In this article we will briefly look at the topic of how to start making connections via LinkedIn’s groups and events features.
When it comes to using LinkedIn many businesses seem to underestimate the “Groups” and “Events” features. The majority of the social network’s users are more bent on making personal connections via messages and one-on- one interactions. One-on-one interactions are great but you are not taking advantage of LinkedIn’s full potential if you are limiting yourself to such traditional strategies.
This is where the “Groups” and “Events” features enter the picture. You can tap into these features to double or even triple the amount of connections you make on the site. LinkedIn has constantly improved these features to make them accessible to anyone. As long as you are a member of the social network, you can be a part of any group or event.
Let’s first take a look into the “Groups” feature and how you can use it to make connections. A LinkedIn group is just like any online social group. If you are familiar with Facebook groups, you’ll find similarities with LinkedIn groups. It’s just a bunch of LinkedIn users who share the same interests, hobbies, or causes.
There are two common ways that you can get yourself involved with a group. You can either create a group or you can join one that’s been created by another user. There’s no limit as to how many groups you can join. No matter what industry you are in, there are likely dozens of groups for it on LinkedIn. Use the site’s in-built search functions to look for these groups that are relevant to your interests or niche.
Obviously, making connections with users who belong to groups you are interested in is much more effective than making connections with random members. In essence, it is targeted marketing. You will be talking to people who will actually listen to what you have to say.
For instance, let’s say that you are in the business of selling video games. You can log into your LinkedIn account and search for groups about video games. You can then join these groups and start connecting with the other members. When you talk about video games, there’s an instant audience for you. Of course, there are certain rules and regulations in these groups that you need to follow to make yourself a helpful member.
The “Events” feature on the other hand is used to draw more attention or shall we say exposure for an upcoming event. Whether you are conducting an online webinar, an offline conference, or you just want to let people know that you will be having a booth in some trade show, creating an “Event” on LinkedIn would be very helpful.
Setting up the “Event” isn’t very hard. As a matter of fact you can have it live in a couple of minutes. Then all you need to do is invite all your connections to become a part of it. You can also make use of external tools like Twitter and Facebook to promote the event.
LinkedIn’s “Groups” and “Events” features are invaluable tools for making connections. You should take advantage of them whenever you can.
In the next article we’ll be talking about how to use LinkedIn Answers for building your business credibility.
Article # 1: How To Set Up A Good LinkedIn Profile For Your Business