Category: article

Networking for Entrepreneurs and Business Coaches: Top Tips to Capitalize on Social Media

Posted on by Adrianne Phillips

Networking for Entrepreneurs and Business Coaches: Top Tips to Capitalize on Social Media

Subscribe to Articles

Social media network management can drive a business coach or small business entrepreneur to the top level of success. This type of relationship management can be a bit complex. We can show you how to develop your business by networking on social media.

Top Networking Tips for Entrepreneurs and Business Coaches

Share Relevant Content to Add Value to Your Network

Are you unsure how adding value improves relationships on social media? When you share relevant content with your audience, you are actually being of value to your network. When you share this informative content, you are seen as an expert in your industry by your colleagues.

Tell A Compelling Story

People like to do business with people they know. On social media, it can be quite challenging to get that connection that you would normally get in face-to-face interaction. Write a compelling story about you and/or the genesis of your business to introduce yourself to your target audience. The story should evoke an emotional response from your audience. This is providing a story that a human being is leading your brand, making it memorable and making you more relatable to the audience.

Inspire Your Target Audience

You can inspire your potential clients as you share your business progress with them through social media. When these people read your backstory and see how far you have come, it should motivate them to hire you as an expert to assist them in their business journey.

Share Testimonials

One of the best ways to draw in more clients is testimonials. When a prospective client is looking to make their final decision, they may seek out testimonials from past clients to enable them to make the decision. Showcase your best work on social media by providing testimonials from past clients.

Monitor Social Media Engagement

When you post content on social media, you will start noticing trends in post-performance. You should use Google Analytics or another monitoring platform to monitor the data. When you track your social media posts, you will see insights on how all content performs. You can then tweak your content to improve your performance.

Include Calls To Action

A call to action (CTA) is a task a user must complete to go to the next step. Make sure that your CTA is concise, as your audience must need a reason to click on it. Give them a compelling reason why they should take this action immediately. If you have clarity on what your audience will take away from the CTA, it will make it easier for them to move into the sales funnel.

Promotora Systems Inc. can assist small business entrepreneurs and business coaches with all their social media networking and relationship management needs. Contact us today to empower your success.

Back to All Articles

4 Ways to Capitalize on Social Media As A Business Coach

Posted on by Adrianne Phillips

4 Ways to Capitalize on Social Media As A Business Coach

Subscribe to Articles

Social media is one of the greatest tools for a business coach to expand their business. However, the landscape of the various social media platforms can be quite complex and difficult to navigate. For any small business entrepreneur to grow a business today, you must learn to follow the marketing trends to find new clients.

The popularity of social media as a business tool has increased significantly in recent years. If you want to reach your business goals, you must use the most popular social media platforms. You can also use social media to find new clients and form a relationship strategy.

The Networking Mistakes Small Business Entrepreneurs Make

Statistics on Social Media and Business Development

According to a 2020 survey from SocialPilot:
  • Facebook is utilized by 91 percent of business-to-business (B2B) marketers, and 96 percent of business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers.
  • 89 percent of B2B marketers create collaboration opportunities and generate leads on LinkedIn.
  • Instagram has an estimated reach of 1.39 billion people worldwide.
  • More than 75 million pins have been uploaded to Pinterest.
  • TikTok revenue grew an astounding 60 percent in 2021, and this revenue is only expected to grow in 2022 and beyond.

As you can see, social media is the ultimate powerhouse tool to empower your success. However, to capitalize on the ever-changing social media landscape, you may need a little help to give you an edge in the market. We put together the top ways to optimize your networking on social media to find new clients and create strategic partnerships.

Choose the Best Social Media Platform For Your Business

You can grow your business exponentially with social media — if you do it the correct way. The key to developing relationships is to use the best social media platform for your business to promote to your target audience. Many platforms can be difficult to navigate in leading with your brand to build relationships that are solid and consistent with your target audience.

