By Bob Speyer, Web Success Team

All businesses face their own set of marketing challenges, particularly in these trying economic times. However, what many companies have in common is that their problems are not unique. Fortunately neither are the solutions. Sometimes the best way to tackling a marketing dilemma is to utilize the Internet’s vast resources and begin by simply asking your question(s).

Linkedin Discussion Sample

A Community of Experts

One of the best places get answers to your most pressing marketing problems is through Linkedin’s discussion forum. Linkedin as you know is one of the gold standards in professional social networking. It is where business people of all persuasions connect to exchange information. Linkedin provides you the opportunity to join groups or even start one. People select groups that relate to their industry or interests and then participate in their discussions.

Once you have joined a group, Linkedin allows you to post a question or share information that you find useful for the group to discuss. These targeted groups are a great forum to ask your most pressing marketing questions and have the members offer their comments. Depending upon the nature of the question or interest, you will get a wide range of comments as to the best way to approach your situation. Most responses are very useful and full of thoughtful and carefully crafted suggestions. People will share with you their experiences, what worked for them in a similar situation and what pitfalls to avoid. Some will even offer you out-of-the-box solutions you may never have thought of or were unwilling to try without experienced feedback and encouragement.

Sample Responses

A recent Linkedin discussion group responded to a recent query about what to do if a prospective client doesn’t respond to your proposal. It was answered with a few practical solutions. To paraphrase, their responses included

1. Ask for a simple “yes” or “no;”
2. Put “second request” in the e-mail subject line;
3. Give them a deadline to respond;
4. Express concern with a personal note inquiring if they are all right;
5. Put them on “auto-drip” to keep your name in front of them with a periodic reminder, such as an e-mail newsletter.

Often times, a member will direct you to an in-depth article that discusses your particular request, offering tips, guidelines or actions to take. Remember the social web is just that. It is a social gathering place to exchange ideas, information and offer solutions to problems. People are very candid on the web and Linkedin members in particular enjoy speaking with authority and making their opinions known. They want to help. By commenting on posts, members will establish a reputation as an authority; other members will read their comments as well and may even contact or refer them to someone looking for an expert in their chosen field.

The Fastest Growing Social Network for a Reason

Linkedin is definitely a great resource to gather information from like-minded professionals and can point you in the right direction. Of course, it will not take the place of a web marketing team that can help craft your message, your brand positioning, and ultimately help resolve your marketing challenges. But it is a good starting point. More and more business professionals are utilizing Linkedin and it is one of the fastest growing social media networks today. The more you utilize this network, the closer you are to web success.

The Web Success Team specializes in developing and marketing direct response websites that take full advantage of the latest developments on the Internet. The Team has an arsenal of effective web strategies, online marketing tools and proven customized social media techniques to promote your products and services. And we’ll show you ways to increase the amount of qualified traffic to your site.

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