Insight into vertical social networks which present rich learning and engagement opportunities for product, marketing and sales professionals.

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Vertical social networks (e.g., GovLoop for the public sector and Sermo in healthcare) present rich learning and engagement opportunities for product, marketing and sales professionals who want to target these audiences. Consider a few of the possibilities:

-Research your market. Vertical social networks possess a lot of data about their users and community members. Many provide the ability to execute surveys, assemble voluntary focus and feedback groups, and offer access to aggregate usage and market data.

-Observe buyers interacting in the network (e.g. the questions they ask their peers, the content they share). This can yield valuable insights to feed buyer persona development and content/tactic ideas for attracting that persona to your brand.

-Listen to how your brand is being discussed and how products are rated and reviewed. Many networks provide free brand dashboards, so you can see how your brand is performing across a variety of dimensions within the network.

-Get feedback on product performance, service offerings, program messaging and creative. Members will tell you what is working for them and what isn’t; how they want to be marketed and sold to; and how they make purchasing decisions.

-Connect one-on-one with prospective buyers and customers as a helpful member of the network (not just someone with products to push). Building personal relationships in the community helps to build the community’s trust level with that brand.