How to grow your Facebook group.

Jeeni Blog

Helping the next generation of talent to build a global fanbase

How to grow your Facebook group.

Times are moving fast when it comes to social media, in particular the use of community groups to target your audiences with event, streaming and watch-parties going live every second of the day all around the globe.

All of a sudden it feels like everyone except me is an expert at creating successful Facebook groups, so I decided I would take some time to try and unpick why are Facebook groups so successful.

Had the groups been going for years and grown their members organically? Did they have large budgets and were they spending loads of money on Ads? Were they all marketing experts? Did they engage large teams of enthusiastic influencers?

To my surprise I found that in most instances these assumptions were just not the case. Rock The Lock Down, founded by Lucy Pardoe & Ollie Hughes, is a great example, with over 887,000 members in less than 6 weeks.

I finally had to admit I was missing the critical ingredients for a successful campaign.

I only watched a selection of YouTube Videos, so not exhaustive, and I will watch some more tomorrow, but in the meantime to save you time, these were my key take-aways.

1. Make sure you take extra time to set up the group correctly, with an accurate, yet brief description. Check to make sure you have completed all sections, not just the about, which is the mistake I made.

2. Get as many people as possible to like your landing page, so that you can invite all of those people to your community group. Really simple and easy to use, but Facebook only allow you invite 50-100 in one day to stop you spamming. Which is what I also did!!

3. Make the group public, as you want as many members as possible to grow and contribute to organic growth.

4. Create as many discussions and engage with all your members as often as you can, be as helpful as possible, share and like and answer their questions. Be a guru, be supportive, open, honest and kind.

5. Use a bot to run competitions, contests, have freebies and giveaways , looping the bot back to join the group.

6. Join other relevant groups, share those groups and contribute as much knowledge and wisdom as you can helping members in those groups. It’s all about genuine and engaging conversation. Write guest posts and contribute wherever you can. Share and reuse your work on different sites, saving time and money. Keep the content helpful and meaningful. Cross-promote as often as you can and contact group's admin to share your group.

7. Test, test and trial Facebook ads that are targeted and specific, making sure you have set up demographics and location settings.

8. Create an exciting and interesting email campaign to support engagement from existing and new customer databases.

9. Interlink and entwine your groups posts and comments on You Tube and use back-links to improve your SEO.

10. Remember groups are for genuine enthusiasts who love music, or food, travel etc, and members do not want to see any information that is not relevant to what they love.

At the end of the day this is all about them after all!

In the meantime, please feel free to invite friends to our Independent Musicians and Performers Group and we will soon be at 2,000 members.

