Groups are cheap to start and expensive to run. A realistic facebook group management workflow sets the rules and the moderation load before membership grows past the point where either can be introduced easily.
Decide the purpose narrowly
A group needs a reason to exist that a member could state. "Community" is not a purpose; "a place to ask questions about X and get answers from people who use it" is. Without that, the group fills with promotion and gradually empties of everyone else.
Entry questions are the cheapest quality control available. Two questions filter out most bulk join requests and give you a sense of who is arriving, which is far easier than removing people later.
The workflow
- State the purpose in the group description, plainly.
- Write three to five rules; more than that goes unread.
- Use entry questions and actually read the answers.
- Decide the promotion policy explicitly and enforce it from day one.
- Set post approval on or off deliberately, not by default.
- Rotate moderation so it does not rest on one person.
- Seed early discussion; empty groups stay empty.
- Review growth against activity, not membership alone.
The promotion rule decides everything
Groups that allow unrestricted self-promotion become promotion feeds within months, and the members who came for discussion leave quietly. Decide the rule at the start, state it clearly, and enforce it consistently including for people you know.
Judge health by activity rather than headcount. A group of five hundred with regular discussion is worth far more than five thousand with none, and membership figures are the easiest number to grow while the group dies. Moderation practice sits in the community moderation workflow, and wider habits in the community management workflow guide.
Common questions
Should post approval be on?
In the early months it usually helps, since the first posts set expectations. It can be relaxed once norms are established.
How many moderators are needed?
At least two, so the load is shared and holidays are covered.
Should the business post frequently?
Sparingly. A group dominated by the host stops feeling like a community and starts feeling like a mailing list.
What if the group goes quiet?
Ask a direct question. Quiet groups usually need a prompt rather than more members.
Is a group better than a page?
Different. A page informs; a group hosts conversation and costs considerably more attention. See the FAQ.
Should the group be public or private?
Private groups tend to hold better discussion; public ones are easier to discover. Choose against the purpose rather than defaulting.
How should rule breaches be handled?
Remove the post and explain privately the first time. Public reprimands rarely change behaviour and make other members cautious about posting at all.