LinkedIn Groups; Why and how to get started!
This presentation discusses why LinkedIn groups can be a highly effective tool for building your brand authority and generating leads.
- What are your choices;
- How to build a community; and
- Keys to managing the group once you have it rocking!
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1. LinkedIn Groups
How to build brand and authority.
presented by Kathy Hokunson
January 26, 2012
presents
2. What is a LinkedIn Group?
According to LinkedIn – use Groups to:
• Quickly discover the most popular discussions in your
professional community.
• Have an active part in determining the top discussions
by liking and commenting.
• Follow the most influential people in your groups
by checking the top influencers board.
• See both member-generated discussions and news
in one setting.
• Find interesting discussions by seeing who liked
a discussion and how many people commented.
Site-Seeker, Inc. 2011
3. Why?
1. Engage your clients and prospects
2. Build brand identity through thought leadership.
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4. Who?
Generat
e Leads
Develop Engage
New
Audience Customers
Purpose
Thought
Leadershi Build
p Brand
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7. How?
Plan Build Manage
Choose a group name
• Keywords to attract new members.
• Don’t get cute.
• What will drive interest and engagement?
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8. How?
Plan Build Manage
If you build it …
they will come?
Picture from TotalFilm.com
Site-Seeker, Inc. 2011
9. How?
Plan Build Manage
If you build it …
they will come?
• Invite members through your
connections
• Invite members through your teams
connections
• Search LinkedIn for people that fit
your target audience and begin a
dialogue
– Then invite them. Always connect
before pitching.
Picture from TotalFilm.com
Site-Seeker, Inc. 2011
10. Building your group
Plan Build something of value like a white paper.
• Include Manage
• Establish clear and simple rules of the road for
Rules group and enforce them consistently and
strictly.
• Consider what can you speak to to
Content build your thought leadership.
• Respond and further every
Engagement discussion or comment posted.
• You must enforce rules
Management and moderate closely to
create a successful
community and forum
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12. Resources
• Boxcar Marketing
• Lewis Howes
• Linkedin Blog
• Hubspot
Resources from today’s broadcast can be found at
http://bitly.com/wrxzXU
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16. Thank you for joining us!
Don’t forget to enter today’s BOLT BUZZ WORD
at joltandboltwebinar.com
You could win a $50 Amazon.com Gift Card!
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Don’t target your industry, target your audience:Many people write about topics in their industry, but their customers are interested in ready about their industry’s problems, solutions and ideas.
BRIAN SFINAS TO NARRATE
Plan – conceptualize - strategize
IF you build it they will come?(CLICK)NOT!
NOT!Invite members through your connectionsInvite members through your teams connectionsSearch LinkedIn for people that fit your target audience and begin a dialogueThen invite them. Always connect before pitching.
Manage the details to succeed!(click)Createcustom welcome messages to go automatically to new members. Try to include something of value, a link to a white paper or important content.Rules of the road: Establish clear and simple rules of the road for group and enforce them consistently and strictly. No self promotion, no job hunters whatever will help your group to grow.Content. In last weeks Jolt & Bolt on Blogging tips we talked about not talking about your industry but discuss news, problems, issues what will gain traction and what will draw conversation. And most importantly what can you speak to to build your thought leadership?Engagement. Respond and further every discussion or comment posted. Enlist others on the team to do so as well. Once group members see consistent engagement they will invite others to join the group because of the momentum and energy.Management. As a manager you can: Delete inappropriate posts and or commentsMembers and moderators can flag content as inappropriateModeration queue will allow group managers to decide how many member flags can delete a thread.You must enforce rules and moderate closely to create a successful community and forum
LinkedIn is the most targeted business professional arena. It offers you the greatest opportunity to create valuable conversation with your clients and prospects that help to build your brand and your authority and ultimately drive leads and grow your business. It is a commitment, so if you start stay with it. It will take time and energy but could deliver large rewards. Make sure you have the support of your team members and your company. If everyone supports it it will have much greater success.
BRIAN: Why not join us every Thursday at 10 am. Reserve your spot by registering at site-seeker.com…
BRIAN: Copy of the power point will be available at slideshare.net/siteseekerinc
BRIANContact Kathy with any questions or comments:Kathy HokunsonVice President Sales & Marketing860-263-0361kathyhokunson@site-seeker.comLinkedin.com/in/kathyhokunsonSite-Seeker.com