Today I announced what I believe is the first LinkedIn Group Mashup on LinkedIn! Giving you an idea of what I did will hopefully give you ideas of how you can collaborate with others on LinkedIn for whatever networking purpose you have.
I am a manager of the Windmill Networking in Southern California “So Cal Sushi” LinkedIn Group, a networking community for those of us in Southern California (Los Angeles & Orange County) to get together monthly for lunch over some raw fish. My brother just started his first LinkedIn group, Tercero Wines, and he appointed me co-manager so that I can help with the marketing and increasing the membership, which has successfully doubled in the last few days so that his group is now the largest in the category in which he was targeting.
So, the mashup you ask? The beauty about Web 2.0, social networking, and user generated content is that we are creating the future everyday we network. Everything is evolving, and only our imaginations can hold us back from our potential. Since I am having my next So Cal Sushi lunch this Friday, and I have a few bottles of Tercero Wine laying around the house, wouldn’t it make sense to get some of those bottles into the hands of those who enjoy wine and may help spread the word? So I will be giving away three bottles of wine to those who also join the Tercero Wine group. And to those in the Tercero Wine group, since many are located in California, they also received an introduction to So Cal Sushi and the same offer.
Networking is about collaboration…sure, it helped that this was my brother, but recently I was approached by Steve Perkins and he wanted me to help out with his Cross Connects Asia LinkedIn Group, and I agreed to become co-manager. I have never met Steve, but we have communicated several times by email and we have trust in each other as part of our “virtual network”. The mashup here? I hope to have our first Cross Connects Asia meeting in person the next time I have an event for my other LinkedIn Group, Windmill Networking in Japan “The Izakaya Club”, which is based out of Japan. There truly is synnergy in such a mashup, and not only will it increase membership all around but also provide value to those members of each community.
If you are thinking of trying something new with your LinkedIn Group management strategy or have been thinking of starting your own group, think of collaborating with someone and doing your own mashup. I am in the process of helping a local business start up their group, so I will be looking for mashup opportunities. If you would like some help with your community or would like to mashup with one of mine, please send me an invite on LinkedIn and let me know the details!
