Without going into details regarding Facebook's algorithms and why they're not always fair or consistent, let's just say that if you've tried setting up a Facebook group in the past, you probably know all too well how difficult it can be to get people to join and engage with your content.
So what are some great alternatives? There are many! Let's take a look at seven of them:
This is one of the questions you should seek to answer as an online marketer. Here's what you should remember when choosing the best alternative for your business:
When selecting a platform, it is important to ensure that it has the necessary features that meet your and your brand's needs. Consider the following:
Ensure that the platform you choose is able to meet your requirements in these areas to ensure a smooth and effective experience.
When evaluating a platform, it's important to assess the interface and determine if it is user-friendly. Consider the following:
If the platform is challenging to navigate and use, it's crucial to determine if there are adequate support options available to assist you. If not, it may be best to consider other options.
The success of your online community depends on user engagement, making it crucial to consider the user experience when using the platform.
Consider the following when evaluating the platform:
If the platform is difficult to understand, it's likely that your community members will also struggle with it. To ensure the platform is suitable for your audience, it's best to test it from their perspective and determine if it meets their needs or requires improvements.
Cost is an important factor to consider when choosing an alternative to Facebook Groups. Some options may be more expensive than others, and it's important to find one that fits within your budget.
Keep in mind that a higher price does not always equate to better quality. It's essential to evaluate the platform based on the other factors discussed, such as customization, user-friendliness, and user experience, before making a final decision.
Discord is an excellent alternative to consider if you're looking to build an online community outside of Facebook. It offers a range of features that can help you engage and connect with your members, such as:
These features, among others, make Discord a robust platform for building an online community and fostering engagement and interaction among its members.
Reddit is a popular platform that uses a forum-style structure, where each topic is assigned to a category known as a subreddit. Some of the key benefits of using Reddit for building an online community include:
However, like Discord, Reddit has limitations when it comes to customizing the platform to reflect your brand and generating revenue from your members. Also, similar to Facebook, you don't have full ownership of your subreddit.
Mighty Networks is a comprehensive platform that provides the opportunity to build and manage an online community, as well as sell courses and products in the same space. This makes it ideal for individuals and businesses who want to create a community centered around their niche or industry, but may not have the resources to handle it independently.
The platform comes with an array of integrated features such as private messaging, group chat, polls, file sharing, and more, which can help you engage with and manage your community more effectively.
Additionally, Mighty Networks allows you to set up your own website with a custom URL, effectively turning it into an online store where you can sell products related to your topic. This makes it a versatile platform that can help you build and monetize your online community in one place.
With Tribe, you have the ability to easily build and grow your community of users who are passionate about your business or niche. Whether you choose to integrate the tool into your website or make use of the convenient phone app, it offers a range of features and benefits that will help you connect with your audience and establish a strong online presence.
Tribe.so offers two subscription plans: the Plus Plan at $59 per month for a maximum of 2,500 members with expanded app options, and the Premium Plan at $299 per month that removes the Tribe branding and increases the member limit to 25,000.
Podia also provides features such as email marketing, landing pages, webinars, and a customizable website, making it a complete solution for online creators.
It offers integrations with various payment gateways, making it easy to sell products and handle payments. The platform has a user-friendly interface, making it easy to set up and manage your online business. With Podia, you own your audience and can build a strong community around your brand.
Podia has an option of a free plan, however, it comes with a 8% transaction fee for any sales made through the platform. Paid plans, on the other hand, eliminate this fee and offer the Mover Plan for $39/month, the Shaker Plan for $75/month, and the Earthquaker Plan for $166/month.
Hivebrite also offers a wide range of integrations with other platforms, including event management, email marketing, and payment processing. This makes it a great choice for those who are looking to build a large, thriving community and manage it efficiently.
Hivebrite offers a variety of pricing options, including a free basic plan, as well as paid plans starting at $250/month for unlimited members. This makes it accessible for small and large organizations alike.
One of the major drawbacks of Hivebrite is the cost, which is relatively high. Additionally, integrating Hivebrite with your existing technology infrastructure can be difficult and may require the assistance of an IT specialist to ensure smooth integration with other tools.
Kajabi is a comprehensive online platform that offers a wide range of features to help you build and manage your online community. With its ability to create secure public and private communities, Kajabi gives you complete control over your community's membership. You can customize the platform to match your brand identity and set up paid memberships to help monetize your community.
With its recent acquisition of Vibely, an industry-leading community platform, Kajabi will soon feature even more powerful community-building tools, including live calls, challenges, leaderboards, accountability tools, real-time chat, and more.
The Basic Plan ($149/month), the Growth Plan ($199/month), and the Pro Plan ($399/month). Each plan offers different features and tools, such as the ability to add more team members, increase storage and bandwidth, and access more advanced marketing tools.
It's important to consider your business needs and growth projections before choosing a plan to ensure that you have access to the resources you need as you continue to grow your community and business.
In conclusion, there are several great alternatives to Facebook Groups for building online communities.
Each platform has its own set of features, benefits, and drawbacks.
For example, Discord offers secure public and private channels, customizable bots, and audio and video calls, but lacks customization options for your brand and monetization options for your members.
Mighty Networks is perfect for creators who want to build a community around their niche or industry, but don't have time or energy to manage it on their own.
On the other hand, Hivebrite is a great option for communities with a large number of members, but its high-end pricing and challenges in integrating with other tools can be drawbacks. Ultimately, it's important to choose a platform that fits your budget, needs, and goals for your online community.
If you're looking forward to building your business in an online community, CourseSupply.co provides a comprehensive suite of digital business tools in a single, organized package, along with various resources like product templates and webinars, to simplify the experience.
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