Why you need to join a Facebook Group (and why you might need to quit the ones you’re in)

If you’re a professional of any sort, Facebook Groups can be an incredible way to learn, network, and stay creative.

Facebook Groups have helped me tremendously as a photographer, and they allow me to help others! At the same time, I’ve been in some pretty bad ones. Let’s talk about what a good group does, with some information on how to avoid those icky groups.

The right Facebook Group has the following benefits:

Market research: See what others are talking about. If you’re looking into a specific industry, you can learn a lot from listening to other people who are doing what you are interested in. You know you’re in the right group if you see people unafraid to answer questions to help each other out. See more about why community over competition is awesome.

Job opportunities: How fantastic is that? There are a lot of job opportunities posted by other colleagues. This can be a great way to earn extra income, or even start doing something full-time. 

Encouragement: I can’t tell you how many Facebook Groups I’ve had to leave because I was tired of seeing other photographers nitpick other photographer’s work ( don’t take it personally, this might happen when others use critiques to inflate their own egos).  You know you’re not in the right group when people would start their posts with “I’m afraid to share this one here..” or “Please be gentle, but I’d like advice..” This is not the type of community we need more of.

You should feel empowered after asking for advice, not defeated.

Education: A great Facebook Group is always sharing relevant articles and videos to help you continue your education. You’ll know you’re doing something right if you are learning something new every week.

Inspiration, not jealousy: After some time in a group, evaluate yourself. Inspiration is the best benefit you can get from a group, but jealousy is the worst. Ask yourself how the content makes you feel.

What groups you should definitely quit?: Ones that allow people to be rude and anything super spammy. I also quit groups that were constantly complaining about customers.

Do you have any favorite Facebook Groups?