How to get leads from Facebook without buying ads

The following article is based on a presentation by Chantelle Voss at the 2021 Maid Summit, hosted and organized by ZenMaid. Chantelle is the co-founder and CEO of Carli, software for managing and optimizing experiences in Facebook groups. 

It’s no secret that Facebook Ads are an excellent source of leads. But these leads cost a big investment in time and money. Facebook Ads are also difficult to scale and even the biggest budget doesn’t guarantee desired results. 

Chantelle Voss believes you can skip the expense and work of Facebook Ads if you take advantage of the opportunities inside free Facebook groups.

Rather than turning to Google or Yelp, members of Facebook groups often ask each other for recommendations and referrals for local businesses. These members are prepared to spend money. If you’re ready to let them know why they should spend it on hiring your business, you can create a human connection that isn’t possible on Yelp or Google My Business. 

These types of leads often become loyal customers who refer others, so the lifetime value of a single lead is high. 

If you invest the time to perfect your strategy, you can attract consistent leads for your business without spending money on expensive ads or learning complex technology. 

While Chantelle’s business offers software that helps business owners manage their Facebook group involvement, you can do it manually. Read on to learn Chantelle’s tips on how to make the most of Facebook groups to attract potential clients.

Step 1: Create a Facebook profile that showcases your business

People will click on your profile when you post or comment, so think of your Facebook profile as a landing page or brochure for your business. Include your logo or images that reflect your brand, a link to your website, and information about how people can contact you for estimates. 

Your Facebook profile is also a great place to feature reviews as social proof. If your clients aren’t naturally leaving reviews on your Facebook page, ask your best customers to leave five-star reviews there. 

Step 2: Find relevant Facebook groups

Once you’ve created a Facebook profile page that best represents your business, it’s time to find groups to join. Before joining, check a group’s “About” section for the following information:

• Number of members: Unless you live in a very small town or rural area, look for a minimum of 1,000 members.
• Posts per day: You want groups with a lot of conversations and engagement. The About section will tell you the number of posts in the past 30 days. 
• Geographic area: Search by cities and counties to find groups with members in the areas you service. 

Avoid the marketplace or groups that specifically buy, sell, or trade, because there’s less opportunity for engagement. People in those groups generally post or reply about specific items. 

Step 3: Find group discussions

Once you’ve found a group, you can scroll through recent posts and search for past discussions or posts that you can still comment on. Think about what words your ideal customer would use in their post and search for those words or phrases. The phrase “can anyone recommend” or just the word “recommend” can also lead to relevant posts.

Step 4: Reply to posts with thoughtful comments – quickly

If you see a post or a question where you can add value, reply right away. In the same way that it pays to be one of the first businesses in search engine results, being first to reply has its benefits.  

Speed increases the chances that the person who posted will visit your profile page.  Take the time to write a reply that sounds authentic and conversational. To avoid sounding robotic or spammy, think about how you describe your business in person or what your most satisfied clients say about you. 

Here’s an example of a reply:

“Hey, my name is Chantelle, and I’m the owner of Made to Clean. We’d love to help. I’ve been in the neighborhood for 15 years, and all of our employees are bonded and insured. You can email me personally at (email address), or you can use this link. And I’ll send you that information over DM, so you can also chat with me there if you’d like. Please check your DM junk folder if you can’t find my message.”

If someone has posted about a specific cleaning problem or situation, add information about how your business is uniquely qualified to help with it. 

Keep in mind, other group members will see your post, too. While they may not have a need for your services at the moment, a thoughtful and helpful reply will help them remember you in the future. 

Learn more:

For more resources on how to grow and perfect your cleaning business, check out the replays from the 2021 Maid Summit, hosted by ZenMaid. The summit featured more than 60 presentations from other maid service owners who shared tools and strategies to help you achieve the highest levels of success in your business. 

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