Create Engaging Content for Posting

If you do not grab your target audiences’ attention right away, you may lose them. The key to success is to share unique, compelling content that will reach your current followers and entice new ones. Take some time and explore different formats for your content to see what brings the most engagement. It is crucial to discover the content that resonates the most with your audience, then continue to post similar content.

Build Win-Win Relationships with Your Target Audience

There are numerous ways that you can build a rapport with your target audience. You can work with influencers, and engage with your audience by responding to their comments, inviting them to share questions, and producing videos. You can also build relationships with simple social media activity such as likes and shares on comments on all relevant social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. The others that you have engaged with will most likely follow the rule of reciprocity and come and react to your social media posts. This is how the power of relationships can grow your business.

Stay Consistent on Social Media

One thing you do not want to do is to let your social media posting go stale. Another way to grow your business is through social media consistency. It is paramount that you create a powerful following on social media and keep posting frequently to capture and retain your audience’s attention. You do not want your target audience to look elsewhere for whatever they may be looking for.

Consistency on social media means keeping a regular social media posting schedule. When you identify quality connections on the various social media platforms, it is best to have content based on your demographics attained from tools such as Google Analytics. You can then create a monthly content calendar to help you keep track of content creation and posting based on this data. The frequency of your posting will still vary based on the demographics you find. Your posting schedule might be once a week at first, then generally increasing to posts once a day.

Do not forget that this social media consistently also applies to your content. The quality of your content is as important as the quantity. You want to add value to your posts, as your audience and newcomers will have something to take away and a reason to come back in the future.  This will attract the correct audience for your potential coaching clients. You do not want to just get some likes or comments from the masses; you want to convert visitors to customers and retain your current ones.

Promotora Systems Inc. can assist you with our various business development services. Begin the journey to empower your success by contacting us to get started today.

Back to All Articles

3 Reasons Why You Need To Follow Up with Your Business Leads

Posted on by Adrianne Phillips

3 Reasons Why You Need To Follow Up with Your Business Leads

Subscribe to Articles

When you attend a networking event, you are primarily there to grow your business. At these events, you collect business cards and contact information. It is important for you to follow up on these leads to build win-win relationships, create collaboration opportunities, strategic partnerships, and much more.

Reasons A Small Business Entrepreneur Needs to Follow Up on Business Leads

It Builds Relationships

Networking is relationship management after all. Don’t let these quality connections you made go to waste; make the most of them. Therefore, you need to cultivate these new connections right away while the memory of your recent meeting is still fresh in each other’s minds.

You then keep fostering this new relationship in any way that seems to fit. Either way, the connection will feel that you want to keep your association. You will most likely receive their loyalty over time, as you will stand out in their minds compared to others that did not make the same effort. This will lead to a close relationship with them. From this point, the possibilities are infinite with your new connections.

Social Media Connections Go a Long Way

It does not matter if you made your new connection in person or online, do not let the connection go stale. Once this connection is made, keep it going. Social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and more are becoming one of the best secondary ways today to follow up on business leads.

Once you have connected on social media, keep your association going. It can be as little as a comment on LinkedIn, or a like on Facebook or Instagram. Just make sure to keep your interactions with new connections as frequent as possible.

Consistent Follow-Ups Will Put You and Your Business Ahead

You can empower your success for your brand or business with consistent relationship networking follow-ups. A recent study showed that 44% of businesspeople will give up after only one follow-up. The odds are, the more you follow up, the better the chances are this lead will become a new client or strategic partner.

It is also easier than ever to follow up with your leads. There are many tools out there today that can expedite lead generation. You can do automated email marketing with this new connection, and they will become part of your funnel that is automatically sent updates. There are several tools you can utilize for this to manage your follow-ups. You can even just schedule a simple alert into your calendar to follow up. The point is to follow up and do it consistently.

Promotora Systems Inc. can help you grow your business by developing relationships and optimizing your networking skills to take your brand to the next level. Contact us today to get started.

Back to All Articles

7 Places to Find Your Next Business Coaching Client

Posted on by Adrianne Phillips

7 Places to Find Your Next Business Coaching Client

Subscribe to Articles

Business coaches are a very helpful resource when a small business entrepreneur needs advice. If you are unsure where to look for new clients for your coaching business, we can help. We have written this guide to building profitable relationships in your network to grow your coaching business.

