Facebook Groups: New Features, Subgroups & Monetization

Facebook Groups Receive Major Updates for Enhanced Management and Monetization

During today’s Facebook Communities Summit, the social media platform unveiled a comprehensive set of updates and innovative tools for managing Facebook Groups. These enhancements are geared towards empowering administrators to cultivate a stronger group culture, alongside the introduction of features such as subgroups and subscription-based paid subgroups. Real-time chat functionality for moderators, support for community fundraising initiatives, and much more were also announced.

Customization Tools for Group Administrators

A new suite of tools has been developed to assist Facebook Group admins in personalizing their online communities. This includes the ability to modify the group’s visual elements, such as colors, backgrounds, and fonts. Admins can also tailor greeting messages to new members.

These features are intended to help differentiate individual groups and establish a distinct tone and culture, according to Facebook. Administrators will be able to select from pre-defined collections of posts, formats, badges, and administrative tools to further customize their group’s experience.

Improving New Member Onboarding

A new greeting message feature will allow admins to share group rules directly with new members upon joining. This addresses the common issue of members simply agreeing to rules without actually reading them. The message will automatically appear, introducing members to guidelines and encouraging initial engagement, such as self-introductions.

Community Recognition and Moderation Enhancements

Facebook previewed an upcoming “community awards” feature, enabling admins to recognize and reward members for positive contributions. Admins can bestow accolades like “Insightful,” “Uplifting,” or “Informative” on standout posts. This feature is currently being tested in select groups.

Updates to moderation tools include the ability to pin announcements to a new “Featured” section and improvements to Admin Assist. Admin Assist will now provide personalized suggestions for criteria and offer more detailed explanations when content is declined. It will also be expanded to Facebook Lite.

New Tools for Connection and Revenue Generation

Several new tools are designed to facilitate better connections between group members and, in some instances, enable revenue generation for group administrators.

Community Chats, a chat interface available in both Facebook and Messenger, will allow admins and moderators to communicate in real-time. This is particularly useful for larger communities requiring coordinated management and swift responses to content concerns.

Groups can now also schedule recurring events for regular virtual or in-person meetings.

Introducing Subgroups and Paid Subscriptions

A new “subgroups” feature is being tested, allowing members to create dedicated spaces for specific topics, regions, or events. These subgroups can be centrally managed, providing a focused environment for discussions without overwhelming the main group feed.

Furthermore, Facebook will allow groups to establish paid subgroups, accessible through subscription. This offers exclusive content or experiences, such as coaching or networking opportunities. Currently, Facebook will not take a cut of the subscription revenue, though this may be subject to change.

Fundraising and Merchandise Sales

Facebook Groups will gain the ability to host community fundraisers to support group projects or compensate administrators. Additionally, groups will be able to sell merchandise through a dedicated shop, offering members a way to financially support the community.

Future Integration with the Metaverse

Facebook is also testing a new consumer experience that will allow Group admins to post as their Page, providing an “official voice” when interacting with their community. This will also enable Page admins to build communities in a single location, with access to the same moderation tools currently available to Facebook Groups.

These changes are being implemented with the future in mind, anticipating the role groups will play in Meta’s metaverse plans. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that building community will be central to the metaverse experience.

“Groups and communities on Facebook are going to be an important part of this vision,” Zuckerberg stated. “Nothing beats being together. But when we can’t be together in person, the metaverse will help get us even closer to feeling that sense of an in-person connection.”

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