LinkedIn is home to 500+ million users and this number continues to grow larger by the day. In addition, there are 57% of the world’s businesses linking to this social platform. There are also a lot of LinkedIn groups you can join in to discuss and broaden your connections. If this doesn’t illustrate the power of LinkedIn then nothing will!
For those looking to grow their business and make the most of LinkedIn’s social profile, it’s time to build out a proper strategy.
How to Use LinkedIn Groups the Right Way
1) Build Credibility
What is the first thing you want to do as a business?
You will want to find the best and most relevant groups to join. This is going to help you get your feet wet and look at what the target audience needs. They will be communicating and will have a lot of questions about the niche, products, and anything else that is involved. This is a good time to jump in and build street cred among those looking for optimal information. You will be able to help a lot of people and they will enjoy what you have to say. Of course, at this point, you do not want to spam your business and not even reference it. You will be looking to help and simply get your individual name out there as a credible person. This is the difference between businesses that do well on LinkedIn and those that end up spamming for no reason at all. Building credibility is important in any setup and the same applies here for those looking to get started on the social media platform.
2) Listen Before Talking
Listening is important and the same applies here. You want to see what the target audience has to say and what they’re on the lookout for. This is the beauty of taking your time and not rushing the approach. In essence, you want to accumulate data and look at what people crave before delivering value. If you are not doing this and force-feeding information, they will figure it out in seconds. This is going to leave you in a tough spot and not a situation that’s ideal in any way, shape, or form! By listening, you can learn a lot and start to adapt.
3) Post as an Individual
Do not post as a business especially when you are starting up and looking to get your feet wet on LinkedIn. The goal should be to post as an individual so people are able to relate to the name. No one wants to speak to a business because there’s no face behind the words. They will automatically assume you are a scammer even if you provide good information on a daily basis. Focus on building credibility by posting as an individual to gauge what people have to say about the nice. It will help tremendously and push you in the right direction.
4) Leverage Private Conversations
Imagine you have taken the time to spread good information in these groups and now want to seal the deal. How are you going to do this without looking like a scammer?
In general, you want to leverage any public conversation (only one on one situations) and push them over to a private conversation using LinkedIn. You are able to get them into a private chat using LinkedIn and get out of the group to seal things. You will be surprised how many people convert like this because they already trust you and things look far more organic.
5) Create Your Own Group
If you want to advertise your business, it is always smart to create your own group over time. This is not something you will do as soon as you join but it can be a part of a long-term strategy. You will want to see what the audience wants and how other LinkedIn Groups work before you move forward with your own. It will take time but you have to do it the right way or no one will join in.
6) Don’t Spam
This is a simple tip and one that has to be kept in mind for LinkedIn Groups. Do not start spamming as soon as you join in on the discussion. You want to be a legitimate expert and that never involves spamming. People hate spammers and you will end up being on their blacklist in seconds!
Avoid spamming and take your time working on building a positive rapport with each member.
7) Pump the Solution
You need to pump up the solutions rather than the business. It’s all about the value you are offering in an answer rather than who you represent. For example, if you sell acne products, it’s best to highlight what works instead of specific brands. This will let them know you are helpful and not a scammer.
8) Stay Active
Participation is key with LinkedIn groups and that’s in any niche. A business is only going to gain traction when it’s willing to put in the time. This is similar to any other type of advertising where the work has to be put in before anything happens. For those looking to make inroads within a segment, It begins with casual activity and being able to stay relevant. These groups are designed to offer proper information to all participants and the active individuals stand out. Of course, this can be in a good or bad way, which is why spamming is horrible. It will ruin your business and its image on LinkedIn. You may even get removed from the group!
LinkedIn Groups are a major plus for businesses and should be leveraged for long-term success. In the past, this wasn’t an opportunity that became available for marketers and they had to use odd solutions to spread the word. Instead of hopping around looking for your target audience, it’s easier to join relevant groups, start up positive discussions, and bring people in that way. This is the magic of LinkedIn Groups and what they are doing for modern businesses that want to advertise properly. Set up a strategy and move forward with a viable solution as soon as possible.