Online Networking Forums
Another way to grow your business online is to join relevant online groups and forums. Network After Work, Startup Nation, Chamber of Commerce, and Business Network International (BNI) are just a few of many business networking communities out there. A number of which, including Network After Work, have moved to virtual networking in response to the Shelter-In-Place order.
There are advantages and disadvantages of joining an existing community versus creating your community.
Advantages:
If you are an organizer of your own Meetup group, you will have to pay for a meetup membership ($9.99 -$23.99/month, depending on your location and your payment plan), but you can also monetize from having your own group.
For example, you can give access to your networking event with a $15 ticket per networking event or you can decide to teach valuable information at these networking events, which can lead to attracting potential customers.
Disadvantages:
It is definitely less work to join an existing group; however, you may have less control over what you can do within the group. Also, it may be more difficult to build your audience and authority if you are in a sea of other professionals that are attending.
Fishbowl App
If you want to hear real conversations with other professionals in your industry, try the “Fishbowl App.” You can bond and network with other individuals all while keeping your identity anonymous.
Using Fishbowl, you can talk with industry leaders, get advice on major business decisions like pricing your goods/services, or share your personal experiences and make meaningful connections.
The social media platform for many B2B owners is ideal if you are looking to directly connect with major decision-makers of a company. Additionally, you can look for second or third connections that can help you make an introduction to a stakeholder, such as managers, investors, or other higher-level executives.
You can also utilize Linkedin groups to start building authority and relationships. Start building rapport with your group members by adding valuable content and taking the time to answer questions from that community. Once you have built that trust and relationship, you can potentially provide offers to help members with done-for-you services or other products.
In addition to networking, Linkedin also gives you the opportunity to utilize their paid advertising platform, but in comparison to other platforms, like Facebook ads and Google ads, Linkedin tends to have higher advertising costs. With this higher cost, Linkedin works hard with dialing in the quality of your leads, by creating many filter options (like position/title, city, status level, previous companies they’ve worked at).
There are multiple ways to generate income for your business. If you’d like help on deciding which marketing method to focus on, please contact “Seven Figure Shift Coaching” to discover the best marketing method for your business, how to make that first seven-figure year for your business, and how to recession-proof your business. Book a free business consultation today at calendly.com/jen-90.
DISCLAIMER: The contents of the Law Office of George R. Bravo article represent the opinions of the authors and should not be considered legal or financial advice. All views expressed by SEO Symbiosis, LLC, Seven Figure Shift, and its members and affiliates are made with no guarantees and should not be construed as a promise about the outcome of any matter. We expressly disclaim any liability in connection with the use of our information. Any comments about the outcome of any matter are expressions of the author’s opinion only. This article does not contain affiliate links and there has not been any affiliate commissions received from the placement of these links.