If you have been hanging out with me for a while, you already know how obsessed I am with Facebook parties and how they can grow your direct sales business. I owe a lot to these parties. Facebook parties are how I built my business and exploded my team. It’s how I was able to grow my business like crazy from the comfort of my home, from a trailer on vacation out West with my family, in between homeschooling my kiddos. We all, or at least most of us, got into this business for the flexibility and freedom, right? Done correctly, that is EXACTLY what Facebook parties are going to give you guys. Don’t waste that opportunity.
I spent years figuring out Facebook parties for direct sales before they were even a thing, and while they’re always evolving, there are some things that will always remain consistent. If you embrace these tips, you’ll see success – I promise! So, let’s take a look at my tried and true top tips for making the most of this valuable tool to grow your business.
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WHAT IS A FACEBOOK PARTY?
A Facebook party is simply the online version of an in-home party. The goals are just the same: meet new people, introduce them to your products, sell your product, book more parties, and recruit new team members. It’s only the delivery method that is different!
HOW DOES A FACEBOOK PARTY WORK?
Setting up a Facebook party is actually very simple. The consultant creates the party in a specific location on Facebook (group or event) at a certain date and time. The Host invites her friends to attend by providing them the link to the party, and then everyone hangs out together online to read a series of posts (or watch a series of videos) for a pre-determined amount ot time,
The posts and videos can be a mix of engagement and product posts, designed to be both fun and educational. Bcause the party is held online, the host can invite her friends from all over the country, everyone can gather together in their jammies to enjoy a series of posts and/or videos at a specified time determined by the host, and everyone can have fun while learning more about the value of your products. All in the comfort of their own home!
WHAT IS THE BEST DAY OR TIME TO HOST A FACEBOOK PARTY?
The beauty of a Facebook party is that you can throw one anytime! Some consultants have better success during the week, while for others, the weekends work best. The key is to focus on the days and times when your host and her guests are naturally on Facebook. For example, if your host tells you that all of the people attending the party work during the day, then having a party at 2pm in the afternoon probably isn’t the wisest choice. And don’t forget to take time zones into account. If your host has a good mix of guests from the East & West coasts, a weekend party might work best.
HOW LONG SHOULD A FACEBOOK PARTY BE?
This can often be a subject for debate, with many consultants convinced only a 5-Day party format will work, while others prefer a 30-minute format. There are 2 factors, however, that you need to take into account before deciding how long you want your party to be: the type of product you sell and whether or not it requires a detailed explanation on how to use it.
No matter which format you choose, the key is to make sure that you’re not overwhelming your guests with too much information in too short a time or, conversely, boring them with too little information over a long period of time. It will take practice to see which style of party works best for you and your products.
SHOULD YOU USE AN EVENT OR GROUP FOR FACEBOOK PARTIES?
Throwing virtual parties on Facebook can create infinite possibilities for growth in your business. The age-old question pops up every time I chat with anyone about Facebook parties – is it better to throw your party in an event or a group? My answer is always the same. It depends. It depends on the length and format of your party, along with the different functionalities available within Facebook groups and events.
Let’s dig into both options, so you can make a decision on which format is best for your business and party preferences.
- Event
There are 2 different ways to throw parties using Facebook events. You can set up a public event from your business page or create one from your personal profile, where you’re able to choose whether you want it to be public or private.
Unless you’re throwing a flash sale or special event that doesn’t include a host with her guests, you will want to use your personal profile to create a private event so that there’s a sense of exclusivity and VIP treatment for the party-goers. Events created from your business page are open to anyone to join and participate in.
Facebook events are also useful for shorter parties that have a set time for guests to show up. Facebook will send guests reminders when the event is about to start, which makes the job for the host a little easier. Posts within events also stay in the order that you post them, which makes following the flow of the party super simple for guests.
One downside to events is that Facebook currently does not allow pre-scheduling your party posts natively or from a 3rd party provider like Cinchshare unless the party is hosted through your business page. That means all of your pre-party and party posts must be done in real-time.
- Group
Facebook groups can also be set up through your personal profile or business page. Because you’re running a business on Facebook, Facebook would prefer that you run your parties through your Facebook business page.
The functionalities of the group are the same either way. Groups can be made either private or public and for parties, but again I highly recommend having them be private as public groups tend to attract spammers.
