Facebook is finally taking some time to really work on Group features, recognizing that the community aspect of these groups serve a higher good. Their first big announcement was in regards to a new Facebook Community Leadership Program which will seek to award funds for big ideas that serve unique needs.
They have announced a new, $10 Million Program aimed at increasing the effectiveness of Facebook Communities: 5, $1 million awards to be dedicated to fund ideas that cater to the community and serve unique needs as well as 100, $50,000 awards to leaders of communities that focus on specific, unique initiatives. These awards will also include things such as training, new tools for helping to manage the community, etc.
Interested in these awards? Go to https://communities.fb.com/ for more info.
The second big announcement that Facebook made about Groups was that they would be adding 4 new features for admins:
1. A new Admin Tools Hub which will feature all of the admin tools in one place and an easier way to navigate the ways the group can be administered.
2. Group Announcements which will include several posts in a grouped setting and pinned to the top of the group. You can schedule announcements ahead of time, add photos to them and they will give admins a lot more flexibility in how those announcements look.
3. New personalization features to give your Group an even more dynamic and appealing look. This will include picking out a color that will be shown throughout the group.
4. The best feature by far is the new Rules feature which will give admins a better way to communicate rules to members. They will have their own space, always visible on the group. Incoming members will also be shown the rules when they join. Rules will become a more prominent feature for the community.
