This week, Facebook announced the launch of a standalone app for Groups, its once immensely popular collaboration tool that has seen a significant drop-off in recent years. Unlike the Messenger app, which Facebook introduced in 2011 and forced upon users earlier this year, the social media channel assures us that Groups will still exist inside the main Facebook app (for now). In this case, the change could breathe new life into the tool, optimizing the highly useful but long-forgotten Facebook Groups app for content generation.

Facebook groups have always straddled the line between Pages and a messenger app, creating an equality between members’ posts (not just brand posts with fans liking and commenting) and facilitating more natural conversations between members. As Facebook pages began picking up steam, groups fell by the wayside, particularly as users were faced with limited physical space on their devices and brands’ push to the page structure.

But with over 700 million daily users accessing Facebook on mobile alone, standalone apps will likely be a trend for the social network. So how can brands benefit from this ever-growing pool of mobile-only users? By harnessing the content generation power of passionate fans willing to interact, share, and vouch for their favorite brands online. Here are three tips to help you get started on the Facebook Groups app.

Connect with brand enthusiasts. Launching a new social media presence, even if it’s within a platform you’re already active on, is the perfect time to engage your biggest fans. Giving them a first look into your brand’s new venture is a reward in itself, though offering a perk for joining creates an added incentive and symbol of appreciation. Reach out to your brand’s advocates on your existing social media channels and invite them to join the new group, with the first 50 members receiving something as simple as a brand t-shirt or as elaborate as passes to your travel destination next season. This added bonus will further fuel their enthusiasm for your brand, taking their positive messages to your new Group and beyond.

Gather user-generated content. Now that you’ve established a group for your brand, encourage members to share their experiences through photos and stories. Contests are great incentives for generating content, especially when the group is first launched. Over time, carrying out meaningful conversations surrounding users’ shared content will encourage members to share organically. Understand, however, that even with your biggest fans, the feedback may not be 100% positive all the time. Have a strategy in place for handling negative commentary, such as taking the conversation offline and dealing with it one on one. If handled correctly, this very experience could generate your next shining review or group post.

Be transparent. Your fans are smart. They may love your brand, but they know that your motives go beyond making connections on social media. The new Facebook Groups app presents exciting ways to source genuine, user-generated content, but it’s critical that you are honest with your intentions. If you’re sourcing content for a new video, say that. If you’re launching a new campaign, include members in the process by introducing them to the campaign’s hashtag the day before it launches. Not only will transparency promote trust from your brand advocates, it will help generate real, genuine enthusiasm once the campaign launches, with your fans potentially leading the charge.

Harnessing the new Facebook Groups app for content generation could help your brand connect with existing enthusiasts and create new ones. If launched and maintained correctly, this revitalized social media tool could prove to be a refreshing piece of your content marketing mix. Need help building a brand strategy? Drop us a line.