Google+ may be the social site of the moment, but the rising use of LinkedIn groups might compel businesses to boost their LinkedIn marketing efforts. Recent comScore data even noted that LinkedIn is now the No. 2 social network in the United States in terms of monthly traffic, surpassing both Twitter and Myspace.
According to a recent survey conducted by Lab42 Market Research, 35 percent of users access LinkedIn daily. Moreover, consumers are getting involved in industry conversations on the social site. Eighty-one percent of respondents say they belong to at least one group and 52 percent said they actively participate in group discussions.
Businesses looking to promote their products and services to other industry professionals should take advantage of increased activity in LinkedIn groups by using their branded content as a way to start relevant conversations. This will help marketers establish themselves as thought leaders within their industries and generate potential leads.
Many companies are already using LinkedIn as a marketing tool. “Promoting my business” was selected as one of the top seven reasons respondents signed up for the social network.
While traffic and group usage are rising, marketers might also find they now have access to a broader range of consumers on LinkedIn. Brafton recently reported that LinkedIn has surpassed the 115 million-member mark, further highlighting the growing reach of the social network. Membership to the site has surged 61 percent year-over-year
