Page 202 - Social Media Marketing for Dummies

» Hold the line on promotions.
As the leader, you’re responsible for making sure that other members aren’t
overpromoting and ruining the experience. Nothing is worse than feeling like
you’re being taken advantage of by other group members. The best way to do
this is to set a strong example yourself.
» Encourage comments and discussions.

The shared discussions are part of the valuable content your group builds.
If you choose an open group, it can be shared on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Monitor the groups and stir up some lively discussions.
» Use events.
As mentioned previously, LinkedIn has a great event tool. Create some virtual
events and have members speak. Get everyone talking about new events.
If enough people are interested in the idea, you can hold an in-person
conference.
» Interest the media.
One of your goals for the group should be to help the media find you.
Publicity benefits the entire group. Think about having your members create
an e-book or manifesto about your topic and let the media know about it.
Some social media press releases could also do the trick.

Using LinkedIn to Answer Questions

To become a stand-out thought leader on LinkedIn, you’ll want to share your
advice. LinkedIn users post questions that require a level of expertise to answer. If
you provide that answer, you can be perceived as an expert. Demonstrating your
expertise is a great way to provide value and get noticed.

One of the best ways to provide expertise used to be LinkedIn Answers, but that
function has been discontinued. According to LinkedIn, the best way to do that
now is to share your expertise from the following locations:

» Your LinkedIn home page
» An article you publish on LinkedIn

» LinkedIn discussion groups
» Partner sites
» LinkedIn Pulse

186 PART 3 Reaching Your Audience via Mainstream Social Platforms