How to Use Facebook Share Threads to Grow Your Blog

Let’s talk about Facebook share threads. More specifically, let’s talk about using these share threads to grow your blog.

Should you do this? What are the pros and cons of Facebook sharing threads? And can you really grow your blog traffic and audience using them?

Let’s dig in and get some answers!

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FACEBOOK SHARE THREADS

What the heck are they, anyway?

Facebook sharing threads are just posts that invite other Facebook users to share or promote their content in the comments of that post.

Might look something like this:

The thread is usually started by the admin of a Facebook group. 

Related Read: Learn how to start and grow your own Facebook group right here!

The admin creates a Facebook post and invites all group members to share their response or promote their stuff in the comments. The comment section becomes a ‘thread’ of content shared by members of the group.

These sharing threads usually come with a set of rules, to keep things organized and fair for everyone participating in the free promo opportunity. 

Most of the time, if you participate in a sharing thread, you’re required to do something in return. Something like support a few other creators by reading, sharing, or commenting on their stuff. 

Each group owner makes their own rules for their promo threads, so you have to be sure to read and pay attention to the group rules if you want to participate!

Facebook sharing threads are usually organized by day or by theme. 

For example, a Monday sharing thread might be created to support small businesses. Every Monday, small business owners in the group can then share their business or website link in the comments of the share thread.

There are over 10 MILLION Facebook groups in existence, and many of them have opportunities for group members to share their stuff. 

Promotional share threads are most common in business groups, blogging groups, and local community groups.

Sounds pretty sweet for bloggers and small business owners, right? Just join a Facebook group and promote your stuff for free every day of the week?!

Well, like all sweet things, there is a downside.

Let’s talk about the pros and cons of Facebook sharing threads.

THE PROS AND CONS OF SHARE THREADS

We’ve established that sharing threads create the opportunity for bloggers to share and promote their stuff for free (yay). 

But there are good and bad things about Facebook share threads. As someone that has run a large blogging community for years and also hosts daily sharing threads there, I have some insight on this one.

CONS…

We’ll start with the bad news first.

1. Share threads can turn into a spam-fest REAL fast! 

Since bloggers at all stages want a free place to share their content, these threads can become overrun by low quality content or spammy links if they aren’t monitored.

Some people participate in share threads just to drop links to their spammy content, with the hope of getting more traffic. They don’t bring value to the community, they don’t reciprocate or support other creators, they just drop their spammy link and run.

That’s gross. But it happens.

If group owners don’t organize and moderate their share threads properly, they can get out of hand quickly.

2. Bounce rate might go up if you participate in too many.

Sometimes people will do the bare minimum just to participate in a sharing thread. 

If the rules require them to read 3 other blog posts, they might click on a few posts and spend two seconds skimming the post before clicking out. This will increase the bounce rate on the site they just clicked out of.

If you are participating in large, free-for-all promo threads, it is much more likely that your bounce rate will go up. Either because people are just doing the bare minimum to participate in the thread OR because your content isn’t something they are genuinely interested in. 

This is why really large, unregulated sharing threads should be avoided!

Pro tip: Use Google Analytics to keep track of your traffic and your bounce rate with this easy tutorial!

3. It can be time consuming!

If you’re spending a lot of time on share threads to grow your blog traffic, you might find yourself on this hamster wheel of dropping links, engaging with a bunch of other bloggers all day, and chasing page views. 

Some people will spend several hours a day on sharing threads, just reciprocating to everyone on the thread.

This is NOT recommended under any circumstances. In fact, if you’re required to ‘like all’, ‘follow all’ or ‘click on all’ posts in a sharing thread, you should just skip it completely.

Your time is valuable, and most of that time needs to be spent on other important blogging tasks.

Pssst: Here is exactly what you should focus on for your new blog!

PROS…

Now, let’s look on the bright side.

1. Free promotion opportunity.

This one pretty much goes without saying: if you participate in the RIGHT sharing threads, they can create a great opportunity to get more eyes on your stuff, whether it’s a product, service, or blog post that needs some love

It truly is a FREE chance to promote your blog or business.