Places To Find New Clients for Coaching Programs

Online with Blogs, Podcasts, and Video

Content marketing can be a long-term commitment. However, if you are consistent with your marketing, results can happen sooner than you expect. For example, if you write intriguing content on your blog, it can develop relationships to grow your business. The potential client will reach out through your website for more information. All formats lead to the same goal: more clients for your business. This content marketing allows you to build your authority with potential customers initially before they even reach out to you because your expertise is on display.

Gated Content

This type of content is where the user has to provide some personal information, such as a contact email,  to fully access the content. Marketers estimate about 80 percent of business-to-business (B2B) content marketing is gated. This content varies in different formats including white papers, case studies, product demonstrations, and much more.

Newsletters

If you distribute industry-related newsletters, that can also be a great way to attract coaching clients. Newsletters create brand and increase awareness, and provide quite a bit of helpful information. This format, when promoted online, is quite cost-effective compared to traditional newsletters printed on paper and mailed or distributed.

Use LinkedIn to Develop Your Business

You can also generate leads on LinkedIn to find new clients for your coaching programs. While on the platform, do some searching to find your targets. Create a summary of a specific issue or problem that is relevant to your potential clients, and offer advice on how to resolve it. Be sure to answer any direct questions asked by group members promptly. This will help build your credibility in your industry.

Facebook Groups and Other Social Media Platforms

Besides LinkedIn, you can also find leads for your coaching business on Facebook groups. You can use already existing Facebook groups to build relationships.

One known social media strategy is the Founding Client strategy. This involves posting on social media three times a day for seven days. After each post, announce you are beginning a new coaching program and offer it to people at a reduced price. You should get some new clients initially when you offer this. After your coaching with these clients is concluded, ask them to write a testimonial to your coaching skills on the platform.

Workshops

One of the fastest ways to gain new coaching clients is to host an industry-specific workshop. You are automatically perceived as an expert in your field if you run a workshop. Offer a complimentary strategy session to all attendees at the conclusion to peak more interest in your coaching services.

Networking Events

Of course, the best way to meet the best quality connections is at various networking events. Besides attending these events scheduled by others, you can host your own networking event, too. The website Meetup.com is a great tool to help you create your own networking event. These events can be a live, in-person event or a virtual event — the choice is yours. Pick a specific topic in your industry that will appeal to your target audience. After your event, offer a free consultation at a later time to all attendees to benefit from your expertise.

Promotora Systems Inc. can help you find new coaching clients. Contact us today so we can show you how to develop your business and take it to new levels.

Back to All Articles

Top 5 Networking Mistakes Business Owners Make

Posted on by Adrianne Phillips

Top 5 Networking Mistakes Business Owners Make

Subscribe to Articles

Networking is a skill that must be honed over time. Even the most seasoned businesspeople have a tough time with one-on-one interactions at events. For successful network management, you will need to avoid these common networking mistakes that can be counterproductive to your business growth.

The Networking Mistakes Small Business Entrepreneurs Make

Keeping it Impersonal

When meeting new people at events, you hope to build win-win relationships. It is important to understand how the power of relationships can help your business exponentially. That being said, there is still no substitute for meeting at an in-person networking event. When you meet people in person, you can get a better read on who they are inside. When approaching someone new, try to find some common interest to spark conversation and go from there. You may feel awkward at first, but over time this will become easier.

Many are looking to rediscover that human connection that we missed during the coronavirus lockdowns. Now we are ready to get back out there, meet people again, and resume business.

Being Selfish

When it comes to building connections, always remember the rule of reciprocity. Let’s face it, self-serving people are not popular anywhere, and they are especially unpopular in industry circles. If you earn a reputation as someone that takes instead of gives, it can be counterproductive.

