This back-to-school season, it’s important to start thinking about how you can end the year strong and set yourself up to succeed in the new year. One thing you should always be thinking about is how you can nurture your current customers and expand your network. We have just the solution for easy, streamlined business networking: social media groups.
What Is A Social Media Group?
You may have heard about the benefits of businesses using social media to improve networking, but you might be unsure of what that is. A social media group is an online group that allows people to join communities with other people who have similar interests. These groups can be open or exclusive and can be used for business purposes as well. Whether it’s Facebook, LinkedIn, or another platform, social media groups provide businesses with an excellent opportunity to connect with their audience.
Here are four of the top benefits you can get from successfully leading a group.
1. Enhanced Engagement
Inviting your current customers and prospects to join your social media group is a great way to promote more intimate engagement with your audience. Whether it’s hosting webinars, virtual meet-and-greets, or Q&A sessions, social media groups are a fantastic tool for connecting with people who are interested in your industry or business.
2. A Network That Reaches More Places
Oftentimes, geography can get in the way of networking, especially now in the digital age where more and more people are working from home. With a social media group, that is no longer a concern. You can open your network up to entrepreneurs within your industry from around the country and make connections that would never have been possible otherwise.
3. Solidify Your Position As An Expert
As the leader of a social media group, you will be in a unique position to share your expertise with your members through resources and content. That means that you can cement your status in the minds of your audience as an expert within your industry. In turn, your readers will become more likely to trust your authority, cite your work, and share your content. Pretty cool, right?
4. Improved Brand Recognition
If you run a popular social media group, your brand awareness can increase — even if new members don’t become customers. By allowing other people within your industry or target marketing to engage more intimately with your brand, you are increasing the likelihood that people will remember your brand and think positively about it. This is especially important when it comes to securing referrals and good word of mouth. If done correctly, social media groups can result in substantially more leads for your business.
Securing Members
When considering which platform you should use, how big to make your group, and what to offer as a membership incentive, you should be aware that what’s optimal for you will vary depending on your business structure and industry.
But how are you going to get your audience to join your group?
1. Offer Exclusive Perks or Resources
People love getting things for free, and potential group members are no exception. When advertising for your group, promote the fact that you will be offering exclusive, industry-related content and resources to your viewers for free. You can also offer exclusive deals and offers as added incentives.
2. Invite your current clients
Your current clients are already invested in your business. By enticing them to join your group, you can better nurture and grow your relationships with them and create long-term loyalty. It’s also a great way to set up a group referral program because everybody knows somebody.
3. Create a space for networking
“It pays to know people,” as the old axiom goes. By advertising your intentions to keep your group an open forum for industry-specific networking, you can often persuade people to join without having to offer any other external incentive.
While there is certainly a lot to consider when setting up a social media group for your business, if done correctly, social media groups provide an excellent opportunity to meet potential clients, provide value to current ones, and increase your brand awareness. So don’t wait! Start considering how your business could benefit from social media groups today.
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