5 Alternatives to Facebook Groups for Building a Community

In the quest for creating vibrant online communities beyond the realms of Facebook, we’ve gathered insights from founders and CEOs among other experts. From engaging diverse audiences on Reddit to fostering real-time interaction on Discord, here are the top five alternatives these professionals recommend for building a community and the reasons why they stand out.

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Engage Diverse Audiences on Reddit

Reddit is a strong alternative to Facebook groups for building a community. Unlike Facebook, Reddit offers a platform where you can engage with a diverse audience, including strangers and anonymous users.

This can be particularly valuable for gaining honest feedback and diverse perspectives.

Engaging on Reddit allows you to understand what people genuinely think and feel, which can provide deeper insights into your community’s needs and interests.

This broader understanding helps you build a more informed and responsive community, tailored to the real needs and preferences of its members.

Harsh Kushwah, Founder, menPsyche

Build Professional Networks on LinkedIn

I’ve found that LinkedIn groups can be an excellent alternative to Facebook groups for building a community, especially in the legal field. LinkedIn’s professional focus makes it ideal for connecting with other legal professionals, potential clients, and experts in medical malpractice. 

We’ve used LinkedIn groups to share insights on recent cases, discuss changes in medical malpractice law, and offer support to those affected by medical negligence. The platform allows for more in-depth, professional discussions compared to Facebook, which aligns well with our firm’s mission of seeking justice for our clients. 

LinkedIn groups also offer better privacy controls and a more targeted audience, which is important when dealing with sensitive legal matters. By actively participating in these groups, we’ve been able to establish our expertise, build relationships with potential clients, and stay informed about industry trends. 

This approach has helped us in our commitment to fighting for just compensation through the court system by expanding our network and knowledge base.

Dioselvi Lora, Certified Paralegal, Freedland Harwin Valori Gander (FHVG)

Monetize Content with Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is a platform that has gained traction as a robust alternative to Facebook groups due to its ability to combine community building with e-commerce and subscription-based services. This platform enables community leaders to monetize their content directly through memberships, courses, or paid groups, all within the community context. 

Mighty Networks is particularly beneficial for creators and entrepreneurs who aim to build tightly-knit communities around niche interests or professional development. The platform’s emphasis on exclusivity and direct economic interaction creates a strong bond among members and fosters a sense of ownership and value.

Jason Hennessey, CEO, Hennessey Digital

Circle: Creative Freedom for Communities

One specific alternative to Facebook groups for building a community is Circle. Circle is where Savvy Offer Hub is hosted, and I see it as the ultimate online community platform. Not only is it a top-notch alternative to Facebook groups, but it also outshines many other platforms.

With Circle, you can easily create your own online forum space, but it doesn’t stop there. It also offers features like live streams and rooms (a great Zoom alternative), courses, and the ability to upload video, audio, and text content.

One of the things I love most about Circle is the creative freedom it gives you. You can set it up however you want, with different Spaces that allow you to manage various membership tiers and provide different levels of access to your audience.

However, there is a significant downside: you can’t build sales pages directly on Circle. This means you’ll need a separate website for that, or you can use a direct checkout link instead.

Danilo Miranda, Managing Director, Presenteverso

Foster Real-Time Interaction on Discord

One specific alternative to Facebook groups for building a community is using Discord. Originally created for gamers, Discord has evolved into a versatile platform for creating highly engaged communities across various niches. It allows for real-time communication through text, voice, and video channels, offering a more dynamic and interactive experience than Facebook groups.

Discord’s greatest strength lies in its ability to create organized, customizable spaces through different channels. You can set up multiple topic-specific channels within a single server, making it easy to compartmentalize discussions, share resources, and maintain engagement across various interests. Additionally, Discord supports voice chat and live streaming, which encourages spontaneous interactions and real-time collaboration—features that can foster a deeper sense of community than static posts on Facebook.

Another key advantage of Discord is its customizability. You can assign roles to members, manage permissions, and integrate bots to automate tasks like moderating content or sending welcome messages. This level of control allows you to create a community experience tailored to your audience’s needs.

For example, in one community I managed, we moved from Facebook groups to Discord to foster more real-time interaction. Members appreciated the instant communication, the ability to join topic-specific channels, and the sense of belonging created by having a “home base” they could interact in whenever they wanted. Engagement increased by 40% after the transition, and members stayed more active and involved than they had been in the Facebook group.

Discord provides a more flexible, interactive, and engaging environment for building and nurturing a thriving community, making it a strong alternative to Facebook groups.

Omer Lewinsohn, General Manager, Marketing Expert, Management.org

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