Here’s a fun and productive thing to do this hot August week – Come join our Bluff Manufacturing Forum on LinkedIn Groups! We have created our brand new user group on LinkedIn.com to provide all those interested in all things Material Handling with a platform for interactive communication. We just got started, but it’s been great so far! It’s a great place to go to share something new you learned about the industry or to simply reiterate and remind other users about an important best practice in the material handling, manufacturing, and supply chain industry. But we don’t just talk about industry updates and best practices, we will also keep you informed on selling tactics, social media, marketing, recruitment, training and retention, events happening in the great metroplex of DFW and a whole host of interesting topics to keep you entertained and informed. Click on the LinkedIn logo below to join the Bluff Manufacturing Forum on LinkedIn.
It has been both fun and exciting to be able to give Bluff Manufacturing fans more avenues to reach us and share their thoughts, views, and opinions in an informal setting. Groups on networking sites are like a virtual boardroom where several brains are working in tandem to provide answers, solutions and ideas to everyday questions, queries and problems. When group members share relevant and interesting updates, it adds value to the group and the members in general. And that is what we are hoping to accomplish with our user group on LinkedIn – provide value to our network of information-hungry members.
Among all its many benefits, the actual significance in joining networking sites and industry groups on these networking sites is the ability to network! Imagine how a decade ago, the only way to really work a room in a tradeshow, conference, seminar, or any event was to hand out business cards and hope that these contacts would provide some value someday. Now imagine achieving the same benefits without ever having to leave your office. The savings on plane tickets, accommodations, and other miscellaneous costs associated with attending an out-of-town industry event are substantial. You are reducing your carbon footprint, saving much time, and energy, and yet enjoying the benefits of professional networking. This is not to say that networking sites will replace face-to-face interactions and physical events. But they will complement each other and mutually benefit everyone.
Joining an industry group on a networking site truly helps expand your network. By adding even a few contacts, you create second and third degree networks that can lead to an ever-expanding, virtual network of important associates in the industry. A group allows you to meet important industry contacts.
Word-of-mouth marketing has always enjoyed superior status as one of the most effective sales tools. Social Media such as LinkedIn helps you market yourself through endorsements you receive that can help you when you’re looking for a job or trying to bid on a project. Finding and communicating with the right contacts makes all the difference.
So instead of going home with hundreds of business cards from every event, network on LinkedIn or any other such site and get all the contact information you want virtually. It’s important to remember the ‘networking’ part in social networking. So use it to your best advantage! Be active and ‘follow’ activities of your business acquaintances. The next big business opportunity may just come from that! So come join our group on LinkedIn, click on the image below to get started and you will go directly to our group’s sign in page!
