As a part of an internal study of “Class of 2014,” etc.. groups, we wanted  to share a breakdown with what a Facebook Group can do for your institution. If you’re interested in this kind of information, we recommend another article recently published called Anatomy of a Facebook Page. To create a group, click here. To learn more about why you would want to create a group, click here.

(for hi-res version of this image, reply to @inigral on Twitter with #GroupAnatomy in the tweet.)

Group Name

First things first, naming your group is key. It’s the first field when you’re creating your group, and it’s one of three required steps. So far, there’s no real standard for how to name your group, mainly due to the varied use cases of creating a group. Including your institution’s name is generally a good idea however.

Group Type

Typically, you want to choose “Student Groups,” which will allow you to drill down to choose the specific category your group falls under on your campus.

Facebook for college admissions: Group Type

Profile Picture

Many Facebook Groups around campus use a customized image that includes the name of the Group in the image. While everyone may not consider this a best practice, it is a common one that helps each user achieve instant recognition of what the Group is for. The better quality the design of this Profile Picture, the more official the Group seems.

“Write Something Here”

Similar to a Facebook Page, your Group has a box dedicated solely to describing your Group in 250 characters. Think of this box as the second thing you would tell a person about you that you just met, after telling them your name.

Tabs

Different from Facebook Pages, Tabs within a Facebook Group are more limited. Here are the tabs Facebook installs by default:

• Wall
• Info
• Discussions
• Photos
• Video
• Events

Group Privacy

The biggest difference between Groups and Pages is that Facebook allows you to make groups “open,” “closed,” or “secret.” Examples of “closed” groups are clubs, organizations, or departments that have membership or staff that are not as simple as an “opt-in” policy. Groups set to “secret” could range anywhere from classes to scholarship recipients who don’t want their identity disclosed.

Facebook for college admissions: Group Privacy Settings

Officers

Another difference between Groups and Pages is that Groups allow you to appoint “Officers” for the Group. This is done simply by choosing members from the Group on the “Edit Group Settings” page, under the “Officers” tab. And removing officers is as simple as adding them – one click.

Information (Info)

Called “Information” on the sidebar tab, the Info tab also lives at the top of your Group, and is used to provide basic information about your college both on and off of Facebook. Institutions typically use this as an opportunity to post links to important websites, an address, and a main phone number to call with any questions.

Wall

Next to Discussion Pages, the Wall is typically the most active part of your Group. You are able to customize what your Groups members can and can’t do in your Group, including whether they can post on the Wall or not.

Share

The last part of your Facebook Group worth noting is on the bottom left of the Group. It’s a “Share” button, which allows visitors to share your Group with their Facebook friends, or anyone with an email address. As an administrator, you don’t have to share using this button, because you have the capability to use the “Invite” feature in the Group.