To build influential relationships online, you have to find places where you can consistently add value and have engaging conversations with your target demographic audience.
LinkedIn Groups is a great way to do just that, but you must use the right strategy to be successful. LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 groups. However you can’t spend enough time in all of those groups to make a difference.
It is best to narrow your approach and focus on building deep, meaningful relationships to help build your influence in LinkedIn Groups. This will help enhance your credibility and generate new connections.
1. Identify the Best Group Opportunities.
Start by evaluating the groups that you have joined or are thinking about joining. Which 3 to 5 groups most accurately represent your target demographic? Also, choose groups whose membership isn’t so large that you will go unnoticed. Choose groups that have at least a few hundred members, but not more than a few thousand. This will help maximize your visibility.
Set up a plan to visit each group 2-3 times a week and make frequent, consistent appearances. See below for an example of a Financial Advisors Group Discussion.
2. Target the Most Popular Discussions in Each Group
The most popular discussions within a group will generally get you the most visibility. These are topics where members are the most actively engaged and feature discussions that you will want to be a part of. These are usually featured at the top of the discussion page. See example of a post with comment.
When adding your voice in the conversation, make sure to respond to comments, provide insight and ask thought provoking questions to help move the conversations forward. You can also “like” and “share” these discussions with your exisiting connections.
As you add value to these discussions, members will begin to recognize you as a leader within the group.
3. Follow Up and Follow Through
Make sure to keep up on the discussions you start and join. Don’t let too much time lapse between posts and don’t leave the conversation open. Keep your comments fresh and interesting to show your commitment to the group.
Don’t forget to like other comments made by group members and share their insights with your followers. This helps the other group members and they will return the favor. By promoting and connecting others on LinkedIn, you can build your social influence.
4. Start Your Own Discussion
Starting your own discussion thread can be a powerful tool within the group. However, you must be strategic when doing this. I suggest you wait to start your own discussions until after you have spent time participating in the top discussions first and have been listening for some time to get to know the voices of the people in the group.
Before starting your own discussion, do some research and look back at past discussions. Which topics were popular and which were not? Look at what the top contributors are saying and what is important to them? What are their goals and objectives?
When starting your own discussions, ask a question, ask for advice, or post an interesting article related to the group. Your goal is to encourage as much engagement as possible.
If your posts and comments are engaging members of the group, you will be recognized as a “Top Influencer” on the group page’s side bar. This can help build your visibility and give you authority within the group. You can see below that Stephanie Sammons has been a top Influencer of the week with her active participation with posting comments. Get your name out there for Top Influencers of the Week with timely posts.
It is important that you are adding value to the discussions that you join and start. Avoid trying to sell products or services as that will get you ignored or worse, kicked out of the group.
5. Start Your Own Group
After you have joined groups, contributed to discussions and started your own discussions, you can create your own group. Beware as this takes a time commitment and you will be responsible for managing the group, members and discussions. You will also be able to feature discussions with the “Manager’s Choice” feature.
When starting your group, make sure that you have a well- defined theme or else you may not get much traffic. Focus on bringing in people who can benefit from sharing mutual experiences and ideas.
Using this strategy can help you get the most from your time and energy. Make a commitment to add value to a small number of groups on a consistent basis. This will help you build influence and new connections.
DJ Heckes, CEO & Author
EXHIB-IT! Tradeshow Marketing Experts
www.exhib-it.com
Full BRAIN Marketing
www.fullbrainmarketing.com
LinkedIn Groups is a great way to do just that, but you must use the right strategy to be successful. LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 groups. However you can’t spend enough time in all of those groups to make a difference.
It is best to narrow your approach and focus on building deep, meaningful relationships to help build your influence in LinkedIn Groups. This will help enhance your credibility and generate new connections.
1. Identify the Best Group Opportunities.
Start by evaluating the groups that you have joined or are thinking about joining. Which 3 to 5 groups most accurately represent your target demographic? Also, choose groups whose membership isn’t so large that you will go unnoticed. Choose groups that have at least a few hundred members, but not more than a few thousand. This will help maximize your visibility.
Set up a plan to visit each group 2-3 times a week and make frequent, consistent appearances. See below for an example of a Financial Advisors Group Discussion.
2. Target the Most Popular Discussions in Each Group
The most popular discussions within a group will generally get you the most visibility. These are topics where members are the most actively engaged and feature discussions that you will want to be a part of. These are usually featured at the top of the discussion page. See example of a post with comment.
When adding your voice in the conversation, make sure to respond to comments, provide insight and ask thought provoking questions to help move the conversations forward. You can also “like” and “share” these discussions with your exisiting connections.
As you add value to these discussions, members will begin to recognize you as a leader within the group.
3. Follow Up and Follow Through
Make sure to keep up on the discussions you start and join. Don’t let too much time lapse between posts and don’t leave the conversation open. Keep your comments fresh and interesting to show your commitment to the group.
Don’t forget to like other comments made by group members and share their insights with your followers. This helps the other group members and they will return the favor. By promoting and connecting others on LinkedIn, you can build your social influence.
4. Start Your Own Discussion
Starting your own discussion thread can be a powerful tool within the group. However, you must be strategic when doing this. I suggest you wait to start your own discussions until after you have spent time participating in the top discussions first and have been listening for some time to get to know the voices of the people in the group.
Before starting your own discussion, do some research and look back at past discussions. Which topics were popular and which were not? Look at what the top contributors are saying and what is important to them? What are their goals and objectives?
When starting your own discussions, ask a question, ask for advice, or post an interesting article related to the group. Your goal is to encourage as much engagement as possible.
If your posts and comments are engaging members of the group, you will be recognized as a “Top Influencer” on the group page’s side bar. This can help build your visibility and give you authority within the group. You can see below that Stephanie Sammons has been a top Influencer of the week with her active participation with posting comments. Get your name out there for Top Influencers of the Week with timely posts.
It is important that you are adding value to the discussions that you join and start. Avoid trying to sell products or services as that will get you ignored or worse, kicked out of the group.
5. Start Your Own Group
After you have joined groups, contributed to discussions and started your own discussions, you can create your own group. Beware as this takes a time commitment and you will be responsible for managing the group, members and discussions. You will also be able to feature discussions with the “Manager’s Choice” feature.
When starting your group, make sure that you have a well- defined theme or else you may not get much traffic. Focus on bringing in people who can benefit from sharing mutual experiences and ideas.
Using this strategy can help you get the most from your time and energy. Make a commitment to add value to a small number of groups on a consistent basis. This will help you build influence and new connections.
DJ Heckes, CEO & Author
EXHIB-IT! Tradeshow Marketing Experts
www.exhib-it.com
Full BRAIN Marketing
www.fullbrainmarketing.com
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