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17
Mar

Channel Focus – Rock

Jeeni’s rock channel is one of our busiest and most prolific stops for our Jeeni artists. They populate the channel with countless different approaches and understandings of the rock genre. From Manchester-based guitarist, Julience keeping the classic era alive with epic guitar-focused ballads to New York’s rockstar veteran, Eden James who’s been releasing stellar rock-pop records since 2008. Here’s a brief breakdown of some of Jeeni’s most viewed rock artists. Giack Bazz: https://jeeni.com/showcase/giack-bazz/ Giack Bazz is an explosive, relentless multi-instrumentalist songwriter based in London. The artist started igniting stages with his painfully honest lyrics and his screaming telecaster in 2015. He has since released three solo albums that were critically acclaimed (Blowup magazine, Decade, Rumore). In 2020 he released the 366-song effort “Impression A.I.” which featured artwork by Damien Hirst and consisted of an “Audissey in sound” of over 6 hours of original, genre-bending music. The release is currently awaiting Guinness World Record authentication for “most songs on a digital album”. Now Giack has conjured and completed a new collection of songs of conventional length: Inspired by Jeff Buckley, Paul McCartney, and Jamie T “Just a Little Bit More Famous” is a spiritual sequel to his 2017 sophomore album, “Giack Bazz Is Not Famous” and is set to release in late 2022. In just five short years, Giack Bazz has crafted a spectrum of ideas and concepts with his discography that a lot artists don’t get around to in their lifetime. Although Giack has expanded his sound to stylistic corners that he even had to create himself, his sound has typically always been centred around alternative, experimental rock, inspired by the likes of David Bowie, Thom Yorke and Devendra Banhart. A Year In Provence: https://jeeni.com/showcase/a-year-in-provence/ Brand new to Jeeni, A Year In Provence consists of five members: Matt Potter (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Adam Bacon (Bass), James Fermer (Backing Vocals/Guitar), Dan Wing (Lead Guitar) and Jack Smith (Drums). Originally all from Kent, United Kingdom. AYIP met in 2016 but after undergoing a few line-up changes, 2020 produced the current line-up. Influences for their music include the likes of; Catfish and the bottleman, The Black Keys, Two Door Cinema Club, Oasis, Kings Of Leon, Circa Waves and many more. In March 2020, the whole world was hit by the covid-19 Pandemic but for AYIP, it was a blessing in disguise. They decided to get back together and start writing some new tunes. During this time, they decided to change the band from a 4 piece into a 5 piece by bringing on James Fermer which added a new texture that they never knew they needed. By the time that May, 2021 rolled around, they had finished 8 songs and were ready to go out gigging again with brand new music which finally happened in July 2021. A Year In Provence have extensively gigged the Tunbridge Wells and surrounding areas music scene. Their next aim is to start moving to the London and Brighton music scene. They also have a range of merchandise that will be available soon! Julience: https://jeeni.com/showcase/julience/ Julience is a UK-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He draws inspiration from pop and rock music. His songs show his love for the 1960s until the early 2000s while updating traditional sounds to stay fresh and up-to-date. Julience’s songs have powerful hooks and harmonies. A heavy guitar sound is consistent throughout. Julience grew up in the Southern part of the Netherlands. He moved to Manchester to pursue music. He loves writing and playing music that combines prominent elements of guitar-driven pop and rock. Rock music is very robust; time and time again, it has come so close to disappearing only to revive itself and evolve to fit better into modern music climates. The difference with Julience is that he refuses to dilute the music he loves to conform to fit anything other than himself. Even in the infancy of his discography, he’s gained recognition and respect for keeping an older form of rock alive in the present day. Julience has been featured on over 30 playlists on streaming platforms with titles like ‘Punk Goes Pop’, ‘Retro Now Rock’ and ‘Rock ‘n Roll isn’t Dead’. Jeeni is excited to be able to feature Julience’s fantastic throw-back tracks on our rock and guitar channels as they release. Respite: https://jeeni.com/showcase/respite-band/ Alt-rock quintet hailing from Glasgow, Scotland. Respite blends elements of punk, post-hardcore and pop music, with lyrics and vocals heavily inspired by pop-punk and emo. Influenced by bands such as Don Broco, Mallory Knox and A Day To Remember, Respite deliver catchy and energetic earworms with a subtle depth. Having supported acts such as Hawthorne Heights, Trophy Eyes and Like Pacific, the band are currently preparing the release of their debut EP, after the launch of their first single, “Chemical Sleep” which debuted 3rd of October. Respite joined forces with Jeeni earlier this year and since then, Jeeni has been hard at work trying to elevate, uplift and support this fantastic group by providing an ethical worldwide platform for their hard-hitting and refreshing craft. Respite is: Andrew Vaughan & Euan Macqueen as guitarists, Ross Crawford on the bass, Reiss Mcleod on the drums and Sam Nicholson on the vocals. Eden James: https://jeeni.com/showcase/edenjames/?view=videos Eden James is an indie rock-pop recording artist, winning multiple music awards from his native home of Australia and achieving a number one hit in Greece. Classic Rock magazine UK recently reviewed his new album 'All the Good Blank Are Taken' saying “Oozes urban cool and Springsteen swagger… a concise collision of catchiness and class.” The rock songwriter's latest album features Bruce Springsteen's and Paul Simon's band members, and was produced by the iconic Tim Leitner, known for his work with Billy Joel and Tina Turner. The new LP is Eden’s fourth studio album and was released on July 9th, 2021. The album has spawned twenty-six (26) global music and video awards in 2021 and peaked at position 24 on the iTunes Rock Albums Chart Australia. Eden James' debut album ‘Never Setting Sun’ launched a chart-topping hit single and received critical acclaim. With the release of his second album he appeared on the Rockwave festival bill with The Killers, Placebo and Moby. Eden was the second top billing on the Vibe stage for the largest music festival in Greece. His international tours and performances in Japan, United Kingdom, France, Norway, Sweden, Greece, Poland, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand and the USA have resulted in an ever-growing fan base. His music can be streamed and downloaded on all major stores and platforms. Check out Jeeni's rock channel here: https://jeeni.com/channel/all-channels/rock/ If you'd like to contribute to Jeeni's rock channel, reach out to our marketing team at doug@jeeni.com or ella@jeeni.com

