Are LinkedIn Groups Working For You?

The past week we’ve focused on LinkedIn, the largest professional networking site on the planet. It tends to be a platform that most people aren’t utilizing effectively, because they’ve either posted a profile years ago and haven’t been back, or they share every tweet, which is a little overboard. So far, we’ve covered general tips in LinkedIn: Are You Connected? and focused on the foundation of the site in LinkedIn: The Essence of a Profile. (Feel free to catch up on those posts if you missed them. I’ll grab a macchiato… )

Now we’re moving on to the power of groups. Are you taking advantage of this feature on LinkedIn?

Participating in groups can:

• Increase traffic to your profile. Group participants (not just members) receive four times the number of profile views, typically from people who are interested in what you do.
• Showcase your expertise in key industries/subjects. In our current age of information, business professionals want to be ‘thought leaders’ or experts in what they do. By commenting intelligently in group discussions, you can build your credibility and even win new business opportunities.
• Warm up a potential customer. When you’re active in groups, you’ll begin to get to know other active members of the group: potential customers, employers, business partners, vendors, etc. You never know where this type of conversation might lead, and it makes pursuing a business relationship with these individuals a little easier.

Creating a group can:

• Grow your business. Give customers and prospects a place to ask questions, discuss their needs and stay up-to-date on the latest news in your field. An active group is a great place to promote your business by offering value — and value brings in referrals. (If you have a company page, don’t forget to feature your group!)
• Connect you to your audience in a safe, professional environment. Tired of Facebook’s pay-to-play movement? Not a blogger? Hosting a LinkedIn group gives you a professional forum to discuss key issues and take the pulse of your customers and prospects. What are their biggest struggles? How can you solve them? Plus, you can close the group in order to have more control over who joins (like your competitor posing as a buyer).
• Provide content for your marketing efforts. By taking the pulse of your customers, prospects and industry professionals, you can come across some thought-provoking content ideas. Ask your audience for their opinion on a subject, take a vote and gain real insight into what your connections and followers are looking for. Providing value = more business.

Comment on This Discussion

Are you active on LinkedIn?

Which groups are your favorite? (Feel free to tell us about your own group!)

Have you secured a new client, job or business opportunity on LinkedIn?

Thanks for reading,
Jaime

Connect with CCC! We’d love to be a part of your professional network.