The best magazine
Notice their focus is on "classmates, colleagues, and other professionals.
" They left out - "potential customers.
" The groups they suggested for me are not the groups where I'll find potential customers - nor will you...
Yes, there are reasons you should consider joining a few of the above types of shared industry groups:
- be included in your industries chatter
- learn from others in your trade
- learn what your competition is doing and hope to get exposure for a better job in your industry.
But, what's missing here? If all your groups are full of your competition, (can you fill in the blank?) Answer...
These groups won't expose you to potential clients! Hello!?! So...
LinkedIn is also a great asset in helping you grow your existing business if you join more of the right groups.
Which ones? Join groups where your potential customers are hanging out.
Then, answer questions to their problems your services cover! For example, my clients are small business and non-profits seeking help in their local marketing via social media and email marketing.
People will ask those who are in the same boat they are, so they go to other small business and non-profit discussion groups to ask their questions.
I look for questions that I can answer as a professional and offer my best advice for answers.
I can hear you now...
What? You give away your trade knowledge for free? Why should they buy my cow if I am giving away the milk for free? Why? Because it shows my abilities and expertise, my professionalism and my empathy toward those who are asking the questions.
Moreover, it shows "I get it.
" And the more I engage, the more they recognize that they don't know what they don't know - and therefore need my services.
My marketing idol, David Ogilvy, believed the same.
He believed that you could give someone all the information on how you perform your job, but it rarely led to someone doing it themselves.
They are too busy earning a living at their own business to try to do it all.
And by showing your know how, you create credibility.
IMHO (I have a lot of those!), it's usually those who are unsure of what they are doing who keep their professional knowledge to themselves - perhaps they are hiding their limitations...
So you have a choice.
Hang out in groups of fellow professionals who are trying to find their way, or contribute to groups who are looking for someone (like you) to lead them down the right path.
Happy networking! Please comment on how you do/don't use LinkedIn to grow your business.
Source: ...