Being an active part of Facebook groups is a great way to grow your business. Both from a knowledge standpoint and as a way to make connections and land new clients.
There are several groups I’m a part of where I know that if I ask a question that I’m going to get thoughtful responses from people who are willing to take a few minutes out of their day to help another business owner out.
Then there are groups that are great for getting help as well as finding new clients. They’re full of business owners who value each other’s talents and aren’t afraid to pay for valuable products and services.
Those types of groups are great, but what about groups that are specific to your niche? I mean, you can’t really get clients from those, right? Well, not so much.
I used to be unsure of whether or not niched Facebook groups were worth my time and I was so so wrong. If you’ve never been a part of a group like this, you might be surprised at how supportive everyone is of someone who could very well be considered “competition”. There have been times when I was unsure how to approach something new or ran into a problem with a website and everyone was always quick to jump in and try to help.
Along with these groups being a wealth of knowledge, they’re a great place to find some new business friends that think the same way that you do! And, yes, you can even get clients when someone is booked out or is presented with a project that isn’t the perfect fit for them.
So, now that you know that niched Facebook groups are just as valuable (and probably more valuable) than those that are wide open, let’s dive into my favorite 5 Facebook groups for designers.
Unstoppable Basecamp
Unstoppable Basecamp may be my very favorite of the 56 (gulp) groups I’m in. If I run into a coding question or have a project inquiry that’s not the best fit for me, this is always the first group I go to. There are people with years and years of experience who are always willing to jump in, answer a question, and even get their hands dirty if you need more in-depth help.
That all makes perfect sense after you see the group is run by the wonderful Erin Flynn. Erin has an extremely giving heart and is always looking for ways to support her fellow business owners.
Unstoppable Basecamp doesn’t have any weekly threads, but the group doesn’t need it to stay active. If you scroll through the feed you’ll see people asking for tech recommendations, solving problems, sharing wins, and supporting each other. Only designers and developers are allowed in this group, meaning you can always feel safe asking questions or looking for advice.
Elevate & Cultivate Design Collaborative
If you’re looking for a strong and supportive community feel, Elevate & Cultivate is a group you’ll love. This group, started by Lauren Black and Illiah Manger, was created for designers to improve their skills, receive feedback, and grow new friendships.
This group has daily threads to keep conversations going and it also has a couple super unique aspects as well. First, they work to organize mentorships between experienced and inexperienced group members. This goes right along with their desire to help everyone improve their skills and grow a successful business. Along with the mentorships they also bring in a guest expert each month to help everyone learn a new skill that will compliment or improve their design business.
Fearless Foxes Community
Next we have the Fearless Foxes Community. This group was created by the lovely Kaitlyn Kessler for designers to receive feedback, build relationships, and grow their businesses.
This group doesn’t have daily threads, but people aren’t afraid to ask for feedback on recent work or get vulnerable and honest about their struggles. This group is perfect for anyone with a budding design business.
DesignHer
DesignHer is a large group full of designers with established design businesses. This group is new to me so I don’t know a lot about it, but it’s clear through the posts I’ve seen that it’s a great place to go to get feedback, tips, and advice. I’ve seen people helping out with everything from what business tools to use to dealing with unique client situations.
Get Back To Design
And last, I have to mention my own group, Get Back To Design, which I run with the lovely Kory Woodard. We recently created this group knowing that my knowledge of development and Kory’s experience running a design business could create a great community for designers to be a part of.
Our goal for the group is to create a place for established designers to share knowledge, ditch the code, and spend more time doing the parts of their job they love.
Along with the natural conversation that is happening as the group grows, we also have weekly threads that allow you to get feedback on your work, share your favorite design tips, and vent about all of the crazy things that can come up in a week of running your own business.
To keep the group safe for designers to share their struggles and speak honestly, we are very strict about allowing only designers into to the group. When you request to join, be sure that we can tell you’re a designer from your profile or that you send Kory or myself a message with a link to your business’s website.
We’ve got some fun stuff planned for the group and would love to see you inside!
Find the perfect community for you
Regardless of which of the above groups you are in or choose to join, it’s important to surround yourself with a supportive community that can help you move your business forward.
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