Unlike events, group posts move around based on the engagement on the posts. So old posts can be bumped to the top of the discussion feed once there’s a new comment. Currently, you can pre-schedule all of your group’s posts either within Facebook or by using 3rd party software, which means you have a little more freedom and aren’t tied to your phone or laptop.
Overall if you’re looking for a simple format without many bells and whistles, events are the way to go. If you want to make your party more custom, then groups will be the better choice. My suggestion? Give each one a try and see how you feel about them both!
FACEBOOK PARTY SETUP
Let’s talk about the setup! There are a few key areas that you want to pay attention to when you’re setting up your party –
- Create a short, catchy title for your party – This is the first thing party goers see when they get the invite notification. Make it count!
- Select your privacy choice – if it’s a party, you probably want to keep it private.
- Upload a cover photo/banner – Always use a fun cover for your parties that matches the theme of the party. Avoid cluttering up the banner with a bunch of small images, but instead, opt for one big image with an overlay or text to make it pop!
- Add a description – Your party description is prime real estate. Make sure it answers all the basic party questions, and don’t forget to include your host’s ordering link!
- Link to your business page – Since you’re running a business, Facebook would prefer that your business activities like selling be linked to your business page. This also gives your guests quick visibility for your page so they can go follow/like it!
If you chose to party in a Group, you can also:
- Add a custom color – This is super fun and super easy! Change up your group color to match your cover graphic, party theme, or personal branding. This will make your group pop when being viewed on mobile.
- Customize the group link – The default URL for groups is a long string of random numbers. Change it up to your host’s first and last name or party name to make it super fun and easy to recognize when sharing the group link.
- Add files – Want to share a short pdf with product tips, how-to’s, and how to connect with you after the party? Add the file to your party group. Guests will love it!
- Create units – If you have information that you want guests to refer back to later, like product how-to’s or opportunity info, quickly and easily create units within the group that they can refer back to later.
HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PARTY RESULTS
- Coach Your Party Host
Host coaching is the secret sauce to literally everything and anything you want to make happen in your party planning business. If your host is doing her job, you’re going to reap the benefits. My number one tip for host coaching is to make sure your host knows she needs to personally invite every single person on that party list. Facebook is based on engagement and community building. Your parties aren’t going to be effective if your host mass invites 275 friends, 150 join the party, but only 20 are actually interacting with your posts Mass adding does not work, it’s not going to make you money, and it’s going to come across as spammy. What you need to do is create smaller targeted groups that each receive a personalized invite from your host.
- Limit Your Products
I know it’s super tempting to show off 101 products that you are obsessed with, but really, you’re just going to overwhelm your party guests that way. Too many options lead to analysis paralysis. So, think about the theme of your party and select products that will fit into that theme specifically.
- Educate and Entertain
A great way to create engagement in your parties is to have them centered around edutainment – teaching people about your products but making sure they’re having fun too. Think about offering tips and tricks related to your party theme, but not necessarily focused on the product. For example, if you’re talking Mexican dinners, you’re going to want fajitas and margarita’s – but you need a little guac in there too. Do an Avocado 101 post with tips on how to know if an avocado is ripe, how you peel it, how you keep it fresh – people love those juicy, useful tips they can take with them. You need to provide value!
- Focus on Benefits over Features
One of my favorite sayings in direct sales is “features tell, benefits sell”. So let’s break that down.
Features – the literal design elements of a product. Think size, color, or material it’s made of.
Benefit – how the product saves the customer time and money.
You need to use both, friends! Think about it in terms of sharing how xyz product of xyz size will help a family of six make dinner or organize. Sell on why it’s important and why they need this, how it’s going to change their life – that’s the benefit. In order to effectively use both features and benefits, you need to use your products. Those personal stories and tips and tricks are all going to develop as you use your products.
- Build Relationships
I’m a huge advocate for using a tool like Post My Party or Cinchshare to schedule party posts. It makes life less stressful, helps you prepare, and allows you to think through your content fully. That being said, it can be very, very tempting to not really show up for the party, especially if you’re using a scheduling tool. Don’t do it. You need to show up!
It’s so important to be a visible presence in that virtual party. Go ahead and schedule the posts but make sure you’re logging on daily to respond to each and every comment, to engage in conversation, and to ultimately create relationships and grow your business. If you’ve done a half-decent job at making relationships a priority in your Facebook parties, when you go in with the booking Ask, it won’t come across as spammy or pushy because you cared enough to have a conversation with her in the party – you’re Facebook besties now!
