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Networking in Facebook groups is an amazing way to get in front of your potential customers. Think about it from your customer’s point of view. They are able to interact with you being signing a contract, listen to your advice and expertise, and even try out some of your solutions before committing to a working relationship.

Many marketing “experts” will tell you that just engaging in conversation and getting visible is enough, that all you need to do is comment and like other posts, add value, even toss in a few posts of your own.

But that’s simply not true.

Let’s put ourselves in our customer’s shoes again.

The experience from their end starts with some type of engagement in a group. Then, with no other prompting at all, they would need to click on your name on Facebook which takes them to your group profile. This is not your actual profile. Rather, it is your information as it pertains to the group—your membership status, recent posts, and comment history.

Next, the person would need to click the button to view your full profile. There, they would need to either scroll through whatever posts you’ve made publicly recently or read your About information to learn more about what you do.

That’s a lot of steps!

And remember, the more steps it takes someone to get to the prize, the more people you’ll lose along the way.

The key to success, then, is to make sure you’re not just getting visible but that you’re also doing what I like to call, “Dropping little breadcrumbs.”

Now, that’s not to say you should never outright ask someone to jump into a DM, hop on a sales call, or join you for a coffee chat—you absolutely should! However, not every interaction is going to result in that kind of opportunity. For the rest, try these 2 super simple strategies.

#1 Talk About Yourself

In every relevant comment, mention what you do or the kind of business you own. When I’m networking, I’ll frequently say things like, “As a marketing coach…” or “In my marketing program, I…” That allows you to introduce what you do as a layer of expertise rather than shameless self-promotion.

Disclaimer, don’t drop links unless you are willing to risk being banned from the group or simply ignored for self-promotion.

#2 Use Keywords

Because Facebook groups have a search feature that most admins strongly encourage, use keywords in the comments you’re leaving. Think about the kinds of things that your potential clients may be using to search for relevant posts in the group.

For me, I tend to use these often:

  • Social media
  • Marketing
  • Get more clients
  • Find new leads
  • Use Instagram/TikTok/ Facebook

I’ve had people see my comments from up to a year ago and reply asking for more information! Just because I used keywords when I was talking.

Another disclaimer, make sure you’re checking your Message Requests folder on Facebook often. If someone isn’t yet your friend and reaches out through a DM, that’s where their message will end up.

As you’re incorporating either strategy into your networking activities, remember to keep it organic and conversational. You’re building relationships that could turn into collaboration, clients, or coffee chats!

Happy Facebooking!