Using Groups to Build Your Business

To create a long-term sustainable business, you need to create trust with your audience.

A great way to grow your audience and to build this trust is to join groups of like-minded people that are interested or need the products and services that you offer.

One of the reasons groups are so popular on social media and in-person is because we are drawn to be part of a community. We like to be a part of a connected community of others.

When you join groups, you can connect with others and showcase your expertise, but first, you must be an active part of the group and earn the trust of the group members. As a group, people are suspicious of outsiders that come in and act like a know-it-all’s.

You must show the group that you are one of them, you have been where they are, and you know how to help them with their problems.

Here are 7 ways to use groups to build your business:

Be Authentic

If you really want to be a part of the group and to develop trust with your audience, then you need to be a real person. These days people feel connected and do business with those that are transparent and honest. People can see through the hype, so it’s best to remain authentic when communicating with the group. Be yourself, show your personality, and drop the robotic, corporate facade.

Be Responsive

When you see comments, updates, emails, and things you can respond to, it’s important that you take action and not put off responding. How you respond to critics, as well as to compliments, shows your audience who you and what values you stand for. Don’t pass up opportunities to show your audience who you are.

Show Respect

When you show the group that you truly care and not just think of them as dollar signs it shows. It matters in the words you use and your engagement with your community. A little respect and caring go a long way.

Be a Resource

Show the people in groups that you are helpful and a resource to them. When you offer help without expecting anything in return, people will get to know, like, and trust you even more. This sets you up for long-term relationships with your audience. They will know that you are there to help them, that you care and are not just trying to make a quick dollar off them. You will be the expert they turn to when they are ready to buy.

Motivate Others

When you get an opportunity, you can use your expertise and passion to motivate others in your groups. By being a cheerleader for others in the group and helping them see their potential, you will become someone who is looked up to, liked, and respected. 

Share Openly

While you do want to keep some things to yourself, it’s important that you share your journey. When you are honest about mistakes, failures, and successes, it makes you more likable and trustworthy. You don’t have to be a pillar of perfection; in fact, when you share your journey, people are more likely to follow you and want to do business with you.

Show Proof

Being new to a group means people may not trust you right away. Take your time to get to know people and show them that you know what you’re talking about by being helpful and offering solutions. Little gestures of helpfulness will build your authority and relationships with the groups you are a part of.

Joining and being an active part of groups is a great way to build your business. You learn more about your audience, you can showcase your authority and expertise in a helpful, non-threatening, non-salesy way, and you can build trust with others in the group.

Once you get the hang of being a part of other groups, you can start your own tribe, either online or in-person and begin to build your business in a way you never imagined possible.

Here’s to working smarter to create a business and life you LOVE!