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Good morning fellow Fastlaners, as some of you already know I host a Facebook group about web design along with also having a school for people who want to learn. I wanted to create a thread to cover both topics - this will be both an AMA on what has already been done as well as progress reports as it grows even further. There is quite a lot to share with both so it might take a few posts but I will try get as much done in this one as possible...
So first the FB group....
At the moment it is at around 3,500 members and growing 10+ a day. This might not sound like a lot BUT I screen heavy to make sure people are a good fit and I am strict on banning too. I get around 100 requests a day and avoid letting in people with:
- newer accounts
- already in 100s of other groups
- shady or suspicious profiles
It is easy to let everyone in and grow a group very fast (Facebook recommend my group for free on peoples timelines since the engagement is so high) BUT then the quality sucks and the group dies over time.
There are also three questions which are great for filtering out who you want to let in...
So with that in mind here are some stats. These are from the FB group insights tab which you have access to when you are an admin.
There is a ton of engagement and most questions get 10-50 responses within a short amount of time. I started the group with about 20 members in November last year (from a post in my web design thread) and continued to grow it from there. I have never promoted the group by ads, posting on other groups, or some other spammish way. I have done only a few things that have compounded growth over time.
- Super high quality content. It isn't unusual to see posts with massive detailed responses and really in-depth advice. In the beginning it was mostly just me but over time other excellent contributors have joined and other members who are still learning are jumping in too. I lead by a example and worked hard to build a place which would attract these sorts of people (taken from watching how this forum works).
- No one gets left behind policy. I try to make sure every comment gets some response. While I don't comment on everything if someone doesn't get ANY response I will write up something and try connect them to people who would be able to help them.
- Avoided a lot of common "hacks". There is very little fluff going on. I don't get people to engage in nonsense talk just to boost engagement, I don't create drama, I don't go live everyday with the same content - it is all new content and it is always for a reason. If you want a solid FB group it has to be highly practical, informative advice. We do have some fun (enter trolls!) but we keep it on point.
- Deals and connections. I have tried really hard to keep my top posters and members well looked after. Any kind of deal or way of helping them and I will work to make it happen. I have spent over $20,000 working with people from the group (direct wages from me paid out at excellent rates) and helped others get their own deals worth many times that. If someone takes time to add to my community I go to bat for them when needed. The group isn't about finding people to work for me but when I have projects that I need to outsource I of course look to those who have helped already. Others have followed that example and now there is an amazing network of guys helping each other.
- Fast ban hammer. I have a good eye for spam and shady characters and they are nearly always removed before they get any traction. A large group attracts these types of folks and you have to learn how to spot them and cut them out. It has been months since the last one.
- Student success. Most important thing is the people on the group get real results. There have been some really cool success stories and quite a few full time businesses opened up.
- Everyday attention. I do at least an hour on the group per day keeping it in order and making sure everyone is being helped. Lately I have had to cut back on PMs since they are really getting out of control so the future of the group will be figuring out how to keep the same value as it gets bigger and bigger.
There are a few 100 people from here already on the group as well as @MJ DeMarco, @Andy Black @IceCreamKid and @SinisterLex so it has been cool to host these guys. I am trying to get more interested FB group members join over here (quite a few have already) since the forum gives a great overall education on business. The group is highly focused on web design so we don't get to cover a lot of the great topics that are on these forums which I know they will all benefit greatly from.
This is the general overview but if you want have more questions on any of this (or anything I left out) just let me know.
Also this post isn't to promote the group (but you are welcome to join if you are interested in web design) - I am hoping that some of you might start groups of your own. If you are highly focused in a particular business area that can benefit from a FB group a highly recommend starting one. There is a lot of work on the front end but with correct management the value starts to compound quite fast over time.
I think I am close to maxing out the available space on this message so I will post more on the school later. They are quite linked but not in the way that it might appear. I will explain more later
P.S. This might also serve as an intro thread for new members joining from the group as I will be posting this over there and letting them know. These are a bunch of great people so I hope some of them do join up.