You need to be valuable to your network, as in you need to bring something to the table. If you are wondering how adding value can improve your business, the answer is simple. Over time, as you attend these events, you will earn a reputation as an industry leader. You need to position yourself with other successful people in your industry and develop a relationship based on give-and-take.

Not Offering Help to a Peer

When you meet a new person in your industry at an event, you should make the effort to get to know them. The objective is to build relationships. Offer to help your peer in any way that may be relevant. This will establish trust almost immediately as this shows that you have a common goal. Your reputation as an expert in your industry will begin to materialize, and your peers will want to hear what you have to say.

Making it About Quantity Over Quality

It is of the utmost importance that these connections you make are beneficial to your business in some way. This is the time to be a little more selective and identify relevant connections. Take the time and effort to find quality connections instead of a great number of them. It is better to make one or two quality connections at an event than to leave with a handful of business cards that will go nowhere as far as relationships.

Not Following Up

The final networking mistake business owners make is the failure to follow up. The follow-up is the key to your networking success. If you fail to follow up with your new connections, it is just a missed opportunity. Make a specific plan to follow up with all relevant connections you have made at your events, and navigate the waters to build profitable relationships for all.

Promotora Systems Inc. has many network management solutions that can help grow your business.  We can be your guide to building profitable relationships that can empower your success. Contact us today to get started.

Back to All Articles

7 Social Networking Tips for Business Owners

Posted on by Adrianne Phillips

7 Social Networking Tips for Business Owners

Subscribe to Articles

Navigating the various social media platforms can be tricky. There are so many trends that come and go, it can be overwhelming to try and discover what can help grow your business. There are numerous ways to engage with your audience on all social media platforms. No matter if you are new to the whole social media phenomenon or are a seasoned social media vet, here are some tips a small business entrepreneur should learn to help grow their business.

Best Social Networking Tips for Business Development

Know Your Target Audience Inside Out

You can grow your business by developing relationships with your audience and understanding their wants and needs. When you have a comprehensive understanding of your audience, you can create content that speaks to them and draws them in. For instance, if you have a business page on Facebook, you can see your audience’s insights over a designated period. You can then use this information to create appropriate content for your audience.

Engage with Your Audience Often

If a customer reaches out to you on social media in any way, make sure they know you appreciate it. It does not matter if it is a question, an issue, or just a comment about your business, it is important to engage with the audience as soon as possible. Just by doing as little as liking this comment can make a great difference in the customer’s experience. It lets them know there really is another person on the other end of cyberspace. This all leads to building profitable relationships.

Create A Content Calendar

A content calendar is a great way to organize your posting schedule. Think about what you would want to post and how it can speak to your audience. Then post this content to each social media platform accordingly. By having a plan laid out either for a week or more at a time, you can stay consistent with posting and engaging your audience, and they can see you pop up more often in their feeds.

Find the Best Posting Times

There are a few platforms that you can use that can help you determine when to post content on individual social media platforms. Coschedule is a platform that can make it easy to manage what content to post at the most optimal time. It does this by finding trends when your posts get higher engagement.

Hashtags

Hashtags are still one of the best ways to get attention on social media. If you use hashtags the correct way, they can be a very powerful tool to grow awareness of your business on social media. You can make your posts reach a wider audience with a strategically chosen hashtag on a post. You can also motivate new users to spread the word about your brand with clever and catchy hashtags to post about your product or service.

Watch Your Social Media Analytics

You can develop your business through Linkedin, Facebook, Instagram, or any other social media platform that you wish. You just need to read your analytics regularly in order to track what works and what does not.

Promote Accordingly

A small business entrepreneur really needs to make sure your brand is promoted correctly on social media.

If your posts are not getting the engagement you are looking for, then it may be wise to give them something extra. This could be a boost on your Facebook page, or it could be a marketing campaign made across several social media platforms.

Promotora Systems Inc. has many coaching programs that can empower your success. We are experts in network management and relationship strategy. Contact us today to get started building profitable relationships to grow your business.

