GM, and welcome back to Marketing Qualified. Let’s jump right into it!
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How to tap into the power of niche groups. Everything you need to know to master this marketing channel.
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3 quick ways to improve your marketing. Simple tips for making better content, landing pages, and emails.
💪 How to tap into the power of niche groups.
When you’re a B2B marketer, it can be hard to build brand awareness and drive engagement.
What should you do?
Spend tens of thousands on awareness ads that don’t drive revenue? We don’t think your CFO will be thrilled with that!
Hire more social media managers to increase your organic posting? Sounds expensive and time consuming!
Buy a billboard on a busy road? Chances are that’s a hard pass!
We’ve seen companies try every method in the book.
But there’s one where we think the juice is definitely worth the squeeze.
It’s often overlooked, but if you use it right, you’ll build massive brand trust, get eyeballs on your content (from the correct types of people), and drive REAL organic engagement.
You need to harness the power of niche groups.
Niche groups and communities offer an underutilized way to connect with your ideal customer profile (ICP) in authentic, dialog-driven spaces.
Your audience is already engaging in relevant conversations inside these groups, and by showing up, listening, and contributing value, you can establish your brand as a trusted resource.
How to find the right groups.
There are countless places to find niche communities online. But the large players for B2B marketers are:
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LinkedIn Groups
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Slack Groups
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Subreddits
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Facebook Groups
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Discord
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Independent Internet Forums
Let’s walk through them one by one.
LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn is the go-to site for “business” discussions. Here, you’ll find active groups centered around specific industry verticals, challenges, or roles that reflect your target audience’s pain points and interests.
Open LinkedIn > Search a relevant keyword > Click “Groups.”
If we worked for an email SaaS tool, we might search for groups focused on something like “email marketing.”
The results show thousands of relevant groups for us to browse and join. Many of these groups have thousands of members who fit our ICP and might be interested in buying our email software.
Slack Groups
Slack isn’t just for team chats. There are millions of invite-only communities where people hang out every day.
The best way to find these is usually to search for them on Google.
Search your keyword, and you’ll typically see two types of results:
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A curated list of “top communities”
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Websites for specific communities.
Browse both to find groups that catch your eye.
Subreddits
Many marketers don’t spend time on Reddit in their personal lives, so they don’t think about using it at work. Don’t make this mistake!
Reddit is the largest platform for niche communities in the world. Leverage it!
Search your keyword(s) on Reddit and browse the subreddits.
Then, we recommend taking things a step further and using this tool to find other similar subreddits.
Facebook Groups
Some marketers have moved away from Facebook Groups because so many have been infiltrated by spammers and bots. But there are still plenty of thriving communities on the platform. You just have to search a little harder for them.
Go here and enter your keyword(s).
Then, be sure to look inside the groups and gauge the quality of the discussions before you join.
If it’s a private group, you’ll have to request to join before you can see the group’s contents. Make the request, then browse posts once you’re accepted. If you mostly find spammy posts, then opt to leave the group.
Discord
This is an up-and-coming option. So unless you’re in Gen Z, you might not be as familiar with Discord yet.
It originally started as a platform for gamers but has quickly expanded to many other areas.
So, you can find small but extremely active groups for specific niches and get in early on them.
Browse Discord servers to join here.
Independent internet forums
These are starting to fall by the wayside, but it’s still possible to find online forums for certain niches. So it’s worth a look!
Typically, the best way to locate these is with longer-tail Google searches.
If you find one, check the age and frequency of posts. Sometimes, old school forums like these are still live but not very active. Proceed with caution.
Building presence and credibility
Once you find groups to join, it’s time to start posting!
DO NOT show up like an annoying salesperson who “just wants to connect.” Show up as someone who shares helpful things, answers questions, and occasionally drops a witty comment.
Here’s a quick breakdown of how to blend in:
1) Spend as much time commenting as posting
This is a big one. Instead of just broadcasting your own posts, jump into other people’s conversations. Comment on questions, offer insights, and be genuinely helpful.
It’s way more valuable than constantly posting your own content—and it shows you’re there to engage, not just promote.
2) Be the resource, not the ad
Share things that genuinely add value to the community. Whether it’s a guide, an answer, or even a quick “I’ve experienced that too, and here’s what worked for me.”
People can tell when you’re pushing an agenda versus sharing something useful.
3) No hard sells
If you wouldn’t say it in a regular conversation, don’t say it here.
Skip the pitches and slogans. Focus on giving advice, insights, or whatever makes the group better. Let the knowledge you share do the talking, and trust that people will remember you for it.
4) Show your personality
Don’t be afraid to add a little humor, and be yourself. You’re in a group of like-minded people, so feel free to show some personality. It’s more memorable than sounding like a corporate robot.
Navigating group etiquette
Spoken rules
Be mindful of each group’s rules and dynamics. Some groups may have strict guidelines on self-promotion or the specific types of engagement they allow. If you don’t follow the rules, you run the risk of getting kicked out.
Most groups post their rules very prominently in a sidebar or as a pinned post.
Unspoken rules
Every group will also have unspoken rules.
This is especially the case on Reddit! Aka: home of the internet’s most skeptical users.
Redditors are savvy and can sniff out self-promo in seconds. If you’re caught astroturfing, you’ll get roasted.
The key is to be subtle and lead with providing real value to the community. Treat Reddit like a long-term play. People trust folks who add value and don’t push an agenda.
Better safe than sorry inside non-Reddit groups, too. Always lead with value first!
If you’re unsure how to add value immediately, spend a few weeks lurking in the group without posting. Note which posts get the most upvotes, engagement, and comments.
Once you figure out what performs well, steal the formula and model your posts after it.
Final Tip
Don’t try and boil the ocean. Start small. Pick one group on one platform and spend a few months testing it out.
Once you get the hang of things, expand to other communities on the same platform. And then eventually graduate to different platforms.
📰 In the news this week.
📱 Trump promises to save TikTok from January ban.
🔮 26 predictions for social media marketing in 2025.
▶️ I tried LinkedIn video to see if it was worth the hype. Here’s what I learned.
💼 TikTok is becoming a job board for Gen Z.
👩⚖️ Decoding copyright: Who owns AI-generated marketing imagery?
📈 3 quick ways to improve your marketing.
Here are three quick hits to help you improve your content, landing pages, and emails.
1) Make better content.
Fluffy content is like candy.
In moderation, it’s ok. But if it’s the only thing in your diet, you’ll die.
If all you post on social is bland fluff, you’ll never convert that into revenue.
Posting deep, insightful, original content is like eating your vegetables.
2) Make better landing pages.
An immediate way to strengthen your landing pages is to curate your FAQs.
A list of unsorted questions isn’t helpful to a visitor who is probably confused about several things during their customer journey.
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Only include the MOST frequently asked questions.
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Order them by popularity.
3) Make better emails.
Powerful emails have three things:
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Perfect clarity on what you’re selling.
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Reinforcement on why it’s worth buying.
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A strong visual design.
Use this checklist anytime you build an email. If you don’t have all three, don’t send.
😂 Marketing meme of the week.
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