7 fantastic alternatives for Facebook Groups
Facebook Groups used to be the most well-known method to engage with your customers build trust in your brand as well as grow your business. The problem is, Facebook doesn't have the right to manage your group. Facebook owns it.
We'll look at the reasons why more content creators are seeking alternatives to Facebook Groups. And which ones made our top seven list.
Why are online creators looking for alternative options in Facebook Groups?
With 2,934 active users each month -- 1,8 billion are active in groups monthly --, Facebook is definitely a wonderful place to connect with your target audience.
Although Facebook Groups used to be a great option to get your company closer to customers, recent scandals regarding privacy of users, with an array of other issues, have increasingly frustrated and even hurt business owners reliant on Facebook.
The result is that many look for alternatives in Facebook Groups.
What exactly are these problems, you ask?
The first thing to note is that, while Facebook Groups are quick to create, the you can only customize them in a limited way. Everything from the fonts and interface, to manner your users interact with you is controlled by Facebook which means you've nothing to say about it.
We'll get to the following point: your Facebook Group isn't owned or managed by you--it's Facebook's. That means that you might not be able to share certain content or engage with friends in the manner you'd like. It also means you're counting on Facebook to keep its platform operating well, but that's not always the case. Do we want to remind you of the downtime of Facebook in 2021?
A further drawback that Facebook Groups suffer from is visibility. Facebook Groups is visibility and monetization. Unless you upgrade your ad budget, non-paid posts normally receive approximately 2.2 per cent of viewers. For example, if your Facebook Group has 1,000 followers but only 22 will see your posts!
Facebook's algorithm is also able to prioritize posts by friends and relatives in preference to posts from companies, making it much more difficult to attract viewers with your posts, awesome as it may be.
Lastly, managing the administration of a Facebook Group can be hard work. Along with dealing with unpleasantness due to spam and troll accounts It isn't possible to customize the administrative settings, which means you'll have to use Facebook's platform to allow people join, publish or moderate.
Which Facebook Group alternative is best for a creator's needs?
This is a question you need to decide on your own, because what works in other companies might not work for yours. However, we created this article to give you some solid advice to make the best decision for your needs.
Here are the main things to be aware of in deciding on an alternative to Facebook Groups:
Features
Do you have the ability to modify the system? Are you able to operate it easily? Can you set everything up efficiently and quickly? Are you happy with how it works with the rest of your firm?
If you're choosing a platform it is important to ensure that you choose a platform that has the best features for you and your company. We'll dig into this more as we explore particular platforms further in the next section.
Platform Interface
What do you think of the user interface? Are you comfortable creating it, making changes your preferences, and making use of it? Or do you feel confused or overwhelmed by it? If yes does the former, do you have solutions for support to help you get familiar with the platform and help you troubleshoot? If you're having trouble understanding a system and you're unable to get assistance then you're better off exploring alternatives.
User experience
The online community is thriving in the event that your users are engaging with the platform, which is why it's crucial to take into account the user experience that they will enjoy when using your platform.
What does it look like from a user perspective? Do you find it easy to navigate and interact with?
If it is difficult to understand, chances are your community members will too.
Test it from your audience's point of viewpoint and then decide if it's something that they'd be happy engaging with, or if it can be better.
Budget
Certain Facebook Group alternatives are more expensive than other alternatives, so it's important to find an option that's within your budget.
More expensive doesn't always indicate superior quality. Take a look at the following factors prior to deciding on one over another.
One of the worst things you can do is to have an expensive system whose interface and client experience are hard to work out.
What are the best alternatives for online communities that aren't Facebook Groups?
There are numerous options available to build your own community, independent of Facebook Today, we bring you the top seven options for Facebook Groups.
Let's dig in!
1. DISCORD
It was originally a gaming platform for players has evolved into a very popular community-building platform.
Discord comes with a number of amazing features to help build your online community that isn't on Facebook, such as private and secure public channels, private channels, customizable bots to interact with members, direct messaging between admins and members videos and audio calls as well as custom-designed permissions that differentiate between administrators and users.
It is also possible to use the app for absolutely free. You can also upgrade it for $99.99 annually to gain access to other functions.
