I need Facebook help!!

[Alicia64]

I'm a moderator on a Facebook page that addresses a disease.

Another moderator was complaining -- okay, it was me -- that when new folks join our FB page, they ask the same newbie questions. Which makes total sense. They're new, of course they have newbie questions.

But I'd like to write up the many things that newbies ask . . . and then somehow get the info to them. I told dh, "I think I might have to create a website for this info."

And dh gets all mad and says, "You don't need a website!! There's got to be a FB page that you can direct people to."

He knows nothing about FB. He's never been on it even once.

When I'm on the disease site, I see to the left the word "pages." But when I try to set up a page, it feels like I'm making an entirely new Facebook group. Is that what I should do?

I wanted something stagnant. Meaning the info. stays put -- it doesn't move around based on who has visited.

Is there a way I can connect a pdf to the disease page?

I hope I'm making sense.

Thank you, thank you, thank you in advance!!

 

[regentrude]

First of all: are you moderating a PAGE or a GROUP?

In each case, you can pin a post. I would do that if it were short. If there is a lot of info, upload it as a file to the files of the group and pin a post informing members about the existence of that file.

ETA: if no Files section exists yet, you need to create a file. Go to where you write a post, click on more options, choose "add file".

Edited March 17, 2021 by regentrude

[Alicia64]

13 minutes ago, regentrude said:

First of all: are you moderating a PAGE or a GROUP?

In each case, you can pin a post. I would do that if it were short. If there is a lot of info, upload it as a file to the files of the group and pin a post informing members about the existence of that file.

ETA: if no Files section exists yet, you need to create a file. Go to where you write a post, click on more options, choose "add file".

It's a group. (How do I know the difference?)

I think I need a file. Thank you so much!

You're like the Facebook whisperer!!

[regentrude]

Just now, Alicia64 said:

It's a group. (How do I know the difference?)

I think I need a file. Thank you so much!

You're like the Facebook whisperer!!

Group and page are two different things. A page is something the page owner sets up, for example if you want to promote a business or an organization. That person posts stuff (ok, there are visitor posts under "community"). A group has many members who are all posting things and commenting on each other's posts, and one (or several) persons who manage/admin/moderate.

Happy to help. I manage three different pages and admin a group 🙂

[ktgrok]

yup, a pinned post, or a file with a pinned post directing people to it. 

[itsheresomewhere]

Not to be a downer but you will get the same questions even with it pinned post, file or a website.  I moderate a group and while the pinned post and stuff only cut the questions in a third.  People just don’t read it.   Good luck.  I hope you have better success then we did. 

Edited March 17, 2021 by itsheresomewhere

[TheReader]

Another thing you can add beyond the file & pinned post idea (both good, and what I was going to say), is also you can create "topics" which are kind of like labels and then people can search those terms and see those topics all tagged with that label. 

So, the main FAQs that the newbies bring up, it can be in the topics too. Then also in the section where people join the group, you can set up questions and notes in there -- they may (likely) not read it, but when they join, they'll see whatever info you put there, which could include a link to the FAQs/whatever you want to call the file you make, and a note about using the Topics function to find stuff. Between all of that, it may help some. Or at least gives a quicker/easier way for folks to answer the questions. 

[Alicia64]

5 minutes ago, itsheresomewhere said:

Not to be a downer but will get the same questions even with it pinned or a website.  I moderate a group and while the pinned post and stuff only cut the questions in a third.  People just don’t read it.   Good luck.  I hope you have better success then we did. 

Oh, I don't mind just directing them to the pinned post or file. When people are newly diagnosed they're a little freaked out and aren't always thinking.

Now I can't decide: should I do a pinned post or a file?

[Alicia64]

28 minutes ago, regentrude said:

 

In each case, you can pin a post. I would do that if it were short. If there is a lot of info, upload it as a file to the files of the group and pin a post informing members about the existence of that file.

 

What would you call a lot of info? In the info I list ways to deal w/ doctors. I list ten meds. Ten sports. Good podcasts. A great book. And maybe give a one sentence description of each.

Do you think I should do a file?

[itsheresomewhere]

5 minutes ago, Alicia64 said:

Oh, I don't mind just directing them to the pinned post or file. When people are newly diagnosed they're a little freaked out and aren't always thinking.

Now I can't decide: should I do a pinned post or a file?

We have both to try and cut down on repeated questions. 

[TexasProud]

3 minutes ago, Alicia64 said:

What would you call a lot of info? In the info I list ways to deal w/ doctors. I list ten meds. Ten sports. Good podcasts. A great book. And maybe give a one sentence description of each.

Do you think I should do a file?

Another option could be to convert the group to a learning group that has Units.  Then they can go to a certain unit for help as well as ask questions inside that unit.  Just a thought.

