It’s always a dice roll whenever you like, follow, or join a craft group. Sadly, you will never know the value until your request is approved. So what happens when you have entered a craft group, only to be disappointed? 

The group did not meet your expectations. 

You don’t vibe with the other group members. 

The reality of the group doesn’t match the well-written description that piqued your interest. 

Not wanting to waste time seeking another group to join or follow, you decide to stay but be inactive. You turn off the notifications, and the craft group is now in your rearview mirror.

A thriving craft group aims to connect crafters that share the same passion for learning from each other, building relationships, and being part of a community. 

Whether you’ve had awful group experiences or not, here are seven signs that you’re in the wrong craft group:

1. There are no group admins. 

No one is asking for a babysitter, but having a group admin makes a difference, especially when there are thousands of members. Not having an administrator means there are no rules, boundaries, or direction. This gives the green light to members to act and treat the group page as they wish. 

2. Group members only respond to admin posts.

Sure they are going to members who only respond to posts of the group admin, which tells you a lot about them. However, a good group administrator will encourage members to engage often. Besides, no one wants to be in a group where their posts are ignored or discredited just because they aren’t in charge of the group page. Such behavior makes it about one person instead of collective interest. 

3. Bullying behavior not held accountable.

Unfortunately, there’s been several instances where bullying has taken place in craft groups. One person might have posted an image, viewpoint, or question, only to catch backlash. Bullying behavior includes foul language, racial slurs, member bashing, rumor spreading, and threats. If there’s no administrator or members to hold the abuser accountable, it negatively affects the page. Other members will be less interested in participating. Others will leave the page altogether. Bullying is a serious matter, and in no way should people be afraid to post or comment.

4.  No clear purpose or objective.

This is when the group page is all over the place. One day there’s a post about crafts, the next minute, you see a post about something entirely different. Before joining a group, make sure that the posts align with the description. An active (and good) group admin will remind members if something was posted unrelated to the purpose or objective. Next time, the member might be removed. Content isn’t usually posted until approved. A confusing page is the quickest way to turn people off.

5. Members’ posts are more personal than group-centered.

This is where you’ll see members post something, and when you respond, there’s an inbox from that person. Another personal plan is when a member posts asking members to check their website or Etsy page and tell them what’s wrong. It’s nothing wrong with feedback from time to time, but asking members for in-depth analysis is what a paid website auditor or business consultant should do. After all, people are in the group to learn and get inspiration.

6. Heavy Promotions

This is a no-brainer. Some groups allow one day of the week where followers are allowed to promote their business. However, there are other group pages where promotions are posted all the time. Social media was created for people to be social. No one wakes up wondering what they will buy on social media. When a group page has heavy promotions, don’t expect to make connections, and if you do, it’s most likely transactional. 

7. Low to no engagement.

There are plenty of groups that are formed, but there’s little to none when you check out the activity. A thriving group will be consistent with the post content. Sure the algorithms have changed since the platforms have started, and your chances of seeing a post have diminished, but you can still see the level of engagement. 

 There are other red flags of an unproductive craft group, but those seven should give you a sense of what to spot and avoid. Every day there are many page/group suggestions that enter your feeds, and the last thing you want is to like or join a group that’s a time-waster. 

Question: Have you ever had a terrible craft group experience? Please share your story in the comments.