Facebook expert gives heads up about Groups future on platform

Mari Smith, a Facebook marketing expert, appeared on Michael Stelzer's and SocialMediaToday.com's show Friday and presented some changes looming for Facebook, as well as indicating big shifts coming with the platform's groups tool.

To start the show, Smith and Stelzner talked about a new app Facebook is working on called Bars. In short, it's an app that is aimed at music creators, specifically rappers. The app would be an opportunity for collaboration among rap artists. How this differs from TikTok is that songs on TikTok are by lip syncing. With Bars, it is the users' own audio. Smith said this likely won't mean much to marketers, but it shows the steps Facebook is trying to take to solidify its future and get people away from other platforms, like TikTok.

A big discussion points through the 20-plus minute program was the future of Facebook Groups. Some data was presented.

• 1.8 billion people use Facebook groups monthly.
• There are 70 million Facebook group moderators.
• More than 50% of people are in five or more Facebook groups.

Stelzner said this and I agree, people are gravitating toward Groups more than the regular Facebook platform because people want to "be part of a special group." Isn't that what social media is about? Being part of a group? Facebook does a great job in capitalizing on this and is a leader in this method.

With that, though, are some potential changes, but ones that don't appear they'll take away the groups experience.

One of those potential changes suggested by Smith was ad placements within groups or recruiting sponsorships for groups. Plus, Facebook groups may become searchable in Google.

Lastly, Smith and Stelzner discussed the 2021 vision for Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg.

Smith said Facebook and Zuckerberg are focused on four areas: community, private messaging, ecommerce and next computer platform.

The changes or potential changes with groups is an indicator of Facebook's goal regarding communities. After all, Stelzner said about 40% of people don't trust Facebook and TikTok.