[Alicia64]

39 minutes ago, regentrude said:

First of all: are you moderating a PAGE or a GROUP?

In each case, you can pin a post. I would do that if it were short. If there is a lot of info, upload it as a file to the files of the group and pin a post informing members about the existence of that file.

ETA: if no Files section exists yet, you need to create a file. Go to where you write a post, click on more options, choose "add file".

Okay, I get "file" now. Can you tell me how to pin the file? I don't see that.

Seriously, thank you so much.

[KungFuPanda]

I think you have to resign yourself to it happening.  Just don't answer any questions you don't feel like answering and leave it to people who don't mind.  Newbies don't read the FAQs before they jump in.  They just don't. They're not going to start because it's your page, or because you pin a message asking them to read something first.  

[prairiewindmomma]

A few thoughts:

1. If you moderate who joins the group, you could put it in the welcome information.

2. You could do a monthly reminder of the the basic questions/answers FAQ.

3. You could re-direct them each and every time the questions come up.

Honestly, though, people are going to just not read and ask the same basic questions over and over.  I would simply answer something like FAQ link #4, rather than spend time doing a longer answer if you address it at all.

[kristin0713]

I am part of a group where the moderator introduces everyone new in a way such as -- 

"Welcome, _________!  Please read the files and then ask questions if you have them!"

[regentrude]

1 hour ago, Alicia64 said:

Okay, I get "file" now. Can you tell me how to pin the file? I don't see that.

Seriously, thank you so much.

You cannot pin the file. You can pin a post. You need to write a post "Hey welcome new members, for faq see file in file section" or whatever you want to say, and you can pin that: click on the three dots in right corner, choose "Pin to top of page"

Edited March 17, 2021 by regentrude

[regentrude]

1 hour ago, KungFuPanda said:

I think you have to resign yourself to it happening.  Just don't answer any questions you don't feel like answering and leave it to people who don't mind.  Newbies don't read the FAQs before they jump in.  They just don't. They're not going to start because it's your page, or because you pin a message asking them to read something first.  

but if you have something in a file, you can simply respond "see here" and don't have to type it all out over and over again. I think the idea of having a file is very smart

[Alicia64]

1 minute ago, regentrude said:

You cannot pin the file. YOu can pin a post. You need to write a post "Hey welcome new members, for faq see file in file section" or whatever you want to say, and you can pin THAT

Okay, I get it now. You are a great teacher. ♥♥♥

[KungFuPanda]

41 minutes ago, regentrude said:

but if you have something in a file, you can simply respond "see here" and don't have to type it all out over and over again. I think the idea of having a file is very smart

It absolutely IS smart and people SHOULD read it, but they don't.  They ask the question, someone says "look here" and someone else just answers it.. Sometimes people even reply with a link to the FAQ page and someone else STILL just answers it.  Maybe it's just the groups I'm on that do this, but I swear it's like that everywhere.  People just want to jump in and start a conversation without mining the site for information first. I imagine one day the technology will catch up to the point where when people type their question, a link to the answer pops up before they can hit 'send,' but today is not that day.

[happi duck]

One group I'm in uses the pinned post to explain how to use the search feature and heavily encourages searching first.

[mlktwins]

I'm not in a medical group, but I've joined a lot of cross-stitch FB groups in the past year.  It doesn't matter what kind of info is available in a files or FAQ, the newbies are going to ask the questions.  Then...the people that have been there awhile get all upset (post nasty things or just give a response to use the search function) because it jams up their FB feed.  I don't mind answering the questions and I've learned a lot from people asking the questions -- things I wouldn't think to ask or look for.  Others should scroll on by.  But...it doesn't usually happen that way.  Hard to believe a group of cross-stitchers can get all nasty -- LOL. 

I don't think you putting a File, etc. on the group page is going to stop this from happening.

Edited March 18, 2021 by mlktwins
bad typing

[happypamama]

I am a senior mod for a very large FB group for a particular illness, and we use the Learning Guides (used to be called Units).  We also have links to the most common questions that are in our Guides, and so when newbies ask the newbie questions, we can say, "Hi, Sally, welcome, I'm sorry you're dealing with this.  Here is a post that explains more -- please let us know in that thread if you have additional questions."  And if need be, we can close Sally's original post so that she is encouraged to put additional questions in the comments on the explainer post.  We have a lot of explainer posts, and people really, really like them.  (They also save the mods from typing our same experiences over and over.)

 

In addition, we have post approval on -- all posts are seen as pending until a mod or admin approves them.  That means that right away, we know what's being posted, so that we can ensure scientifically accurate information is given, and we can set the tone for the thread.  No newbie bashing!  Also, we have a lot of mods, and we use the keyword alerts liberally, so that if something gets ugly, we can clamp it down quickly.