I am not a fun of groups, but lately I have been conducting research on the impact of software as a service on small and medium businesses. I needed to talk to prospective customers. Connections played a major role on who to contact. If I were a member of any of the groups listed below, I could have gotten the message out easier and faster. I am now leveraging the groups as an entrepreneur.
Groups for Entrepreneurs/Business People
1. On Startups – The Community For Entrepreneurs (75,000+ members) – On Startups is the biggest LinkedIn group for entrepreneurs and business owners.
2. TopLinked.com (60,747 members) – A networking group for LinkedIn Open Networkers (Lots of top connected LinkedIn business professionals are from this group.)
3. Startup Specialists (32,083 members) – A group for people who believe they are startup specialists and love the challenges of being with startups.
4. The Indus Entrepreneur, aka TiE (7,134 members) – Founded in Silicon Valley in 1992 by successful entrepreneurs and professionals with roots in the Indus region, TiE is spread over 48 chapters in 11 countries. Over 12,000 Members and 1,600 plus Charter Members – entrepreneurs, VCs, Private Equity, Angels, Law Firms, Tech & Mgt.professionals.
5. Linked Business Strategists (6,247 members) – A business network for professionals, exchanging knowledge and helping entrepreneurs and start ups find and evaluate the right strategies for their business worldwide.
6. Start-up Phase Forum (5,860 members) – A FREE community for the entrepreneur and small business owner in the start-up phase of starting their own business.
7. Linked Strategies (5,702 members) – Linked Strategies focuses on strategies for creating professional success on LinkedIn for entrepreneurs and business owners.
8. Band of Entrepreneurs (4,007 members) – A non-profit organization of, by and for entrepreneurs. It is formed to facilitate and accelerate the development of the entrepreneurial/startup ecosystem.
9. GoBigNetwork Startup Community (3,235 members) – A community for entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and others who have an interest in facilitating the rapid growth of startup companies.
10. Linked Business (2,847 members) – A business advisory group for small business owners, entrepreneurs, startup businesses, attorneys, accountants, marketing & PR professionals, etc.
Groups for Marketing/Sales Professionals
11. eMarketing Association Network (148,264 members) – It’s the largest marketing group with 148,000+ members. It is managed by the eMarketing Association, and open to all professionals interested in Internet Marketing.
12. Innovative Marketing, PR, Sales, Word-of-Mouth & Buzz Innovators (60,225 members) – Innovate with innovative marketing, public relations, promotions sales & selling professionals skilled at using creative marketing methods. Organized by Gerald “Solutionman” Haman.
13. Media Professionals Worldwide (49,982 members) – Media & Entertainment group for media professionals from USA (America), Europe, Asia (China & India), Australia etc..
14. ThoseinMedia (48,410 members) – A group for Social, Online, & Broadcast Media, Ad Sales, Marketing, Buying/Planning, Interactive, Gaming, Print, TV, Radio, Mobile, Internet, Animation, Newspaper, PR, SEM, Paid & Organic Search, SEO, CPM, CPC, CPA, Analytics, Publishing, Ad Agency.
15. Inbound Marketers – For Marketing Professionals (35,261 members) – Online group for marketing professionals. A community for those looking to reach their best customers online through techniques like inbound marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) and social media.
16. ! Sales Best Practices (34,997 members) – Topics involved in this group include business strategy, sales development, productivity, trade performance, team management, marketing, etc.
17. Social Media Marketing (33,133 members) – A decent and very active social media marketing group on LinkedIn. It is intended for interactive advertising and marketing professionals who are actively engaged in social media and community-oriented websites.
18. True Wealth Marketing & Communication Group (23,903 members) – A great group for marketing and sales professionals
19. Digital Marketing (19,167 members) – A group for people who want to engage in debate and exchange information on best practice digital marketing. It’s ideally designed for Digital marketing, internet and e-commerce professionals.
20. SalesBlogcast.com (19,138 members) – Sales & Leadership Blog. Related topics include sales, leadership, management, marketing, CRM, recruiting, business development, selling tips, training, networking, etc.
