Should You Host Your Community on Facebook or On Your Own Platform?

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Main Question: Should I host my online community on Facebook or move to my own platform?

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Answer: Facebook Groups are a great place to start when you’re testing your offer or building your first few hundred engaged members. But if your content gets buried, your programs become complex, or managing members overwhelms you, it’s time to consider moving to your own platform for better control, branding, and scalability.

More Questions People Ask:

1. When is Facebook the best option for hosting a community?
Facebook works well when you need a quick, free solution to test your offer, validate product-market fit, or build early momentum with an audience that’s already on the platform.

2. What are the signs I’ve outgrown my Facebook Group?
You’ve likely outgrown Facebook if you’re juggling multiple offers, have thousands of members, your posts consistently go unseen, or manual moderation is eating up your time.

3. What are the limitations of hosting a community on Facebook?
You can’t control the algorithm, customize the member experience, or fully represent your brand, and features like live video replays may expire after a short period.

4. How can moving to my own platform improve my community?
A dedicated platform gives you control over branding, member data, and user experience, allowing you to offer a distraction-free environment that matches your programs’ value.

5. Is there a way to start fast and still own my platform later?
Yes. Platforms like Tribe Social™ let you launch quickly while giving you the option to own your tech stack in the future, so you don’t have to rebuild everything from scratch when you scale.

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Want a deeper dive? Keep reading to get the full breakdown on when Facebook is perfect for your community and when it’s time to level up.

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Right off the bat: I’m not anti-Facebook. We’ve used Facebook Groups powerfully in our business, and they’re a fantastic tool—especially if you’re launching a brand-new product or community.

But when should you stick with Facebook, and when is it time to consider your own platform? Let’s break it down.

When Facebook Groups Make Perfect Sense

If you’re launching a new online community and still trying to figure out product-market fit, Facebook is a great place to start:

• It’s free and fast to set up
• Your audience already is there
• There’s almost zero learning curve for your members

When you’re testing a new offer, trying to validate ideas, or just beginning to build momentum, Facebook is the path of least resistance.

Signs You’ve Outgrown Facebook

But as your community grows or your offer becomes more complex, Facebook can start to hold you back. Here are a few signs it might be time to think bigger:

• Complex Offers or Multiple Products
  Managing multiple groups, offers, or programs becomes chaotic.
• Thousands of Members
  Manual approvals, tracking, and moderation start to eat up your time.
• Your Content Gets Buried
  Facebook’s algorithm controls what your members see—not you.
• Limited Control Over Experience
  You can’t customize the user journey or fully represent your brand.
• Live Streaming Limitations
  Facebook recently made it harder to stream Zoom calls into groups, and live videos only stay visible for 30 days before disappearing.

Why We Built Tribe Social™

My team and I have been building custom apps since 2010. Before platforms like Kajabi or Thinkific were even on the scene, we were helping clients launch e-learning and course platforms from scratch.

After building multiple versions over the years—and seeing the same patterns of frustration—we decided to launch our own platform in 2020: Tribe Social™.

Our goal was simple: help clients launch faster, with all the core features they need, while still giving them the freedom to own and customize their platform as they grow.

The Best of Both Worlds: Start Fast, Scale Future-Proof

What makes Tribe Social™ unique is that it’s not just another hosted community tool. While platforms like Circle or Mighty Networks work for many, they don’t let you own your tech stack or roadmap.

With Tribe Social™, you get:

• A stable platform you can launch on in under 30 days
• Ongoing updates, new features, and support
• The ability to own your platform later if you want full control—without rebuilding from scratch

It’s like starting on training wheels but knowing you’ll ride on your own terms when you’re ready.

Why Moving Members Matters

Migrating your community is painful—moving once is hard enough; you don’t want to do it again in a year.

That’s why we built Tribe Social™ to set you up for the long haul. We give you the tools to onboard your members smoothly and keep your community stable as you scale.

Because every time you force members to switch platforms, you risk losing them—and we want you to avoid that.

The Bottom Line

If you’re testing your offer or just starting out, Facebook Groups are a fantastic tool. But if your community has grown, your content is getting buried, or you need more control over your member experience and brand—it’s time to think about your own platform.

That’s exactly why Tribe Social™ exists: to give you a clear path from launch to scale without losing your community along the way.

Ready to explore what your community could look like beyond Facebook?

Book a call with our team here.