03
Sep

Mel's World

Today, Jeeni has returned to Crowdcube to raise more funds for helping new talent. Jeeni founding director Mel Croucher says, “I admit we're ahead of our original schedule, but there's still so much more to do. We need to scale our online platform globally now and build our mass artist showcases. Then we can hit all our targets, and give our new artists the recognition they deserve.” If you want to see our pitch click HERE. Mel has been writing the best-loved column in top-selling tech magazines for over 30 years. Now he's agreed to share his work with all our members. He's a video games pioneer and musician, and to to find out more about Mel check out his Wikipedia page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Croucher. Here's one of Mel's latest! This place is neither a home nor a prison. It is some sort of institution. It drips a pallid 1980s atmosphere, and it makes me both afraid and excited. I am completely lost in a badly-lit labyrinth of corridors. It feels like I am being toyed with, and I want to leave. Of course I know the rules by now, and the most important rule of all is that I must keep my social distance of an arms-length and avoid physical contact with any other lost souls who wander these passages. They are creepy. They look more like ghosts than real people. Their eyes are disturbing. Sometimes they stare ahead vacantly, sometimes their staring gazes flick to the left and then to the right in a zombie rhythm. I cannot see their noses or their mouths, because they are covered by coloured masks. My own mouth is not covered at all. My own mouth gapes wide open. I think I feel hungry. I think I am searching for food. Perhaps I will find a piece of fruit, or maybe one of those pills I am encouraged to consume. As I turn a corner, I nearly collide with one of the ghostly figures. But I keep calm. I do not panic. I simply turn away and move as fast as I can. Which is not very fast at all. I can sense another presence around the next corner. The passages are only wide enough for one soul to pass at a time. I feel rather hopeless. I feel quite trapped. I think there is a distinct possibility that very soon I will lose my life. I think I need to build a wall before my time runs out. I know how to build a wall, I have had plenty of practice. The bottom rows of bricks slot into place without much trouble. But the more I seem to succeed, the more difficult my masonic task becomes. The stupid smaller bricks take on a will of their own, and the larger bricks feel clumsy in my hands. My wall is becoming a mess. There are big gaps in the structure where an enemy might get through. There are little gaps in the structure where a virus can penetrate. I think I'd better get out of here. I think I'd better find me a new space, one with some ladders to climb up and ledges to crawl along. Perhaps if I navigate these ladders and ledges, I can find my way out. And will you look up there! High above the ladders, almost out of sight, there is a young woman in a purple frock. She is in obvious distress. She calls out to me. Her flame-red hair cascades around her face, and then blows backwards. Which is bizarre, because there is no wind to speak of. Now she screams out, the same word over and over again. The word is help. Her cry is too theatrical. She has a big nose, like Princess Diana, or Pete Townshend. I am not very interested in her. I am much more interested in the beer. It believe that the beer is stored in big wooden barrels, stacked up in strategic places, and seemingly too heavy to be manhandled. But I am able to pick up any barrel I like, magically, without a problem, because I am unnaturally strong. And I am very, very hairy, from tip to toe. If I was once Pacman, now I am the mighty Kong. It has been many years since the viral invaders arrived from the Far East. The Space Invaders. At first the effects of their invasion were only faintly amusing, but then they grew rather attractive, and strangely exciting, and eventually they became quite addictive, even all-consuming. But as with all invasions, their glamour grew dull and they eventually lost their grip on power and faded into folk-memory. Recently, my domestic patterns have been disrupted, just like everyone else's. I have been procrastinating. I have been clearing out the cupboard under the stairs. Which is how I came across this old crate that has been gathering dust for longer than I can remember. Near the top of the crate there was a sleeping collection of very old videogame cassettes, many of which I had published myself. And beneath those old games there were some vintage machines in their original boxes. Once I'd worked out which of their black power supplies went into which of their grubby little holes, they sprang back into life to display crude blocky graphics on their silly little screens. It's been decades since I played Pacman, or Tetris, or Donkey Kong. And the last time I played Space Invaders, silly haircuts were compulsory and Margaret Thatcher was driving around in a tank. When this shitstorm is over, and when I am able to go free-range again, I wonder how long it will take me to forget about all the ghosts in all the corridors from all those bygone times. As for the flame-haired damsel in distress, I remember her name clearly. Her name was Pauline Daniella Verducci Lady Louise. She was less than an inch tall. She was a drip. The beer was virtual. It still is. Jeeni Creator, Mel Croucher - badly in need of a haircut Click HERE to visit or return to jeeni.com

21
Oct

Get Gaming for Halloween!

With Halloween approaching, many games have spooky events taking place over this period. There's a screaming variety of games to choose from and we are dead sure there's one that will get you trembling. Firstly, Call of Duty Warzone has an event running from the now to the 2nd of November called ‘The Haunting’! There are new scary skins available including the Scream franchise’s Ghostface! As well as new weapons and other bundles including items for the game's zombies mode. Secondly, the Nintendo game Animal Crossing has many new Halloween items available from Nooks Cranny, the games very own island shop as well as the clothing store. Players can buy Halloween treats and costumes alike. They have also introduced a new Day of The Dead festival within the game which we are sure will be very successful. The spooky month is running through to October 31st so don’t miss out. ‘Fury of the Damned’ from Sea of Thieves is scheduled to run until November 7th! During this, you battle skeleton camps and hordes, and if you complete enough challenges you can win rewards. And don't forget Fortnite and Overwatch with the drop of many new skins for players to use, and other games such as Rocket League and Pokemon Unite also getting involved in all sorts of monstrous ways. Be sure to check if your favourite game has any special content we haven’t mentioned already! Jeeni is proud to be partnering Chillblast, the UK’s most awarded gaming PC manufacturer. Whether you are a console gamer or are already a PC gamer be sure to visit Gaming PCs by Chillblast | Budget, 4K, VR Gaming PCs. Visit Jeeni PCs (chillblast.com) to take a look at our very own Jeeni gaming PCs. Free UK delivery, 5-star Top-Rated on Trustpilot, 5 Year Warranty, monthly payment options from just £21, they're a dead cert!

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