Are You Using LinkedIn Groups to Their Potential?
Because of my relatively limited experience with Social Media Marketing, I am at times blown away as to how people find me. I consistently receive incoming emails and phone calls from all over the country from people who found me through my ActiveRain blog and outside blog.
I can attribute half of my current book of business to my ActiveRain blog including ALL of the business that I have done outside of my state. My inroad to a large property management company here in Connecticut was because I developed a relationship with a property manager who found me through my AR blog.
Last year, I began spending more time on LinkedIn and less on Facebook and Twitter. It had been the other way around because of some social media trainings that I had attended. The speaker was heavy into FB and Twitter so I had concentrated my efforts there.
As it turns out, I highly disagree with his strategy because I have derived more business with LinkedIn in 6 months than I have since 2008 with both Facebook and Twitter, combined!
The key to the success that I have had with LinkedIn has been from using the Groups. I will say with great confidence that if you are not using Groups in LinkedIn, you are really missing out.
If you were to go in and search Groups, you would be able to find a whole array of them that pertain exactly to your industry. Many of you are already in Groups but are you using them to their potential?
On LinkedIn, I am in 4 Groups dedicated to condominiums and condo law including CAI and Condo and HOA Law & Living, 1 for FHA mortgage facts and guidelines, 1 about credit scores and disclosures and 1 for Connecticut Real Estate. Depending on the topic, I post the article to some or all of the above. CAI has been the best for me; it is a national group that is very active.
Besides posting our articles, the Groups allow us to showcase our knowledge and expertise. On any given day, I can find a handful of topics to which I can comment and show my expertise of FHA Condominium Project Approvals. My number of connections on LinkedIn has also greatly increased due to my activity in the Groups.
ActiveRain has made it so easy to broadcast our articles to other social media sites that it is silly not to do so. Everything that I do starts in the ‘Rain and then I cast it out to the other sites.
In the past two weeks, I have fielded 5 strong leads; 3 came from LinkedIn Groups. The prospects contacted me from Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Colorado and Florida. Two of them have already been converted into contracts. Two of them aren’t yet ready to move forward due to not meeting FHA’s guidelines but I am working with them to help them down that road. I have sent a proposal and letters of reference to the fifth one; they are soliciting several companies.
Last night, our new client from Louisiana posted a comment on the discussion in the LinkedIn Group where she found me. She wrote:
“I got in touch with Eric after seeing this discussion and I must say I am so pleased at how quickly Eric responded and we were able to get started on our recertification process. I am sure his company is going to save me a lot of time and frustration!”
I was ecstatic at her comment! She contacted me on Monday and we were rolling by Wednesday. Their approval with FHA expires today so we will have to knock this one out quickly.
ActiveRain and LinkedIn Groups have completely transformed my business. I can say that I don’t know where I would be without them.
So, I ask you: Are you using LinkedIn Groups to their potential?
Top image courtesy of Stuart Miles/freedigitalphotos.com
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