P.P.S - this is hard work. While it is also a lot of fun there is no overnight tricks to having a community. Ic an show you how to grow it as fast as possible but it has to be based on solid ethics and a core purpose.
So first the FB group....
At the moment it is at around 3,500 members and growing 10+ a day. This might not sound like a lot BUT I screen heavy to make sure people are a good fit and I am strict on banning too. I get around 100 requests a day and avoid letting in people with:
- newer accounts
- already in 100s of other groups
- shady or suspicious profiles
It is easy to let everyone in and grow a group very fast (Facebook recommend my group for free on peoples timelines since the engagement is so high) BUT then the quality sucks and the group dies over time.
There are also three questions which are great for filtering out who you want to let in...
So with that in mind here are some stats. These are from the FB group insights tab which you have access to when you are an admin.
There is a ton of engagement and most questions get 10-50 responses within a short amount of time. I started the group with about 20 members in November last year (from a post in my web design thread) and continued to grow it from there. I have never promoted the group by ads, posting on other groups, or some other spammish way. I have done only a few things that have compounded growth over time.
- Super high quality content. It isn't unusual to see posts with massive detailed responses and really in-depth advice. In the beginning it was mostly just me but over time other excellent contributors have joined and other members who are still learning are jumping in too. I lead by a example and worked hard to build a place which would attract these sorts of people (taken from watching how this forum works).
- No one gets left behind policy. I try to make sure every comment gets some response. While I don't comment on everything if someone doesn't get ANY response I will write up something and try connect them to people who would be able to help them.
- Avoided a lot of common "hacks". There is very little fluff going on. I don't get people to engage in nonsense talk just to boost engagement, I don't create drama, I don't go live everyday with the same content - it is all new content and it is always for a reason. If you want a solid FB group it has to be highly practical, informative advice. We do have some fun (enter trolls!) but we keep it on point.
- Deals and connections. I have tried really hard to keep my top posters and members well looked after. Any kind of deal or way of helping them and I will work to make it happen. I have spent over $20,000 working with people from the group (direct wages from me paid out at excellent rates) and helped others get their own deals worth many times that. If someone takes time to add to my community I go to bat for them when needed. The group isn't about finding people to work for me but when I have projects that I need to outsource I of course look to those who have helped already. Others have followed that example and now there is an amazing network of guys helping each other.
- Fast ban hammer. I have a good eye for spam and shady characters and they are nearly always removed before they get any traction. A large group attracts these types of folks and you have to learn how to spot them and cut them out. It has been months since the last one.
- Student success. Most important thing is the people on the group get real results. There have been some really cool success stories and quite a few full time businesses opened up.
- Everyday attention. I do at least an hour on the group per day keeping it in order and making sure everyone is being helped. Lately I have had to cut back on PMs since they are really getting out of control so the future of the group will be figuring out how to keep the same value as it gets bigger and bigger.
There are a few 100 people from here already on the group as well as @MJ DeMarco, @Andy Black @IceCreamKid and @SinisterLex so it has been cool to host these guys. I am trying to get more interested FB group members join over here (quite a few have already) since the forum gives a great overall education on business. The group is highly focused on web design so we don't get to cover a lot of the great topics that are on these forums which I know they will all benefit greatly from.
This is the general overview but if you want have more questions on any of this (or anything I left out) just let me know.
Also this post isn't to promote the group (but you are welcome to join if you are interested in web design) - I am hoping that some of you might start groups of your own. If you are highly focused in a particular business area that can benefit from a FB group a highly recommend starting one. There is a lot of work on the front end but with correct management the value starts to compound quite fast over time.
I think I am close to maxing out the available space on this message so I will post more on the school later. They are quite linked but not in the way that it might appear. I will explain more later
P.S. This might also serve as an intro thread for new members joining from the group as I will be posting this over there and letting them know. These are a bunch of great people so I hope some of them do join up.
P.P.S - this is hard work. While it is also a lot of fun there is no overnight tricks to having a community. Ic an show you how to grow it as fast as possible but it has to be based on solid ethics and a core purpose.
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