Back to All Articles

10 Reasons For Attending Networking Events As A Business Owner

Posted on by Adrianne Phillips

10 Reasons For Attending Networking Events As A Business Owner

Subscribe to Articles

In-person networking events have always been one of the best ways to grow your business. For some, though, that one-on-one interaction with a stranger can be a bit unnerving. This has led to many entrepreneurs not putting as much effort into their networking as they really should. If you are reluctant to begin networking for your business for any reason, now is the time to consider the power of relationships. Attending these networking events is crucial for your relationship-management strategy.

Reasons A Small Business Entrepreneur Should Attend Networking Events

Meeting Your industry Peers

Let’s face it, it is always beneficial for you to see who else is out there in your industry. These people are in similar positions or businesses and can be a source of inspiration. These industry peers can provide you with helpful information and insight into all aspects of your business.

Making New Connections with Many You May Not Have Met Otherwise

You never know who you are going to meet, and how they could benefit your business in the future. Although these people may be in different fields, they can still provide you with helpful insight. For instance, if you are in publishing and you meet an attorney at a networking event, you could possibly get a legal referral for the future.

Stay Informed on Industry Trends

You should keep current with all that is going on in your industry. These networking events are one of the best ways to keep apprised of the inner news. You not only gain valuable insight with conversations with your peers but so much more. Most industry-specific networking events tend to have seminars or other presentations. This allows you to also have follow-up discussions with your peers about these current industry trends.

You Can Make Yourself an Expert in Your Field

When you get around in industry circles through networking, you are actually being of value to your network. This is because after a period of time, your industry peers will see you as an expert in your field. This may be due to nothing else than the true face time you have with people.

It Brings Awareness to Your Brand or Business

Attending these events puts your face and your brand on the radar. Every appearance you make increases your chances of meeting the right influencers and potential prospects. Even in this time of technological advances, the old-fashioned word-of-mouth method is still one of the best ways to grow your business.

Build Win-Win Relationships

Most networking events today make it easier to identify relevant connections. These connections can be cultivated when you interact with the same people at different events, and you can then form relationships. This can also lead to invitations to other relevant events and introductions to other valuable contacts.

Find Inspiration from Others

When speaking to those in your chosen field, you often are sharing topics you both care about. One of the best ways to be valuable to your network is to draw inspiration from each other. A mutual motivation that comes over time is another key benefit to attending business events.

The Potential To Build a Collaborative Team

If you are looking to create collaboration opportunities, in-person networking events are very effective. Many that are looking for new opportunities attend networking events to see what is out there. You could very well find some people that can take your business to the next level through collaboration.

The Opportunity To Meet Other Professionals

Now that business events are resuming, people are looking to get back out into the world and meet people again. Getting back to meeting in person, shaking hands, and making eye contact trigger emotions that technology cannot replicate.

Social Media Becomes Social Interaction

Once you have connected at the networking event in person, then you connect on all social media outlets that you can. You can then grow your business by developing relationships through social media platforms. For instance, after you meet a relevant connection at an event, you make a connection through LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media platform you use.

Promotora Systems Inc. has many coaching programs that can help you through all your network management needs. We can assist you to create strategic partnerships that will empower your success – let’s get in touch!

Back to All Articles

Top 4 Reasons Why Networking is Good for Business

Posted on by Adrianne Phillips

Top 4 Reasons Why Networking is Good for Business

Subscribe to Articles

Network management is essential for any business. Today, a small business entrepreneur must get into the business networking circuit and work on the power of relationships. If you are not sure how to make your business profitable through networking, we can help. Read on to learn why networking is good for your business.

Top 4 Reasons Why Networking is Good for Business Development

Reinforce Your Business Connections

After you have been in business for some time, you will come to realize how important your connections are in the overall health and growth of your business.

You have gone through the tremendous effort of finding these quality connections at various business networking events. Now you need to continue to cultivate these connections. There may be a time when you could create collaboration opportunities and find new clients with these new connections.

When you engage on a regular basis with these contacts, you strengthen your relationship. This also sets the stage for reciprocity, as one day you may need help in achieving one of your goals.

