Facebook groups for networking ?

[Lexual]

Has anyone come across and good UK based facebook groups that have been good for networking or gaining any business leads?

I'm a member of a couple of local county based ones which do seem to be well administrated so there are few spammy adverts and some fairly good interaction and decent content contributions, direct advertising of your business and services on a daily basis is banned but I've had enquiries and orders through the groups.

I'm looking for other groups that will have members who would have an interest in the services I offer (printed materials and products), so ideally managing director groups, marketing and communications managers, freelance designer groups, event producers etc, nearly all companies of a medium+ size will require printing of some sort..

I have searched a few but many of them seem to be full of crappy spam and unmanaged..

Has anyone found any worth joining?

[edc]

Not directly answering your question, but isn't this what LinkedIn is aimed towards?

[davepoth]

edc said:

Not directly answering your question, but isn't this what LinkedIn is aimed towards?

Yes, that's exactly what LinkedIn is for. Facebook is for pictures of peoples' children and women to say "are u alright hun x" when one of their friends posts a vaguely cryptic update that might suggest she's broken up with someone.

[Lexual]

I knew I should have said in the OP, I've been on LinkedIn for some time but don't seem to get a lot out of it, perhaps I'm not putting enough into it but with facebook its a much quicker immediate response..

[edc]

Another way to network and pick up leads for these SME type businesses and perhaps those who don't have all the back office and infrastructure in place is to go to the free local seminars for the providers of 'employment law' and 'health and safety'.

[edc]

Lexual said:

I knew I should have said in the OP, I've been on LinkedIn for some time but don't seem to get a lot out of it, perhaps I'm not putting enough into it but with facebook its a much quicker immediate response..

What is it you are doing? For what you seem to want it's less about your 'profile' but more about finding the rift groups, busy ones, posting and networking from there.
For me, if I was looking for printing Facebook would be the last place I'd go.

[technodup]

Lexual said:

I'm looking for other groups that will have members who would have an interest in the services I offer (printed materials and products), so ideally managing director groups, marketing and communications managers, freelance designer groups, event producers etc, nearly all companies of a medium+ size will require printing of some sort..

By the sound of it you need to refine what/who you're looking for. Understand exactly what benefit you bring and which industries/groups/businesses will benefit most. Trying to target 'nearly all companies' will not work.

Stop selling print. Not literally, but nobody cares about print. It's boring. It's an expense they'd prefer to do without. It's something they think they should have rather than want to have. Develop a different angle. And develop your market.

I do an exercise with clients. Ask them who their target customers are, they always say a variation of 'everyone'. Let's say it's double glazing. Children don't buy it. Nor do teens, nor students, nor the unemployed. Nor do council tenants, private tenants or care home residents. Nor do owners of newly built houses. Nor do people who've bought it in the last 15 years. Suddenly 'everyone' is actually quite a narrow section of say 25-65 home-owners who live n houses of a certain age. And that's before we talk about quality/price/income levels and reduce it further.

You must know exactly who you are going for and what you bring to the party if you want any success. Wading into any groups with standard issue sales waffle about a boring product won't produce much.

BTW you could look closer to home as well. I called your office a week or so back for a quote which would be around £1.5k and nobody called me back...

[anonymous-user]

Pick up the phone, and call people. Go to events. Anything else is a waste of time.

[thepeoplespal]

I'm in a few facebook "for sale" groups and occasional posts that aren't to overtly pushy seem to go down reasonably well, if not repeated too often. So Christmas cards with the person's own greeting and picture of their kid made might be one way of getting a bit of business.

[Lexual]

technodup said:

Lexual said:

I'm looking for other groups that will have members who would have an interest in the services I offer (printed materials and products), so ideally managing director groups, marketing and communications managers, freelance designer groups, event producers etc, nearly all companies of a medium+ size will require printing of some sort..

By the sound of it you need to refine what/who you're looking for. Understand exactly what benefit you bring and which industries/groups/businesses will benefit most. Trying to target 'nearly all companies' will not work.

Stop selling print. Not literally, but nobody cares about print. It's boring. It's an expense they'd prefer to do without. It's something they think they should have rather than want to have. Develop a different angle. And develop your market.

I do an exercise with clients. Ask them who their target customers are, they always say a variation of 'everyone'. Let's say it's double glazing. Children don't buy it. Nor do teens, nor students, nor the unemployed. Nor do council tenants, private tenants or care home residents. Nor do owners of newly built houses. Nor do people who've bought it in the last 15 years. Suddenly 'everyone' is actually quite a narrow section of say 25-65 home-owners who live n houses of a certain age. And that's before we talk about quality/price/income levels and reduce it further.

You must know exactly who you are going for and what you bring to the party if you want any success. Wading into any groups with standard issue sales waffle about a boring product won't produce much.

BTW you could look closer to home as well. I called your office a week or so back for a quote which would be around £1.5k and nobody called me back...

Is this Alan?

If this is you regarding the door hangers I did call back a couple of times but never got any answer, I even posted in the business forum looking for you as I heard your message that you'd seen me on PH.

If you do still have a requirement please email me [e-mail]

[Lexual]

So yesterday I joined a couple of Facebook groups, one for Graphic Designers and a couple of Theatre/Stage Production and Event Production groups, so far had two enquiries.

I certainly think facebook can work providing you target the right groups.

[technodup]

Lexual said:

regarding the door hangers I did call back a couple of times but never got any answer, I even posted in the business forum looking for you as I heard your message that you'd seen me on PH.

Apologies then, I didn't pick up a message. I went elsewhere in the end but thought I'd give you a whirl seeing as you're always on here talking print.

The rest of what I sad stands though. Crafting an attractive message is much easier if you know who you're sending it to.