Building a Community
Build A Facebook Community
Don’t get distracted—or discouraged—by Instagram accounts or Facebook pages with thousands of followers.
That’s not the kind of community that will help your design process.
While those platforms are great for sharing beautiful images and broadcasting updates, they’re not designed for two-way connection—and that’s exactly what you need to design patterns that people truly love, want to make, and can’t wait to share.
That’s why I strongly suggest creating a Facebook Group dedicated to the entire cycle of your crochet pattern work: from brainstorming and testing to launching and celebrating.
Examples of these practices are from my own crochet pattern community - Group: Salena Baca Crochet.
Why a Facebook Group?
No matter where or how you distribute your patterns, your ultimate goal is to build an audience of people who want your designs, will make them, and will come back for more.
Your design process, pattern testing, sales, and promotions will be far more effective when you have a group of people who know you, like you, and trust you—and a Facebook Group is the perfect space to make that happen.
Why Build Your Own Community
Stop depending on other groups for support from people who don’t know, like, or trust you.
It may be filled with people who know, like, and trust the platform / community... but they don't know, like, and trust you.
What you find appealing about those spaces as a user will not extend to you as a designer.
To them, you're one of many strangers just trying to sell them something.
Instead, build your own space because your people are out there waiting for you!
A Facebook Group gives you:
- A space to draw inspiration and solve problems
- An audience to test ideas and designs
- Honest feedback you can trust
- A loyal following for your pattern launches
💡 You're not making one more space to manage, you're creating an intimate community setting around your own unique work.
How to Use Your Facebook Group
Engage your members in meaningful, consistent ways:
- Ask questions
- Share sneak peeks of new designs
- Call for pattern testers
- Share projects and progress
- Ask for feedback
- Share your lessons learned
- Highlight your members and their work
Successful Facebook Groups are organized and consistent.
Create a monthly, weekly, or daily posting schedule to help your group grow and stay active.
Need help getting started?
Try the ACA 20-Day Social Media Challenge to help you introduce yourself, showcase your work, and connect with your audience authentically.
💡 Following a specific design, testing, and sales process will help guarantee a successful launch strategy for every pattern you create.
Use Facebook’s Built-In Tools
Facebook gives you so many options to match your personality, goals, and group style:
- 🎥 Video Chats – host casual lives or Q&A sessions
- 📊 Polls – get real input from members
- 📅 Events – promote new launches or testing calls
- 📸 Photos & Videos – showcase member projects and sneak peeks
- 💰 Sales Opportunities – highlight new pattern drops and discounts
Funnel People Into Your Group
Your Facebook Group should be your hub—the one place where your people gather.
Invite followers from all your other spaces to join:
- Ravelry
- Email newsletters
- Your blog
💡 Where can people find you? Always link back to your group for exclusive updates, pattern tests, and early looks at new designs.
Involve Your Community in Pattern Production
Whether you have 10 members or 10,000, community = dialogue, not monologue.
From design development, pattern testing calls, sales and promotions... your group is part of your creative process!
Try fun, easy ways to involve them:
- “Help me name this pattern!”
- “Which color combo do you love best?”
- “What photo do you like more for the pattern listing?”
- “What yarns are you using / loving right now?”
- “Add this to your Ravelry favorites to spread the word!”
These simple conversations give you real insight for your design process. Plus, they strengthen connection.
💡 Review What To Write > Design Process for even more on this topic.
Pattern Testing
Pattern testing is one of the most effective community-building activities—and your Facebook Group is the perfect place to host it.
Tips to organize your testing process:
- Post your call for testers directly in your group.
- Outline your testing requirements (materials, skill level, time frame).
- Give sneak peeks or clear images of the design.
- Allow a realistic timeframe—roughly a day per hour of crochet/knit time.
- Use tools like Google Docs for the testing and editing process.
💡 Review How To Test > Hand Testing for even more on this topic.
Testers Are Social Proof
Your testers are more than helpers—they’re proof that your designs are trusted and loved!
Ways to highlight their work:
- Encourage testers to post projects to Ravelry.
- Feature their progress in your Facebook Group.
- Celebrate their finished projects with shout-outs or photo posts.
When others see real crocheters successfully making your design, it builds excitement and credibility—your testers are advertising for you!
Remember: Your Facebook Group is your creative home base.
It’s where people can get to know you, get involved in your process, and feel connected to your work.
Your group members are your community—they know you, like you, and trust you and that's really special - community gives people something they can connect to.
When you build, nurture, and involve your community, your designs will shine brighter, your testing process will run smoother, and your crochet business will thrive.
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