You already have some basic knowledge of LinkedIn, an active account, and a completed basic profile. You might even
have joined a few groups already. However, at this point you are not really sure how to actively participate in the groups you’ve joined and still deciding whether or not they are providing any sort of value. You are not alone! To date, I am a member of 28 different LinkedIn Groups and freely admit a small percentage of these are worth engagement. My philosophy? There will always be some trial and error with group membership, but over time, you will be able to find some value IF you know some basics about how to actively participate using LinkedIn Groups.
Basic Ways to Engage in a LinkedIn Group
Discussions
One way not only to engage in a group (but also a way to determine the value of it) is to participate in discussions. Active groups will usually have several discussions happening. Click on the “Discussions” tab at the top of the group page. You will be able to see the subject of a discussion, the person who started the discussion, and the people who are engaging in the discussion. You can like, comment on, follow, or message the person who started the discussion privately. You can also start your own discussion. Next to your profile type in the topic or question in the white space. You can also add a website link resource to your topic. If you are also active on Facebook, LinkedIn has similar ways to engage. However, the people in the LinkedIn Group are not necessarily your personal ‘friends’. Usually they are professionals with a common business interest and/or sometimes common location where they are doing business.
Share Information through Groups
Another simple way to engage is to share helpful information from your profile to your groups. The information you share can come from your company’s blog, your profile update, or helpful content you’ve pulled from other sources you follow. REMEMBER….only share helpful, relevant content!! You should not spam every single group. Be selective. Usually I am sharing content from Vivid Image’s blog and I pick and choose select content on average once a week. The goal here is others members of the group will like, comment, or even spread your content. All of this activity can help drive traffic to your business, grow your network, and been seen as a trusted professional in your industry.
Sharing content to groups is easy to do. Do you see the ’Share’ button below your profile update? Click on it, then type in the group name (it will automatically populate), and hit send. Here is a screen shot to check if you are sharing correctly.
Do you participate in LinkedIn Groups? What has been your experience? Do you have any recommendations on which groups to join that provide value? Share your experiences and recommendations by commenting on this post below or send me a personal email to michelle@vimm.com. Or better yet! Connect with me on LinkedIn, add me as a connection, and mention you read this post!
Want to learn more LinkedIn for Business Basics? Join me LIVE on Friday, April 6th at 10:30AM. Register online here!
About Michelle Falling
Nice article Michelle! I have recently created a discussion in one group for manufacturers about the importance of engaging youth in manufacturing and ways of how it could be done. After creating this discussion, I quickly realized how meaningful and relevant the topic was to the industry. There have been numerous ideas shared by several different manufacturing professionals and the discussion is now up to a total of 19 comments.
I agree with you that providing helpful/relevant material can generate more web traffic and build your network. It can really get you noticed and help you stand out among other members as a true expert in your field.
Thank you, Sam! I am thrilled to hear about the discussion you initiated and how much response you are receiving. Well done! You share a perfect example of a benefit to engaging in LinkedIn Groups discussions. I hope you share the great ideas the people have provided with your organization’s CEO and implement some of them.
Next, you should check out the profiles of those who were so helpful in the discussion and ask them to be a part of your network, AND send them a personal THANK YOU for sharing their ideas. Just one more way to continue the engagement process!