Years ago when I started my insurance company I looked for options to grow on social media and everyone told me to jump in LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. When I stumbled upon Alignable I signed up and did nothing with it. But email after email (and they send a lot) it slowly grew on me. So let's discuss shall we?
Alignable is a free online networking platform for small businesses. It's like LinkedIn, but for small businesses only. And it's free!
Yes, you read that right. Free.
Now, I know what you're thinking: "If it's free, it must be spammy or useless." But I'm here to tell you that Alignable is neither of those things.
In fact, Alignable is a great way for small businesses to connect with potential customers, partners, and suppliers. It's also a great way to generate referrals.
Alignable has a directory of over 8 million small businesses, so you're sure to find other businesses in your industry and area. And once you've connected with other businesses, you can start networking, collaborating, and growing your business.
I have mentioned before that Alignable was owned by LinkedIn, and it is in fact NOT. There was a big push to purchase it before LI was bought by Microsoft, but the deal never happen. Which in hindsight might have been a good thing.
Alignable is like LinkedIn for small businesses, but it's not as stuffy. It's more like a neighborhood barbecue, where everyone is friendly and welcoming.
I've testing it out for about a month and I've yet to receive a bot DM about how they can grow my business by getting me a million leads per day.
Remember that part about it being free? There is a catch...they do actually have a couple premium plans. I've been using the 30.00 plan for a month or so and have found it pretty robust for the cost. Here is some more info on their plans.
Alignable has a free plan and two premium plans:
Regional / Premium: $30 per month or $288 per year
National / Premium Plus: $90 per month or $888 per year
The free plan includes access to the following features:
Create a business profile
Connect with other businesses in your local area
Participate in discussion groups
Attend events
Post questions and answers
Receive recommendations
The premium plans include all of the features of the free plan, plus the following:
More connection credits per month
Access to advanced analytics
Ability to spotlight a recommendation at the top of your profile
Ability to host virtual events in groups
Ability to use additional search tags to be found by more businesses
If you are serious about using Alignable to grow your business, I recommend upgrading to a premium plan. The premium plans offer a number of features that can help you connect with more businesses, generate more referrals, and grow your network.
However, the free plan is also a great option for small businesses that are just getting started with Alignable.
Full disclosure, I don't receive any kickbacks or affiliated with Alignable I just like their platform so far.
Here are some of the benefits of using Alignable:
Connect with potential customers, partners, and suppliers.
Generate referrals.
Learn from other small businesses.
Get involved in your local community.
Grow your network.
How to use Alignable effectively:
Create a complete profile. Your profile should include your business name, website, contact information, and a brief description of your business.
Join relevant groups. There are groups on Alignable for all sorts of different industries and interests. Joining relevant groups is a great way to connect with other businesses in your field.
Be active on the platform. Participate in discussions, ask questions, and answer questions. The more active you are, the more visible your business will be to other users.
In closing I would say Alignable does have some work to do with it app and some features, but I've enjoyed what I've seen and it has promise.
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