Of course, dropping a random link in a comment thread doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get traffic, subscribers, followers, or sales. 

You still need to know HOW to market yourself and make sure that what you’re sharing is valuable to people (we’ll talk about that in a moment, so hang in there with me)! But if you’re looking for a free way to promote whatever you’re working on, Facebook sharing threads do bring that opportunity to you.

2. Collaboration, connection, and support.

One thing I love about sharing threads is the connections you make with fellow bloggers. 

Just a quick scroll through a comment section and you can find bloggers and creators in every niche to connect and collaborate with.

I have found and followed some amazing creators, influencers, and entrepreneurs that caught my eye in sharing threads. I have also had the opportunity to support all kinds of small businesses that I never would have known about if I didn’t scroll through a sharing thread!

3. Free blog traffic.

Not all sharing threads are created equal.

But when you join the right communities, and you find supportive bloggers that are willing to give back, you truly can gain some free blog traffic (and some loyal readers) from sharing threads.

This isn’t usually a massive amount of blog traffic, so let’s get that straight right now. 

We have to be realistic and accept sharing threads for what they are: an opportunity to get more eyes on content they might enjoy. If your content is great, and your blog post title catches the eye, you have a shot at free blog traffic.

And who the heck doesn’t want free blog traffic?

4. More sales!

Some promo threads are created specifically for people that sell physical products, digital products, or have discounts on their stuff.

And everyone loves a good deal! 

When you have the opportunity to leave a link to one of your valuable deals or offerings in your favorite groups, take advantage of it.

SHOULD YOU USE FACEBOOK SHARE THREADS TO GROW YOUR BLOG?

With those pros and cons in mind, let’s ask the million dollar question: should you use Facebook share threads to grow your blog?

And the answer is: IT DEPENDS.

Sharing threads do have their place in a blogger’s marketing strategy. As long as you:

– Find supportive communities of bloggers that give back

– Only participate in threads that are monitored for spam

– And only participate in threads that have reasonable requirements that aren’t too time-consuming

Then using share threads to grow your blog and following is completely fine!

Keep in mind: sharing threads are not the ULTIMATE solution to boosting your blog traffic and increasing your income. They are simply an opportunity to get more eyes on your stuff. 

Just as mentioning your blog post or product on Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram presents an opportunity for people to see your stuff. And when your stuff is awesome, well optimized, and helpful to potential readers, you’ll get more blog traffic, followers, and sales! 

Remember: It’s not a guarantee, it’s not an ultimate solution, it’s just an opportunity. And it’s up to YOU to make the most of that opportunity and encourage people to click and read!

Important note: Blog post sharing threads create opportunity to get more eyes on your blog!

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF SHARE THREADS

If you’ve made the personal decision that engaging in a few sharing threads is worth your time each week, then you need to maximize your chances of being seen in those threads. 

You’ll notice that a lot of share threads contain a lot of random links with no context.

Let me tell ya: those bloggers are NOT stacking the odds in their favor. They are not making the most of this promotional opportunity. And they are probably not getting much blog traffic or traction either.

Let me show you how to avoid that…

1. ALWAYS INCLUDE CONTEXT

People are busy and distracted. They don’t want to click on your blog post and start reading it in order to decide if they want or need what you’re offering.

Include some context so they can decide if they have any interest in reading your content.

Even if you say something simple like: this blog post is full of tips for getting started homesteading on a tight-budget… 

You immediately created context that will stand out to people that are genuinely interested in this topic.

In the example above (an actual share thread in my group), which post are you more likely to click on? The random link, or the post with context?

2. STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD

Before posting in a share thread, do a quick scroll and see what others are doing in the comments. Not to copy them, but to stand apart from them.

If everyone is just dropping random links, with no context, then adding context will help you stand out. Or, if everyone is posting plain text, adding a fun emoji or GIF will help you stand out.

Pro tip: don’t copy other people in share threads. Instead, do something that makes you stand out from the crowd!

3. SOLVE A PROBLEM

The best way to maximize the opportunity of share threads is to SOLVE A PROBLEM for your potential reader.

