How I Mine Groups On LinkedIn For Targeted Leads

LinkedIn, The Hidden Goldmine

I’ve been on LinkedIn for about 10 years. When I first began, the platform was a lot smaller than it is now. There were no extra features, and they hadn’t even allowed for LinkedIn groups just yet.

If you had a photo of yourself on your page you were ahead of the game!

Still, to this day, too many professionals are confused about the value of LinkedIn. It’s crazy how much you can do with this website for free!

Before we go further, I want to stress again how crucial it is to have a professional looking photo on your profile page.

When you start joining groups the other members are going to be looking at you and wondering who you are, what you do, and if you are a professional.

Currently, there are over 1 million groups on LinkedIn. Over 100 new groups are started every day. There are groups for every single industry you can imagine.

No matter what you say, I’m sure there’s a group for you, if not several. In these groups, there are typically professionals with decades of experience who are willing to share their knowledge.

Equally, there are groups full of potential clients and they’re looking for businesses like yours for their needs. Groups exist because people want to network!

 

How To Figure Out Which LinkedIn Groups Are Right For You

Now, joining groups has to be targeted. Don’t just join a group based on its number of members. These humongous groups aren’t necessarily better by any means.

Smaller groups are typically tighter knit and your messages will have more visibility. Even myself, being fairly well known on the platform, would have a hard time making a dent in a large group.

I recommend you stick with groups that have 20,000+ members or less.

The groups that will be most valuable to the majority of people are the ones that relate to your industry, your job function, or desired location.

If you can find a group that includes both the location and industry you want to be associated with then you’ve hit the sweet spot. An example of this would be “Architects in New York” as a group name.

What’s in it for me?

When you join a group, you have to ask yourself “what’s this group’s potential value to me?” In other words, what are you going to be receiving from the group once you’re a member?

Now, this may sound counter-intuitive but I do advise my clients to join a selection of groups that are geared to people that they don’t believe are in their target audiences.

These groups can offer you unexpected sources of clients and insights into your own field. The more knowledge you can share freely with others, the more benefits you’ll receive.

Being a part of these outsider groups can expose you to a whole new audience.

I see groups in general as an opportunity for me to perfect my know, like, and trust factor. If you participate on a regular basis with comments and ideas, other people are going to get to know you and they’ll naturally want to connect.

Soon you’ll be beginning a relationship and they’ll come to trust you as well. This is a must if you want to cement relationships with new clients and move forward in your business.

 

Action Steps

1. Join groups that are relevant to your industry and location. Stick to groups that are around 20,000 members in size.
2. Before joining a new group ask yourself, “What’s this group’s potential value to me?”
3. Join a few outsider groups that you don’t think are in your target audience.
4. Participate in group discussions with comments and insight.
5. Connect with other members who appreciate your comments in the group, work towards forming relationships with them.

 

Result You Will Achieve

Membership in LinkedIn groups that will help establish rapport and trust with potential partners and clients within your niche.

 
This article is based on an EHQ interview with the mentor.