them weren’t the words coming outta my mouth. And so this is like, you have this free opportunity to get to know your avatar. So spend time in there, especially when you’re just getting started, don’t outsource it right away I don’t outsource anything in my business until I know how to do it 100%. Once I know how to do something and I’ve optimized it, now it’s ready to hand off. That’s really important. Your Facebook group is one of those things.

(36:06):
So let me recap for you how we’ve grown this Facebook group to 7,000 members. Well, first of all, you gotta start a group. Number two, you have to start a podcast because no one’s coming to your group without the podcast. That’s what’s driving people to the Facebook group. The third thing is you wanna optimize the podcast, which is what I teach you and Podcast to Profit.

(36:27):
There’s a lot of things you need to know about optimizing a group from the way we title it, to the tags that we use, to the questions that we set up, to the methodology of posting, to how often we’re engaging, all of those things you learn in Podcast to Profit. The next thing you need to do is create a group culture that is different than anything anyone else is doing. Now, we don’t think that you should copy what we’ve done here, but we have given you 10 tips of what’s worked for us.

(36:51):
Let me share them with you again. So if you’re taking notes, one, having a member focus, so no comment unanswered, genuine heartfelt feedback. Number two, it’s super Christ centered in every aspect of the group. Three, we give opportunities to self promote in a nice organized fashion. Number four, there is a variety of posts and value generating posts, strategize, try new things, focus on what works.

(37:20):
Number five, we do live Q&A’s. Number six, we give rewards for interaction and engagement. This can be a contest, whatever this needs to be to help people feel seen and heard for giving of their time. Number seven, we connect our student group with the free community by doing ambassador of the week. And by allowing our students to come have student perks.

(37:42):
Number eight, we have strict rules and a no spam policy. Number nine, we are willing to grow the help in the group as the group grows. And number 10, we really blend meaningful growth and fun together. So those are 10 things that we really focus on. Any other final tips for them, Lydia? And then I’m gonna tell them a little bit about what we’re looking for.

(38:05):
I was just thinking about this earlier as I was preparing to come on, I was just thinking Stef really is the same person on her show as she is in the Facebook community. When I first came in there and then just as I talked to her, so just show up genuinely as you be okay with fumbling around on the lives or just being real and raw because that’s what people connect to with Stef.

(38:29):
And that’s what they get on her live coaching. She is high level because she’s gotten to a certain point, but she just meets you where you’re at. And so do the same for your people. Show up as just a friend to a friend, sitting there talking to them and just be as real and authentic as possible.

And that’s, what’s gonna cause people to stay and to spread the news that this group is great. They’re gonna invite their friends to come or share the podcast with them and it will grow. Just be as authentic as possible.

(39:01):
Thanks, Lydia. The other piece to this I wanna mention is act as if, your group will have no one in the beginning. I don’t care, show up as if there’s a hundred people in there. Your group was gonna have a thousand people at some point show up as if your group is gonna have 10,000 people at some point show up as if.

(39:19):
One of the best things I’ve ever done, whether it be my podcast or my Facebook group was pour into the things I was deciding to marry, I was going all in and not having a one foot in one foot out mentality. So with the group, it was like, I’m here. This is where my community’s going to live. Period. I’m not moving it. I’m not gonna make it be paid somewhere else.

(39:40):
It’s easiest for me here. I’m going and just allowing myself to be messy and fail forward but saying I’m here for this if it takes one year, three years, five years, you will not have engagement in the beginning. It’s okay. Keep posting. You will not have anybody comment back to you. You’ll feel weird. It’s okay, keep going.

(39:56):
Just like with the show no one’s gonna listen to you at first. Except a couple people who were like, well, she started a show, I should really listen so she stops crying about having no downloads. Keep going, one day, you’ll have a thousand, ten thousands, a hundred thousand and a million. If you just act as if.

(40:12):
So, that’s all we’ve got for you on the Facebook community, and we pray and hope that your community grows and that God just pours purpose and wisdom into you so that you can bless the people that you’re meant to bless and that they will find you. And that He’ll prepare their hearts to come in and create a kingdom sisterhood that is perfect for you, your niche, your market, and what you are building here on earth.

(40:34):
And last but not least, we are looking for a few more interns for the Stefanie Gass team. If you guys are a super fan or a student, that’s really what we’re looking for because you already know my content styles, you already kind of know the course dynamic. At least you’re an avid listener to the show and you’re interested in community management, in our free community or student community.

(40:56):
You have some skill sets that you think could be of value to the team, we’re open and we do have a scholarship program. So definitely something that you can look into if you’re interested in going down the Stefanie Gass business model, but maybe the funds are short or you just wanna learn from us.

(41:12):
If you’re interested in that you can email Lydia at Lydia@stefaniegass.com. And she’s happy out with you about if you might be a good fit for the team. Thanks Lydia for helping us today! And you guys get out there and grow, girl!