16 Feb Use LinkedIn To Grow Your Business (Part Two)
How many LinkedIn groups do you get invited to join? I bet it’s a lot. And I bet that you think it’s a waste of time to join. I’m here to tell you that it’s not. You should join. There are a lot of benefits if you join the right groups and regularly contribute.
But don’t think that joining is enough or that you should only join mortgage-related groups. The biggest mistake many people make is joining groups in their industry exclusively. I think that’s great, but you better branch out. You need to explore all of your options. Here are some tips from an article called “21 Ways To Maximize LinkedIn”:
Industry Groups (don’t over indulge). Don’t get me wrong, it’s always good to know what’s going on, perhaps you want to bounce things off of peers etc. Just know that at times, this can be like that familiar face you cling to at a networking event. It’s safe and can become a convenient excuse for you not to branch out. Don’t spend all your time here.
Vertical Groups you want to own. A Vertical Group is an industry that you are targeting. For example: If I am targeting IT, I would want to join a group from that industry. Tip: Go where the money is. There are certain industries that are thriving right now such as healthcare. By joining these groups you learn lingo, challenges, opportunities etc. You also begin to position yourself as an authority to your target audience.
Local Groups & Groups in areas you want to build up. For example, I live in Michigan so it would probably make sense that I belong to a few local groups. At the same time, I travel quite a bit. You might want to join groups linked to your favorite city or travel destination. Again, broaden your reach.
Professional Groups that help you hone your craft. Make sure that you surround yourself with other professionals in your chosen line of work. A note About Sales Groups: Important on many levels. First, it will help you keep your finger on the pulse right now since sales people are pretty much out there on the front line. Second, you will pick up some good best practices and lastly, sales people can be a point of entry often overlooked in getting in the door.
Parallel Groups: These are groups that share the same target audience as you but are in different industries. You can meet recruiters and other contacts that may be able to help you in the future.
What’s the point of all this? Use LinkedIn groups to your benefit to make you a better business person. They really are not a nuisance and can pay back dividends if you follow my advice.