6 Ways LinkedIn Groups Can Benefit Commercial Finance Brokers

You probably have a personal profile on LinkedIn, but have you considered how LinkedIn Groups could help your business? LinkedIn Groups are described by LinkedIn as “a place for professionals in the same industry or with similar interests to share their insights and experiences, ask for guidance, and build valuable connections”.

As a commercial finance professional, you can become part of a wider business community, allowing you to promote your business and find high-quality leads.

How Do LinkedIn Groups Work?

You can request to be a part of any group on LinkedIn. Some groups are open, so they allow anyone to join, others are controlled by a moderator who determines if your current role is in keeping with the nature of the group. People can post questions, articles or highlight their services to a group of relevant prospects.

Whichever group you choose to join, it’s all about adding value to the community by being a regular contributor and building a reputation as a useful resource. For example, you might choose to join a group created for property developers. Group members might start general conversations around finance, or perhaps highlight difficulties they are having securing a loan. This is a fantastic opportunity for you as a commercial finance broker to offer expert advice, and also highlight yourself as a potential provider of finance.

How Can LinkedIn Groups Grow My Business?

1) Establish Yourself as an Expert

The most valuable use of LinkedIn Groups is the opportunity it provides for you to position yourself as an expert in your field. By providing advice and offering industry insight on relevant articles posted within the group, you’ll quickly begin to establish yourself as the go-to person for commercial finance queries. This is a powerful position as it puts you front of mind when clients are looking for a commercial broker.

2) Learn About Your Audience

LinkedIn Groups also allow you to learn more about your audience. You can see what areas they’re struggling with, or any gaps in their knowledge that you can fill. It helps you plan your marketing more effectively and guides you when it comes to creating targeted content or thought leadership pieces that will be read by your ideal prospects.

3) Place to Share Industry News

If you publish content that is relevant to the audience, or you know of a new legislation that is about to hit the market that will impact them, then you have an engaged audience to share it with. For example, the latest news about Funding Circle might be of interest to a group of SME business leaders, especially if your content adds a fresh perspective to the story. Again it establishes you as an expert, but it also opens up conversations that could lead to new business, for example, SMEs venting their frustrations about struggling to access finance through the traditional channels.

4) Build an Event

If you regularly participate in or organise events, then your LinkedIn Groups provide you with an engaged market to tap into. Even if you’re simply attending a networking session, then it’s a great chance to recommend it to other users within the group and suggest a quick catch-up to get ahead of the competition.

5) Be the First to Know

As well as contributing to the group yourself, you might also find that you learn a lot from the other members, especially around changes in different industries. Imagine you’re in a group for manufacturing companies and one user posts information about an organisation which is struggling to find funding. This could be an opportunity for you to approach that business before the rest of the market has had the chance.

6) Become a Group Leader

If you’re searching for a specific type of industry group and you can’t seem to find one, then why not create a group yourself! This is a great opportunity to target a specific demographic; for example, you might limit the group to people in a certain geographical region or those in a particular sector. Don’t be tempted, however, to start a group focused on just your business. Groups set up in this way rarely lead to open and engaging conversation, and it can feel like a hard sell if you’re invited.

LinkedIn Groups for Commercial Finance Brokers to Join

There are so many groups on LinkedIn that could be relevant to your business; we’ve highlighted a number of them below.

(To find each group paste the title into the search bar and make sure you are searching in groups.)

Commercial Mortgages Land and Construction Loans

With over 2,000 members, this group is for businesses looking for land and construction financing information, particularly around construction loans and commercial mortgages.

SME Finance Forum

A strong group, with over 10,000 members, its focus is to expand finance options for small to medium-sized businesses. The group is focused on bringing together businesses and finance professionals to help the growth of SMEs.

UK Property Investors/Developers

Another huge group that could lead to high-quality leads for your business. This group is for UK property investors.

Manufacturing UK

Passionate about the UK manufacturing industry, this group with a large membership is for those who are working to keep it thriving.

Peer to Peer lending

This group, with over 2,000 members, is aimed at those looking for more information about accessing peer-to-peer finance options.

When you join the right groups and connect in the right way, LinkedIn Groups can be a really powerful tool for your business. Why not try joining a few relevant groups today and see what impact it has on your business?

We’re always looking to build relationships with commercial finance brokers. To discuss a loan between £10,000 and £1m, or just to find out more about us, please get in touch with one of the team on sales@reparofinance.co.uk  or 0161 451 5710.You can find out more about us on our website:  www.reparofinance.co.uk