MeetUps are a little known Social Marketing tool that allows you to create your own success platform. It’s a great way to get known and build a list of subscribers hungry for what you provide.

At the same time, there are many mistakes that both beginners and veterans often make. Let’s take a closer look at the top 3 MeetUp mistakes and what to do instead.

MeetUp Mistake #1 – Failure to take charge of the meeting – 99% of those running MeetUps make this mistake. They allow the meeting to turn into a social hour organized around the topic of the MeetUp. This is easy to do as a social time was the original intention of the platform. But it causes you to leave prospects and profits on the table.

This is one of those times where doing what most people do is the worst move you can make.

What to do instead: Take charge of your meeting. While there does need to be some time for casual interaction, you need to make it clear from the beginning that you are the expert on the topic and you are the leader of the meeting.

MeetUp Mistake #2 – Failure to have a separate question and answer period – When you are setting the precedent of being the leader of the meeting, frequent interruptions for questions. This is especially true if you get one of those folks that like to begin their question with lots of statements about their own business.

Side Note: A great way to handle these folks is to stop them by asking “What’s your question?” forcing them to get to the point! 
What to do instead: Announce that you will have a question and answer session at the end of your presentation. If someone forgets or gets too anxious and asks a question anyway, you can say: “Thanks for your question. Please write it down so you will remember it for our question and answer time.

MeetUp Mistake #3 – Failure to let attendees know you can solve their problems – Again, this comes from the notion that your MeetUp is supposed to be just a social hour. If you want to be seen as the leader, you must set yourself up and set yourself apart as the leader.

What to do instead: There are at least two powerful steps to take to communicate that you can help solve their problems: 
1) Direct them to a web site where they can sign up to get more good information from you, and, 
2) Make an offer toward the end of the meeting.