LinkedIn:Making the most of Groups with 7 Tips

This could be a tricky topic as some experts say never to cross post within groups.My rule of thumb is when sharing to multiple groups, make sure you change the title to fit the group and rephrase your introductions to make them discussion starters.For instance: Do you have a company update, a blog post, or an article that you'd like to share with several groups at once? Either post it as your status and click "Share" or do the same from your company page. Some blog posts or articles might be appropriate across various groups, but be sure not to share the identical article or start the same discussion in multiple groups that have very different interests. Chances are your coffeehouse professionals network group doesn't really care to hear about marketing strategies for short films.So share your discussions and articles to batches of separate groups with targeted titles and details to fit the mission of several groups at once. If you are a member of numerous social media groups, make sure the title of the discussion fits those groups and you aren't also pushing that discussion to unrelated groups.Join a variety of groups, keying on those with high numbers of members and very active discussions, but be careful not to join too many (the maximum is 50), because keeping up just becomes too hard.A tip to keep up with discussions you started: Hover over the "notifications" flag on your LinkedIn home page. There you can see who commented on or "liked" your discussions. It is also a great way to make connections.Find out who the group admins are and learn the appropriate way to contact them.  Review the group member list. Anyone there you’d like to meet? If so, make a short list and visit their web sites so that you’ll have something intelligent to say when you encounter them on the boards.Remember, this is not a game, this is still networking. You need to know who the centers of influence are and to the extent that their work or personality resonates with you – get to know them.Few things are worse in a group than a member who continually self-promotes in discussions with his or her direct advertisements. Linking to a blog and asking a question regarding your own content are both fine, but the quickest way to get booted from a group is to constantly pitch your wares.Don't focus solely on sharing your own content. This is a community, so comment on and shares other people's articles in your status updates; it's a great way to build your network and start conversations. Instead, be a giver. Assisting others to find solutions builds goodwill – especially when it’s related to your area of expertise. Offer solutions and build this kind of networking into your marketing plan.View the list »
On the Level in LinkedIn Groups

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While LinkedIn groups are a great way to make connections with peers and position yourself as a leader in your industry, always remember people do business with people, not manufactured personalities. Above all, remain true to yourself.

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To make LinkedIn Groups work for you, there are a few undocumented rules to follow. Here's how:

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  • Few things are worse in a group than a member who continually self-promotes in discussions with his or her direct advertisements. Linking to a blog and asking a question regarding your own content are both fine, but the quickest way to get booted from a group is to constantly pitch your wares.Don't focus solely on sharing your own content. This is a community, so comment on and shares other people's articles in your status updates; it's a great way to build your network and start conversations. Instead, be a giver. Assisting others to find solutions builds goodwill – especially when it’s related to your area of expertise. Offer solutions and build this kind of networking into your marketing plan.
  • Join a variety of groups, keying on those with high numbers of members and very active discussions, but be careful not to join too many (the maximum is 50), because keeping up just becomes too hard.A tip to keep up with discussions you started: Hover over the "notifications" flag on your LinkedIn home page. There you can see who commented on or "liked" your discussions. It is also a great way to make connections.Find out who the group admins are and learn the appropriate way to contact them.  Review the group member list. Anyone there you’d like to meet? If so, make a short list and visit their web sites so that you’ll have something intelligent to say when you encounter them on the boards.Remember, this is not a game, this is still networking. You need to know who the centers of influence are and to the extent that their work or personality resonates with you – get to know them.
  • This could be a tricky topic as some experts say never to cross post within groups.My rule of thumb is when sharing to multiple groups, make sure you change the title to fit the group and rephrase your introductions to make them discussion starters.For instance: Do you have a company update, a blog post, or an article that you'd like to share with several groups at once? Either post it as your status and click "Share" or do the same from your company page. Some blog posts or articles might be appropriate across various groups, but be sure not to share the identical article or start the same discussion in multiple groups that have very different interests. Chances are your coffeehouse professionals network group doesn't really care to hear about marketing strategies for short films.So share your discussions and articles to batches of separate groups with targeted titles and details to fit the mission of several groups at once. If you are a member of numerous social media groups, make sure the title of the discussion fits those groups and you aren't also pushing that discussion to unrelated groups.
  • If you use LinkedIn for prospecting or business development, you likely aren't going to find much use in joining only groups of other marketers. So join groups in your target markets, too. Doing so will help identify conversations going on among your customers, and you can respond to inquiries and discussion to spawn new business. But never ask people whom you don’t know to refer clients to you or to recommend you.Lurk: A great function of LinkedIn Groups is that they allow you to listen. When you are a member of groups pertaining to your target audience, you have the opportunity to eavesdrop and find out what is truly important to your audience. It's a great way to do market research.
  • Polls are a great way to help you make smarter business decisions. They also make your discussions the most popular on the board, boost your influence, and make connections.Ask your group members a question that you face in your business. Especially if you are in groups with your target audience, asking a polling question can help you solve client problems and make smarter decisions. Polls also open further discussions when group members comment on the results of the poll.In addition to providing valuable market research, polls add great visual appeal to the look of a page and so boost your clout in the group.
  • LinkedIn Groups aren't just meant for prospecting and lead generation, but sometimes discussions can lead to real opportunities. Occasionally, a participant in a discussion or a poll will want to know more about how to start working with your company or might like to take advantage of your product or service offerings.Don’t continue this personal exchange in the public arena. Instead ask the person if you can contact them offline to continue the conversation and provide your email address first to facilitate the connection. Or, you can send a direct message that offers more information about your product or service. Doing so in a group would come off as solicitation, and both parties are best served connecting in a private setting.LinkedIn facilitates such interactions by letting you request connections with group members, even if they are not second- or third-degree connections.
  • You want to be scarce but you also want to appear available and helpful. If you’re always available, when do you work? The general consensus is that people who are not always available are important and busy, which translates into successful.  This may or may not be true, but impressions are everything. Add a recurring meeting to your calendar to log in and offer a comment or two.  In this way, you contribute regularly but you don’t feel that your time is monopolized by the group.
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, LA Social Media Examiner

Lorren Repton is a writer, promoter and publisher. Her work has appeared in CERCA Magazine, Transitions Abroad magazine, Big Bear Magazine and Drinking Water & Backflow Prevention. She was Chief Editor for the San Bernardino County Big Bear Magazine for 10 years and published her own national...

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