Creating a Facebook Group for your HEU Union Local
All locals struggle with how to best engage their members in the
work of the union. Facebook is a tool that can help you inform
members about issues, local meetings, union conferences and
educational opportunities.
It can also help facilitate action, discussion and solidarity.
Before you create a Facebook group for your local, it’s important to think about your objectives.
What do you want to achieve with this tool?
Like a union local meeting, it’s the responsibility of the local to create a safe and welcoming
space on Facebook. For example, it’s important to avoid adopting an angry, sarcastic, or critical
tone in your posts. Instead, adopt an honest, direct and respectful tone.
Every time you post, make sure you are working towards your objective and appealing to your
members in the tone you want to convey.
We recommend that you create a PRIVATE GROUP on Facebook. The alternative option is a
“page,” but a page is entirely public, may disappear from your members’ newsfeed, and is not
as useful for facilitating small group discussion, and sharing internal union information.
Why have a private group?
• If your main objective is member engagement, a private group will allow members to
feel more secure discussing their issues.
• The public will not be able to see who is in the group and any posts. Only current group
members can see the posts and participate.
• You can control access to the group. People can ask to join, or be added by an
administrator.
• In groups, members receive notifications by default when any member posts in the
group.
• Group members can participate in chats, upload photos to shared albums, and
collaborate on group docs.
Creating a closed group
(These are instructions for computer, your phone interface may be different)
1. From your home page, go to the left bar menu and click “Groups”. Then click the button “+
Create New Group”
2. Add your group name. We recommend “HEU [Name of the local]”
3. Select “Private” privacy
4. Select “Visible” so that members will be able to find your group on their own.
5. Add any members that you are already friends with on Facebook. Members are not added
automatically. They will be sent an invitation that they need to accept, so ask people you have
added to check their Facebook Notifications. You can skip this section if you don’t have any
members as friends on your profile.
6. Click “Create” when you are done.
7. Copy the URL at the top of your browser (e.g.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/12345677890) and send that to the other members in your
local so they may join.
Group Settings
Once the group is created, you'll be taken to the group.
Start by adding a cover photo, adding the group description, and inviting more members.
Regarding Membership Approval, we recommend that
you select the following option:
Go to “Group Setting” on the left side bar menu
Scroll down to “Manage Membership” section
Click the pencil icon next to “Who can Approve
Member Requests”
Select “Only admins and moderators”
This way, you’ll ensure that there are not random people
from the public being added, and that the group is
focused on HEU members from your local.
You may also add up to 3 Membership Questions to help
filter membership requests. These questions are asked of
anyone who is requesting to join the group. You can find
Membership Questions on the left side bar.
For more information on setting up groups, check out
Facebook’s Help Centre:
https://www.facebook.com/help/1629740080681586
