When someone arrives at your website landing page for the first time this is considered a ‘cold lead,’ with the next step capturing their information with an inviting optin form.
While this is an important element to your business, you can also create a ‘warm lead’ by joining and interacting with professional groups on social media.
LinkedIn in particular has 1.5 million groups and growing according to Craig Smith of DMR. And the average number of groups that people join is at seven according to Smith.
If your business needs more conversions this year then tap into your social networks like Facebook, Google Plus, and LinkedIn. The groups there are a great place to connect with like-minded people who have the potential of becoming your client(s) not to mention the fact that this is a way to increase traffic to your website.
The key to success on social groups is to proceed with caution, and to not start blasting members with sales pitches or links to your website. Instead, engage in meaningful conversation and share information that can benefit the group. Over time your business will start to expand your network as your connections grow.
When making the decision to join a professional group on social media for your business there are 5 key points to consider:
● Is the group a good match for your niche? Take a look at the types of members and content being posted and find out whether this will be a good fit for your market. In the future these people are potential customers, and you will want to increase your chances of them being interested in what you have to offer.
● How active is the group? Sometimes a social group contains a large number of members, but either it’s not being moderated or interest has died out. In this case it is important to check on the most recent postings there to find out whether this will be worth your while.
● What types of posts are being made? While some groups share a lot of articles others may be more engaged with videos or information without links. Before your business starts posting take a look at the type of content being shared, and check out the rules from the moderator to avoid any embarrassing moments that could hinder your membership and status.
● Learn more about tools and resources from your peers – Sometimes it’s a good idea to just observe for a short while in between conversation and really glean from the wise members of the group. Your business benefits with new tools, free resources, a fresh perspective, and so much more just by slowing down and learning. This process enables you to become a better participant and win more favor from the members.
● Launch your own professional group – After getting your feet wet your business can take its networking and leads to the next level by starting your own niche group. The key is to decide to make a firm commitment to actively moderate and participate in your group with postings each day. Use your social networks to invite people to join while building this up at first, and invite trusted members or your employees to participate and moderate with you as well.
Participating in social groups is a smart way to learn more about your target market, and to gain new connections for free. Your business will build influence and attract new visitors who can be more easily converted into customers as your trust and reputation are already established.
Begin the process little by little and work your way up to being a member of at least five professional groups to be most effective. Create a schedule of regular engagement, and keep track of comments and replies in your groups. Most of all enjoy the new connections your business will be making along with the benefit of learning how to effectively reach your leads.
Susan Gilbert
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