But, creating a Discord community isn't an easy processand you'll find yourself confronted with a lengthy learning curve that can slow down your online community-building process.
Your Discord server is also able to coexist with the rest of the communities that are online on this service, which means that you'll have to make sure you stand out so people are able to interact with your content rather than your opponents.
For branding, Discord employs a black and white theme, which may or not work the aesthetic of your company. Unfortunately, this can't be altered.
In addition, you cannot cost your customers for access to your Discord server. If you'd like to charge this, you'll need to create a separate payment page separately.
Overall, Discord is a great alternative to Facebook communities that offer more features and functionality. If your objective is to help your users earn money and grow your brand, the platform will not offer all the tools you require.
2. Reddit
With over 50 million people using Reddit every day, the platform has a lot to offer for building an online community outside of Facebook.
Reddit has a forum-like design, where each topic gets classified into a subreddit or a subreddit.
The best thing about Reddit is that it's totally cost-free, and you can set up a public or restricted subreddit, and it's straightforward to create and use .
Similar to Discord the platform isn't equipped with customizing options for your brand and monetization options for your users. Like Facebook it's not as easy to fully control your subreddit.
It is possible for your subreddit to be suspended if management believes that you or any of your members--have broken rules by posting or making comments.
The amount of subreddits on the website is quite significant, which means that producing content to connect with the audience could be an obstacle.
Although the platform itself is totally free, you need to purchase an advertisement-free version.
Reddit is an excellent option to build a completely no-cost online community. But, as with Discord however, it's not the best option if you're trying to make money from your online community.
3. MIGHTY SUPERNETWORKS
Mighty Networks allows you to create an online community and sell your courses in the same space.
With this tool, you'll be able to build free or paid communities for your users, employ personal branding, provide an app for mobile devices, and set up private areas where your followers can interact.
Mighty Networks also allows for live streams, group and private chat, and an unlimited number of moderators and members.
The platform does not have a free plan, and transactions are charged on top of the monthly fee.
If you're after online course options, you'll need to enroll in their Business planfor $119/month. Also, should you require any other equipment, such as payment processing email marketing, a good web builder or landing page creator--you may have to pay extra to get these features.
Mighty Networks plans--and the transaction fees attached--are their Free Trial ($0/month with 5percent transaction fee), Community Plan ($39/month and 3% transaction cost) as well as their Business Plan ($119/month with a 2percent transaction cost) along with Mighty Pro (custom price).
This platform is a great option to start an online community. However it is important to keep track of its transaction fees because they are likely to increase quickly as your community gets bigger.
4. TRIBE.SO
Tribe is an online community building tool that can be utilized via websites for businesses or by phone applications.
One of the advantages of Tribe include the ability to decide to create a private or private one, connect it seamlessly with other software (such as Slack, Google Analytics, or Intercom among a few) or modify it according to the style of your business. Additionally, you can access an abundance of community management tools.
Tribe also allows members to upload content to Tribe using various category tags.
It is possible to join Tribe at no cost in the first 100 people to join.
Then, you'll be able to pick between the Plus Plan($59/month) to allow up to 2,500 members , and increase the number of apps available as well as their Premium Plan($299/month) that permits you to eliminate the Tribe branding and expand up to 25,000 members.
One major downside is Tribe doesn't allow for direct messaging, making it difficult for administrators as well as members to communicate with each members.
Similar to the options above, Tribe doesn't offer any options for paying members to your online community , or selling digital items for your customers.
That means that the options for monetizing Tribe gives you need you to deal with these issues and set up payment tools external to the platform. Yikes! Another new tool to be added to your arsenal of tech tools.
Tribe is a great alternative for companies that are already established and wish to increase their reach in the online presence because it is focused on building brand loyalty.
It's just not efficient in getting your message out to the world that can compromise your efforts to build a community, especially in the beginning, especially if you're new to the business.
5. PODIA
Podia is an online platform designed for creators and a great alternative to Facebook Groups.
With Podia it is possible to control how you interact with the users, offer free and paid subscriptions, as well as offer digital goods.
