DOTC: Meetup 101

I've mentioned Meetup before, when talking about Leads Referral Marketing Groups, but I'd like to discuss it a little more in-depth.  Meetup is a social network, like Facebook, but aimed helping people of similar interests find each other and meet in real life.

I have no clever caption for this image.
CURSES, FOILED!

First thing you should know: to join as a user, Meetup is completely free.  However, if you want to start your own group, you must pay organizer dues.  Some meetups will thus charge a fee to cover these dues, or may impose other fees upon attendance, so make sure you understand all of that before you show up!

By the way, I use Meetup for my personal hobbies and interests as well - and I do not mix the two on one profile, much as I have a business Twitter account and a personal Twitter account.

Next, once you join, do not neglect to make your profile professional, including a good picture.  I consider my Meetup profile no different than my LinkedIn profile, so I gave a lot of thought to my bio.  It's a distilled version of my generic "elevator speech" or "30 second pitch".

Depending on how you want to target groups, the next thing you will do is choose a few interests.  For leads referral groups, try "referral marketing" "referrals" "business networking" and similar topics.  If you are industry specific or highly targeted, try including keywords associated to those industries.

You can choose to add Facebook to your account, but I only did that with my personal account, not my business account.

Okay, once your profile is all set up, then start searching for groups, using some of the keywords I suggested above.  Once you find one you like, you probably will have to join it to see meeting details.  Most groups ask a few questions before you are allowed to join, and be sure to fill them out completely and well - think of this as marketing like any other, like you are pitching to a brand-new potential customer you just met.

You may be approved instantly, or it may take a bit for the meeting organizer to approve you.  Either way, eventually, they should add you to the group.

I advise starting with one or two groups at most, then expanding from there, as your  marketing plan, time and budget allows.  Be sure to RSVP to a Meetup's meeting (with Yes/No/Maybe and any guests you're bringing with you, if applicable).  That will help the group out a lot, as most people on Meetup attend meetups where lots of others are going vs. ones that seem like few are going.

Meetup can add group meetings to your calendar if you wish (I find that feature extremely valuable!).  Learn how here.

So get out there and start meeting up on Meetup - it's a great way to get in front of lots of people who may need your product or service, and meet people you can refer to your clientele!

Got a great tip about Meetup? Let me know!