April 8th, 2013

If you are a believer in real-life relations and the power of face-to-face interaction, Meetup.com could be a godsend for you. This website provides the perfect merge of the online world and the offline world for businesses, making way for a well-rounded promotion strategy. The website, founded in 2001 following the infamous attacks on the World Trade Center, has ever since become the destination of choice for likeminded people willing to extend their relationships beyond virtual interactions. While Meetup.com is a great website for people seeking to meet people with similar interests in real life, its potential for businesses is also worth tapping.

Most business owners are already well aware of how powerful social media websites can be in putting themselves out there and interacting with existing customers as well as potential clients. Just imagine how fabulous it would be, if you could reach out to these people beyond the barrier of a computer screen, and have a real interaction with them- Meetup lets you do just that! The great thing about this kind of interaction is that not only can you put across your point in a much more efficient and assertive way, but you can also build relationships that are likely to last longer than online interactions.

Meetup.com has a very user-friendly interface, which is powered by an intuitive layout, making it easy to get started and operate the website. It is as simple as signing up on the website and searching for groups and meet-ups related to your business in your area. Once you find a group of your interest, you can join it as a member, after which you shall be notified of all the meet ups of that particular group. As a business owner, it is important to remember to have an effective plan in mind of how to promote your business at these meet ups.

The key to efficiently promoting your business on Meetup.com is by keeping it as genuine as possible, and avoiding indulging in over-promotion. The entire purpose of meet ups is to share ideas and knowledge, and that should be kept as the prime focus at all times. Business promotion must be done subtly, ensuring that you do not come across as too pushy at any point. It is always a great idea to  conduct follow-ups with any links established through these meet ups.