Facebook Groups used to be the most obvious way to build an online community, but times have changed. Many people are considering an alternative to Facebook Groups for a whole host of reasons. From data privacy to politics, clickbait to trolling. That’s not to mention the decline in reach, the inability to monetise and the fact that Facebook could block or ban you at the drop of a hat. These are just a few of the reasons businesses, creators and entrepreneurs are exploring Facebook Group alternatives.

The benefits of creating a Facebook Group alternative far outweigh the investment of doing so. For starters, you can fully brand your community platform. You are in absolute control of your data and privacy. You can customise the metrics you want to see. The engagement is much higher as your audience are free from distractions and you won’t have to pay for ads to reach them. Your community platform is easily accessible and available via web and mobile. It’s intuitive and easy to use. You can store all of your content in folders, and you have the ability to monetise your community. The list of benefits, really is endless.

We have a range of flexible monetisation features for you to choose from. One option is our subscription model; your members will pay a monthly or annual fee to be part of your community. Or, you can set your community up as a paid download from app stores. That means you set the price and your members pay a one-off fee to download and join your community space. Our community software comes with in-app purchases and freemium functionality, meaning you can put a paywall in front of any exclusive content or areas of your community platform. You can also use any combination of these monetisation options to make money in the ways that work for you and your community.

Migrating your community may sound like a challenge. But here at Disciple, we help communities of all sizes migrate from social media, websites and mailing lists into their own, dedicated and highly interactive community spaces. We’ve got plenty of resources, best practices and guides to help make sure your community moves with you when you’re ready to go.