Facebook group overwhelm is a REAL THING. You’ve probably heard about it, know someone who’s been through it or experienced it yourself. The good news is that it’s really easy to overcome if you ever find yourself in that situation where you feel like you’d rather throw your phone in the pool than go through all the group notifications you’ve accumulated in the hour since you were last on FB.
I’ve developed a system that I find works really for me, and it might just do the trick for you too…

It’s really common for women in business to stumble across FB groups for women in business and as soon as they realise how fabulous they can be, they end up in LOADS of them. Many serve the same purpose, with hashtag theme days and guidelines to follow. Some are purely support groups, and others are just for promo. You’ll get to know which ones you like pretty quickly. But we get ourselves into trouble when we like TOO MANY of them and try to hang out in them all, ALL THE TIME. It’s just not possible. So here’s what I do, and I suggest you try it out.

Step 1: Pick your groups for STRATEGY
Many people assume that when you’re feeling overwhelmed with FB groups that you need to leave some of them. It’s often called ‘doing a cull.’ But I actually suggest that you DON’T do that first. You’ll read more about that and why, in the steps below. But it’s important that you focus on the important stuff first. You need to have a strategy in your biz. It’s NOT a hobby. So don’t treat it like one. Pick a few (no more than 3 to start with is what I suggest) and they’re your FOCUS groups. They are the groups you show up in regularly, and post your paid offers into. They’re the groups that you want to become known for your THING in – whatever that is.

Step 2: Check the groups you chose for your market
So often I see solopreneurs choosing their focus FB groups based on how the group makes them feel. Whilst the feel of a group is important, you need to make sure that the groups you are investing your TIME and ENERGY into actually have your target market in them. If you’re promoting your services, please ensure your ideal clients are actually there. And how do you find out? You ask. It’s that simple. You need to follow the guidelines and it needs to be done gracefully, but you need to know before you start putting all your love, your offers and your energy into them. This can be a little tricky so if you need help with this – please get in touch.

Step 3: Review the groups you’re in
Once you’ve ‘taken care of business’ and chosen the FB groups that form your FB marketing STRATEGY, (and you’re posting in them to market yourself) then you can do a review of the groups you’re in. But so many people try to do this first, and it’s focusing on the wrong thing if you ask me. Focus on your strategy first, then cull the extra weight. Strategy = sales, culling doesn’t = sales. Once you’ve worked out step 1 and 2, THEN you can review the groups.
If you need to, pop them into categories:

• Strategy – focus groups (regularly, from step 1)
• Hang out in and post occasionally (when I feel like it) but no pressure to post
• Nice to be a part of but not actively posting
• Happy to watch from the sidelines
• Groups to learn from/not promotional/other types of groups

Step 4: Adjust your notifications
As you go through your groups and categorise them, adjust your notifications for that group accordingly. You have a variety of options, so choose what works for YOU! Once you’ve adjusted your notifications, you can then CHOOSE which groups you spend time in, and when – rather than being dictated by your notifications. This supports you to achieve step 1.

 Step 5: Leave any groups that aren’t right anymore
You have full permission to leave any groups that you just don’t use or don’t want to be a part of anymore. It’s fine. Don’t worry about hurting people’s feelings. Prioritise yourself and your biz. If you change you mind in the future you can come back, it’s not a big deal.

If you’re really struggling with overwhelm, follow these 5 steps and you’ll be feeling more relaxed about your Facebook experience overall.