Podia is also able to handle direct messages, website building, and email marketing. This makes it easier to create connections, and connect your company in your online community.
Since Podia integrates payment platforms it isn't necessary to fret about needing to create them separately. It allows you to monetize your website and get the most out of your online community.
Because you can build your website in Podia starting from scratch, you get a 100% customizable platform to match your branding.
With Podia it is possible to use their Free plan but you are charged an 8.8% charge for transactions made on their platform.
Paid plans don't charge you a transaction fee and currently are available as three plans: Mover Plan ($39/month), Shaker Plan ($75/month), and Earthquaker Plan ($166/month).
If you'd like to gain access to webinars, affiliate support and more, you need to move to Shaker Plan.
Another downfall of Podia is the fact that it provides a template for a product with few customization options, so you'll have to spend an enormous amount of time making your own resources.
Podia doesn't offer an overview of the progress users are making with your courses either--you can check users' progress individually, which is mega time-consuming--making it harder for you to see at a glance whether your audience is engaging with your training.
If you're in need of assistance in training so that you can get the most out of Podia Be aware that you'll get only an hour of Q&A every week. That could not be enough help you set up your online community and maximize its full potential.
6. HIVEBRITE
Hivebrite is a community-building website which permits a huge variety of people to join it.
The platform offers a high level of customization including live feeds, various access rights for your members, either paid or free members, as well as the possibility to turn on additional features as your group expands and evolves.
More than 500 businesses are currently using Hivebrite as their service provider, and their customer service has been reported as outstanding.
But, Hivebrite doesn't display its rates on its website, however it the company claims that its prices start at $500/month. To get specific pricing information as well as other important information, you must sign up to try a trial.
Hivebrite is an excellent choice for companies with large budgets to create an online community they can monetize, but with the expensive price and the technical complexity, it might not be the ideal alternative for freelancers or smaller companies.
7.
lets you create safe groups, private or public, adapting the platform to your brand identity and even set up paid members. And since its recent acquisition of the best-in-class community-building platform Vibely It will shortly feature live calls, challenges, leaderboards, accountability tools, real-time chat, and much more!
Y You can link your business to your online communitythanks the's custom domain tool and website builder. They allow you to create videos as backgrounds and sales pages as well as pop-up forms among other features.
integrates all the different integrations you need to create, grow and then monetize an effective online community. This will help you save costs while also enabling you to easily ramp up the amount of money you earn.
In addition, the monthly price you pay covers everything that is required to run your company and run your online presence, which means you don't have to use different platforms to run and grow your company.
Offers three payment plans:
- The Basic plan($119/month) includes an online store that sells at least three products, and three pipelines. You get an unlimited number of landing pages as well as marketing emails, and you can have up to 1,000 active members.
- The Growth Plan($159/month) includes one website that can sell up to 15 items and pipelines and expands the number of active users to 10,000. It also lets you set up 10 administrators, and you can remove 's brand.
- The Pro Plan($319/month) provides three websites, which can offer up to 100 products . In addition, with pipelines. It is possible to have up to 20,000 active users with 25 admin users.
It's a great alternative an excellent alternative Facebook Groups for community owners as well as course creators and coaches. Additionally, it's an affordable way to run your company, since it only requires a single monthly fee for the full set of software for business growth.
What is the most effective alternative for Facebook Groups?
Community forums are a great way that allow you to build your branding identity, distribute audience-focused content, and show potential customers that you're interested in the opinions of those who are part of them.
Knowing your audience's needs and opinions will help you develop strategies that work for your business. They're in the minds of your potential clients, which means you can connect your product and information to your audience effectively.
Only you know what exactly you'd like and want to get from an online community building tool. But becoming familiar with the options is an excellent way to ensure that you're making the right selection.
However, the majority of online entrepreneurs love having a full package of tools to grow and profit from their community all in one place and with zero hidden costs.
It offers an array of digital business tools in one neat package and an array of tools, such as product templates and free webinars, to make your life easier.
What's the most exciting part? You're able to trial it absolutely free for 14-days before deciding if it's the perfect choice for your needs.
Try free for 14 days
is everything your online business needs. Everything you need in one location. Yes! Let's go!