Again, include some context and let your reader know what THEY are going to get out of this if they click on your link, read your post, or follow you on social. 

Instead of saying, ‘please check out my blog’, try saying, ‘If you need help with XYZ, this article explains everything you need to know’.

This changes the position from begging for blog traffic to offering a solution to a problem. 

4. USE BETTER BLOG TITLES

Your blog post title and featured image will usually pop up when you leave your link in a share thread. 

Your blog post title MATTERS.

Your blog post title is either going to make or break your chances of gaining any readers from share threads.

A problem solving title is best, but in general, just make sure that your blog post title is very clear and descriptive of what to expect from your post.

Need help coming up with better blog post titles? Set up a brainstorm session with me right here!

5. GIVE BACK

If you want to receive engagement from Facebook groups, you have to give it too.

Although you don’t need to share or pin any content outside of your own niche, it only takes a few minutes to read a simple post and offer a genuine comment. 

Find supportive groups and be sure to support others as well!

WHERE TO FIND THE BEST SHARE THREADS

As we now know, not all share threads are created equal. 

If you’re going to use share threads to grow your blog, you’ll need to choose the right ones.

You should never participate in threads that require you to ‘like all’ posts or ‘share all’ posts. For two reasons: it’s time consuming for YOU, and confusing for your audience (when you’re sharing content outside of your niche).

Below are 5 great Facebook groups that have quality share threads you can participate in!

BECOMING A BLOGGER

Group details: blogging/business-focused group, all niches welcome, over 24,000 members, actively moderated.

SHARE SCHEDULE

Sunday: Collaborate thread and video thread

Monday: Instagram promo

Tuesday: Twitter promo

Wednesday: Blog post promo

Thursday: Pinterest promo

Friday: Facebook promo

Saturday: Self-promo thread and support small business thread

BLOGGING BABES COLLECTIVE

Group details: blogging/business-focused group, all niches welcome, over 5,000 members, actively moderated.

SHARE SCHEDULE

Sunday: Self-promo day

Monday: Blog post shares

Tuesday: Pinterest pins

Wednesday: Twitter promo

Thursday: Facebook promo

Friday: Blog post comments

Saturday: Social media day

BLOGGING FOR NEW BLOGGERS

Group details: blogging/business-focused group, all niches welcome, over 30,000 members, actively moderated.

SHARE SCHEDULE

Sunday: Blog Post Comments or Shares

Monday: Facebook Followers

Tuesday: Pinterest Re-Pin

Wednesday: Sharing Is Power

Thursday: Blog Post Comments

Friday: PromoFriday

Saturday: Social Media Following

A SELF GURU

Group details: Blog/business-focused group, all niches welcome, over 3,500 members, actively moderated.

SHARE SCHEDULE

Sunday: Collaboration /Share anything

Monday: Blog Post hares

Tuesday: Pinterest re-pins

Wednesday: Blog post comments

Thursday: Pinterest follows + Twitter follows / retweets

Friday: Facebook follows / comments + Instagram follows/ comments

Saturday: Pinterest re-pins / comments

NEWBIE AND EXPERT BLOGGERS UNITE

Group details: Blogging focused, all-niches welcome, over 1,000 members, actively moderated.

SHARE SCHEDULE

Sunday: Self-promo day

Monday: Instagram promo

Tuesday: Pinterest promo

Wednesday: Blog post comments/shared

Thursday: Social media promo

Friday: Facebook promo

Saturday: Self promo and affiliate promo

Want more?

Grab my list of 27+ great Facebook groups with share threads right here (it’s FREE)! It includes each of their daily promo schedules too, so you can save time on finding the right places to promote your stuff!

WHAT TO FOCUS ON FOR YOUR BLOG

Let’s wrap this baby up like a rolled taco and have a quick recap about what you should truly FOCUS on for blog traffic growth!

Of course, share threads have their place, but they should not be the focus of your marketing strategy.

What should you focus on?

Creating great, problem-solving content and optimizing the heck out of it!

To that end, here’s an article on writing great blog posts, and here’s a free masterclass for learning to optimize your content.

Be sure to pin this one for later right here!