Some small business owners do not see the value in networking because they may view it as a waste of time. The problem actually could be not networking in the circles with their ideal clients. Small business and solo-entrepreneurs should implement social media networking marketing strategies to avoid this huge mistake.
Here’s a tip: fish EXACTLY where the fish are. Yes, it is that simple! You need to figure out where to reach your ideal clients in large numbers, and then go there.
Social media networking marketing strategies
How do you find the right fish to network with locally? Use social media to help keep your calendar full with targeted networking events.
LinkedIn events directory
LinkedIn provides an Events Directory that you can browse in three ways:
- By industry – at last count there were 138 to choose from. Once you click on your targeted industry, you will find a list of events by region.
- By region – if you live in or around a big city you may find a link to events by the city and state name. Once you click on your location, you will find a list of events in your specific area by industry.
- By name – this option provides a list of events for each letter in the alphabet. Once you click on the letter, you will get a summary list of events that start with that letter and an option to view the event details.
As an added bonus to make your networking even easier, while logged in LinkedIn provides a list of events you may be interested in attending. It gets even better; they even provide a list of attendees you may want to meet too.
Facebook events
Facebook events can be annoying because of the constant stream of invitations that have no interest or relevancy. However, it may be worth a few minutes of your time to scan the list of upcoming events to find some gold nuggets. Your events will appear in a chronological list view or you can switch to a calendar view. You can also see events your friends are attending by clicking the events tab under their cover photo.
Twitter events
Twitter does not officially offer a service to help promote, manage or view events. However, there is a service called Twtvite available for you to search events posted on their service. You can search events by location (this is limited), keyword or hashtag.
Google+ events
This is the new kid on the block that hardly anyone knows moved in. Until more business owners realize the value and why they can no longer ignore Google+ this event feature may remain a mystery. However, there is no need for you to wait for them to catch on. From your Google+ account, you can click on the events icon to search and browse public events.
I’ve discovered secrets to not only help you FIND your ideal clients, but to use your website as a ‘marketing tool’ to attract them to you every single day. I’d love to give you the tools you need to build a solid foundation for your business to increase profits. You can grab your copy of my no-cost report filled with easy tips to drive targeted buyer traffic to your website.
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