- Be Yourself and Show Your Face
Authenticity is critical to your Facebook party success. Be yourself and talk like yourself. Show your personality and show off that face of yours! A Facebook Live is a great tool, but if you’re not totally into Facebook lives yet, think about recording a welcome video you can post in every party, film a top 10 products run down to get people excited. When people hear your voice and see your face it makes them feel like they know you, even if you’ve never met them.
- Make It Easy
You need to keep your content light – it’s a Facebook party, not rocket science. Play some simple, uncomplicated games, do some goofy stuff, use GIFs and stickers, and don’t be so professional you’re boring and stiff. Be excited to be there. Be personable. This is where your content will be engaging and generate results.
And please, please, please, make it easy for your guests to order! We are all busy these days and if it takes your guests more than 30 seconds to figure out how to order, they probably won’t make the effort.
- Have Fun and Make Your Parties Memorable!
Using an entertaining party theme is a great way to ratchet up the fun factor in your parties! Think outside the box, using themes that will resonate not only with your guests but also tie into your products. How about a fun movie night theme (especially around the Oscars!) that showcases different popcorn recipes? How about a Crafting Away the Winter Blues theme that showcases different Spring crafting projects? The creative ideas are endless, and can make putting a new party together more fun for you too!
- Stay Connected After the Party
Now that you’ve spent time building these relationships, make sure you continue to nurture them! Personally thank everyone for attending the party and invite them to join you on your social media platform of choice (such as an exclusive VIP group.) If they placed an order, send them a thank you card, follow-up to make sure they received their order, and invite them to subscribe to your newsletter. As I’m sure you’ve heard many times before, the Fortune is in the Follow-Up. Continuing to nurture these relationships will lead to more sales, more bookings, and more recruits!
THINGS I WISH I HAD KNOWN
- Facebook is your friend, not your enemy
Facebook doesn’t have a target on your back. I know it might seem like there’s some secret department of people just sitting there playing a whac-a-mole with your profile, but that’s just not the truth. Facebook is a crazy expansive network that reaches all ends of the earth. If there weren’t a couple of rules, it wouldn’t have the same experience. The rules are there to protect their community, platform, and user experience.
It’s also a highly user-centric platform, which means that when user behavior changes, Facebook rules change, and you’ll have to adapt. When stuff happens, just relax and try to work around it, don’t get frustrated, and keep trucking! Remember, Facebook is your friend, not your enemy. They’re allowing you to grow your business so you just have to think about their rules and quirks once in a while.
- There’s no “one way” to do Facebook Parties
Despite what you may have heard, there are multiple ways to do Facebook parties. The only goals you should have for your Facebook party are to educate people about your product, make new relationships, and have fun. No one in-person event is the same, so why should Facebook parties be any different, right?
Base your Facebook parties around your business goals and your personality – you do you! I see so many direct sellers get wrapped up in what they “should” be doing with Facebook parties, rather than just doing the dang thing and learning as they go! Practice makes perfect, friends, just go for it. There’s no such thing as failure, only growth.
- Relationships Matter Most
When you build your business virtually, it’s easy to feel like you’re “doing enough” by just scheduling posts consistently. But I can assure you it’s not – it’s the relationships you build that are the most important.
Don’t use the screen as a barrier to relationship building. By doing constant check-ins and making a conscious effort to engage with every single post and every single person in a party, this is how you will grow. Virtual relationship-building can be a bit awkward at first, but with time it’ll feel natural. Let your comments flow just as you would in a regular conversation. Think about it in terms of what you’d ask if you were at an in-person party and just roll with it. It’ll get you new followers, new customers, and ultimately lots of new business!
I think you’re ready for it! I am fully confident that you will now have everything you need to rock your next Facebook party to grow your business and your sales.
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Want a proven plan for growing your direct sales business without feeling like you're chasing your tail? The Direct Sellers Business Blueprint explains the 4 key areas you must master to build a simplified, systematic business. It will even tell you which area to tackle first, so you can stop feeling overwhelmed or confused about what to do next. The best part? It's completely FREE!
Mary Haynes is a highly successful direct sales leader turned strategist and coach. Her passion is helping party plan people streamline and scale their businesses using simple, proven strategies. Her goal is to eliminate business overwhelm so direct sellers know exactly what to do and when to do it. Mary is also a homeschooling mama that lives in sunny Florida with her husband, 4 kiddos, 2 dogs, and various other backyard animals.