Exchange Information and Fresh Ideas with Your Peers

Remember the rule of reciprocity when you are networking. It is best for all to be valuable to your network by the exchange of helpful industry information and trends. When speaking to your peers, mention any issues that have come up in your own journey.  When you share information like this, it will add value to connections. When you do this, you also build win-win relationships and could create strategic partnerships.

Contrary to popular belief, most people love being asked for assistance. They are usually flattered that you came to them for advice. It does not matter if this advice is in the direction of your company or a challenge you may currently be facing, most will be happy to help.

Get Yourself and Your Business Noticed

When you make an appearance at an event, you are leading your brand in front of many potential clients. Many do not understand the importance of raising your profile. People will be able to connect your name and brand with your face. This allows you to introduce yourself and tell people what your core values are. This is how leading with your brand can put you on the map in your industry.

Moving Your Career or Business Forward

Networking at in-person events is still one of the best ways to develop your business. When you regularly attend these professional and social events, it helps get your face known. This builds your reputation in your networking circles as someone that is knowledgeable in your industry and is a reliable and supportive member of the community.

You will also have access to job opportunities that you may have never thought of. When you actively network, it keeps you in the minds of those people that are looking to actively recruit. This also increases the likelihood of introductions to relevant connections and even some referrals. Keep in mind that sometimes jobs are not even advertised or posted yet — they could be that fresh. When you are a known part of a network, it is a huge way to gain access to many opportunities that you may not have realized.

Networking Tips To Empower Your Success

Plan ahead – Have a handful of topics prepared for discussion. If you know of some of the event attendees in advance, perhaps you could do some research on their business and background to use as topics of conversation. You could also use this as a jumping-off point or an ice breaker that you could use as you approach new people at your event.

Be Prepared – Make sure you have an ample supply of business cards or any other media/presentations you wish to distribute. Have all these materials ready and easily accessible with your belongings. You do not want to be scrambling through your attached case looking for your business cards while you are trying to get to know people.

Look Your Best – The old saying is “dress for success” and that is certainly true when it comes to networking. Take some time beforehand and see if your event has any specific theme, and dress accordingly. Always keep in mind, however, this is a business event and you should always present yourself in that way. Anything that would be frowned upon at work, such as cleavage, does not have any place at a networking event.

Relax – Pretend this is a party you are going to, not a business event. If you enter the event with this mindset, you may tend to be more socially oriented and relaxed.

Another tip for relaxation: Before you enter an event, take a few minutes, have a seat alone, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths. By doing this, you are calming yourself and regaining your focus on yourself to prepare for the event.

Promotora Systems Inc. has many coaching programs that can help you identify relevant connections and create a relationship strategy that will optimize your networking abilities. Contact us to get started.

Back to All Articles

Selling Out 2022 Conferences: A Step-by-Step Action Plan For Business Networking

Posted on by Adrianne Phillips

Selling Out 2022 Conferences: A Step-by-Step Action Plan For Business Networking

Subscribe to Articles

Networking has always been the best way to empower your success to build win-win relationships. In 2022, if you are looking to jump start your business with a conference, we can help you get the best attendance for your event. Let us be your guide to building profitable relationships and finding new clients through network management.

Step 1: The Who, What, and Why

Since there has been such a long gap between events due to the pandemic, you may have to develop your event-planning skills. To do this, you may need to ask yourself a few questions to begin the foundation for your event.

First, you will need to identify relevant connections and business associates to invite to your conference.

Secondly, what are your business objectives? Do you wish to build relationships and create collaboration opportunities with some of your conference attendees? What is the ultimate goal for why you are holding the conference?

Once you decide on the who, what, and why, you can begin your planning tactics.

Step 2: Provide Company Information to Your Event Management Company

Once you have decided your purpose for your conference, it’s time to provide a comprehensive brief of your company to your event planner. Points to include in your brief:

  • Your target audience and how they feel about your company or brand, and how you want them to think, know, and feel about your company after the conference.
  • Your future goals for the company
  • What message you hope to get across at the conference
  • Any major changes to the company in the past 12-18 months

Step 3: Establish Your Timelines and Budget

The next step in the process is to define your budget for the conference and establish a timeline to plan and execute. You can also add value for your stakeholders by allowing them to have an influence on all aspects of your business and include them in your planning.

