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Marketing & Communication for Today and Tomorrow
"Are you LinkedIn?"
By Alicia Muller, Director of New Business Development
Are you looking for a cutting edge marketing option that is easy on the budget? Did you know that creating a LinkedIn Group for your non-profit organization can compliment your existing marketing plan? LinkedIn is a business focused social networking site with over 30 million active users and best of all, there are no subscription fees or long-term commitments.
Two key points to keep in mind when creating your LinkedIn Group:
- Have a plan
- Keep it current
Have a plan
First determine the purpose of your LinkedIn Group page; here are some suggestions:
- Sharing information with existing members
- Recruiting new members
- Increasing attendance at the annual conference
Next, decide the most effective management system for your page; ask yourself these questions:
- Who will manage the page?
- How much time can realistically be dedicated to the page?
- Does your content support your purpose?
- Track Return on Investment (ROI). Is the time you are investing reaping results?
Keep it current
Now that you have a LinkedIn Group and your audience is interested, how do you keep them coming back week after week? Here are some tips:
- Provide timely, accurate, interesting information on a consistent basis
- Link to articles that would be of interest to your members
- Promote upcoming association or industry events
- Become a valuable resource that your audience relies on
LinkedIn offers an easy to navigate template for starting a group page. Your page can be customized by uploading a logo and submitting a brief summary of the association. Consider creating an open group, over one that requires approval to join. The benefit of an open group is that it allows visitors to locate your page and join the group with no obligation.
According to LinkedIn - relationships matter. I wholeheartedly agree! You can find me on LinkedIn.