When I meet with people who feel that they aren’t getting much use out of LinkedIn, I will generally discover that they either haven’t joined any groups or they joined a few groups but do not participate in any of them. In some ways, this would be like going to a big networking event, dropping business cards into the raffle bowls at every marketing table, and then leaving without talking to anyone.

Groups are important to your business development because they allow you to express your opinions, show off your knowledge of a particular subject, and most importantly, develop RELATIONSHIPS (that can lead to more connections and new business). They are also important because you have an opportunity to learn from others in your area of expertise or interest. You can ask questions, answer questions, read news articles and blogs, and find out about events, seminars and webinars. Many groups, such as the Linked Local Schaumburg group (in suburban Chicago), hold their own real-life networking events so that its members can strengthen the relationships built in cyberspace.

Thinking strategically about the groups you join is smart. If you like Jeeps, there is a Jeep group (or two) for you. Groups don’t have to be business-oriented. In fact, an accountant who is passionate about Jeeps can probably do more business and relationship-building with other Jeep enthusiasts than in a group of mostly accountants. If you’re the only Jeep-loving accountant, you’ll stand out more. Putting some thought into the groups you join can make all the difference in your business development activities.

At this point, LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 groups. I always encourage people to join at least 20 and make sure that they contribute to several on a regular basis. If you aren’t taking advantage of the power of LinkedIn groups, start now. With over 550,000 of them, I am sure you’ll find at least a couple that meet your needs.

-Michele Rempel, Mandatek

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People are always saying to me, “I don’t get Twitter.  It seems so pointless and I don’t see how I’ll make any money from it.” 

I understand this line of thinking, and in a way I agree.  Most people don’t make money on Twitter.  I’ll probably get some arguments from this, since there are ALWAYS exceptions, but most of the people who are making money on Twitter are the same ones who are making money selling products or services in all those emails you delete.  You get my drift. 

But Twitter isn’t pointless, even if you aren’t probably going to make money directly from it.  The way to give Twitter value in business development is to interact with your followers, or even people who aren’t following you.  You can’t really expect to send out 10 tweets per day and think that someone is going to buy your service or product.  It happens, but it happens rarely.  It’s like going to a networking event.  You can hand out your business card all day long, but you’re probably not going to make a sale until you follow up with the people who took your business cards and start building relationships by offering to help them or finding out more about who they are, etc. 

The beauty of Twitter for business development is that you can tap a ton of people with your brand and personality.  And the way you show people your personality is to interact with them.  Retweet their clever quotes, ask others to follow them, get into the culture of Twitter.  It takes time, and you might want to consider hiring someone to do it for you.  But if you do it right, your brand will get attention.  And increasing your visibility is the name of the game.

-Michele Rempel, Mandatek

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