Utilize LinkedIn Groups as Part of a Social Strategy

Writing by Nick Stamoulis in B2B SEO Marketing

For some reason, LinkedIn tends to get overshadowed by Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and even more recently, Pinterest, in the social media conversation. LinkedIn may not be as “cool” as the other social networks, but it’s not supposed to be. LinkedIn was created with the focus on business and networking opportunities. As a business, especially a B2B, strategic LinkedIn involvement can be more beneficial than trying to cut through all of the noise on the other social networks that are much less focused. It’s hard to compete with a post on Facebook from someone’s best friend, and a tweet on Twitter from someone’s favorite celebrity. On LinkedIn, it’s all about business.

Obviously the first step to getting started on LinkedIn is to complete a profile. You can create a business profile and any prominent employee at the business should have an up to date and public profile as well. Getting these profiles set up is really only the beginning and this is where many businesses lose out on opportunities. In order to use LinkedIn to its fullest potential you need to be just as active as you would be on any other social networking site. One great way to get noticed on LinkedIn is to join groups.

LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 groups, but don’t think that you need to join 50. There’s no way that you could be an active member in 50 groups. Instead, seek out the ones that are the most in line with your target demographic. Some groups have thousands and thousands of members. It may be harder to gain visibility in these groups. Instead, focus on smaller groups (but ones that have at least a few hundred members).

Once you’ve found some great groups to be a part of, you will need to be an active participant. Visit each group a few times a week to look for opportunities to get noticed. As long as the group is active, there should be discussions within the group. Browse through each discussion and add your own opinion. This is really your chance to “show your stuff”. If you just chime in with a generic comment you won’t get noticed. Take a stance on a subject and prove that you have expertise in the area. If something is going on in the industry but isn’t being discussed yet, start your own discussion. Another option is to start your own LinkedIn group. Just keep in mind that this is a commitment and a group is only valuable if it has members.

LinkedIn is a powerful tool if used correctly. It’s not just for HR or people looking for jobs. Some great networking opportunities can come out of LinkedIn and LinkedIn groups are a great way to get your business or brand noticed.