Step 4: Leverage Speakers and Attendees

Everyone involved with your conference wants it to be a success. Therefore, the ultimate goal is to attract as many attendees to the event as possible. This will increase your visibility for your company or brand. The common goal can be part of your overall marketing strategy and can motivate participants to promote your conference.

Encourage your speakers to use social media to promote their appearance and your event ahead of time. They could have content prepared and a great headshot image. No more content is needed in order to share with one click of a button. Because many speakers have a significant social media following, this can help spread the word about your conference.

You can also encourage your attendees to promote your event on social media. This can generate more interest in your event as you get closer to the date.

Step 5: Promote Your Conference

When you promote your event yourself, make sure your message is going to the right audience. To find your target audience, do some research and discover their age, gender, and what industry they work in. You can begin this process by taking a look at your last event’s attendees. You can also analyze your website traffic to get insight into your target audience.

There are also a few websites that you can utilize to promote your event. These include Eventful and 10 times.

Promotora Systems Inc. can help you with your business development and optimize your networking skills to find new clients and build relationships. We can show you how to make your business profitable through networking. Contact us today to get started.

Back to All Articles

5 Things to Look For When Starting Your Own Online Community

Posted on by Adrianne Phillips

5 Things to Look For When Starting Your Own Online Community

Subscribe to Articles

The benefits of having an online community for your business or brand are infinite. You can optimize your networking, create collaboration opportunities, and build win-win relationships when you have the best online community possible.

In this article, we can show you how to build an online community that can grow your business.

Define Your Community

The first thing you must do overall is determine who you want in your online community. There are four main categories of what defines a sense of community.

  • Membership – This is a sense of belonging to a group with similar interests.
  • Influence – Members should feel like they have some power and influence on the group.
  • Fulfillment of Needs – Group members should be rewarded in some way for their participation in the group. This is how to add value to your relationships for members being part of the group.
  • A Shared Emotional Connection – You know your relationship strategy has been successful when there is a shared emotional connection in your community.

Find the Right Social Platform

You can grow your business with LinkedIn, Facebook, or any of the other social media platforms. One of the best advantages of building your community on these platforms is that your online community can be easily discovered by new users looking for communities like yours or who are already engaging in similar communities.

You can also create your own branded community platform. One of the major advantages to this is the ability to control all your content, branding, and the entire experience. Since you are the one controlling this platform, it will be free from advertising and other distractions that occur on the popular social media platforms.

Identify the Stakeholders

The relationships with your stakeholders are extremely important. Define your stakeholders through the following categories: marketing, sales, support, and product. You will also need to know what kind of value your stakeholders are looking for. This will help you know which influence and benefits your stakeholders can bring to your community.

Build Engagement With The Community

When your online community is engaged, you will have better results. There are a few ways you can build engagement with your online community.

  • Create a Daily Theme – If you create a theme for each day of the week, it is a creative way to keep the community focused on a specific topic. It can also encourage participation from community members.
  • Ask Questions -You can encourage conversations and engagement if you ask specific questions to the group.
  • Create a Title For Community Members – If you give your members a name, it gives them a sense of identity. For example, an online brand known as The Budgetnista refers to its community members as Dreamcatchers and addresses them this way. This helps your members feel like they are a part of something special.
  • Share Exclusive Content – Post content that your members cannot get anywhere else.

Grow the Community

Once you have your online community established, you need to expand it. The best ways to promote your community are:

  • Send out emails to newsletter subscribers and existing customers with a call-to-action to join the group.
  • Add a link to your business website.
  • Promote it on appropriate social media platforms.
  • Encourage members to invite others into the community.

Promotora Systems Inc. can empower your success with our many coaching programs that can help with all your business development needs including building profitable relationships in your online community. Contact us today to get started.

Back to All Articles