Is That LinkedIn Group Worth My While? 3 Steps to Help Me Decide

Tweet

It is SO easy to spend a lot of time on social media. Where should we spend the most time? Where can we reduce the time we spend on social media without risking too much lack of exposure to our brand or what we have to offer?

Nobody really has the answers, but most of us have opinions.

For LinkedIn Groups, I am learning that only some of them are really good. Some LinkedIn Groups are a waste of time. In fact, I am learning that MOST of those LinkedIn Groups are essentially SPAM Gardens.

Therefore, I am trying to use the 80/20 Rule when deciding which LinkedIn Groups will get my attention.

How will I decide which groups get my attention? Here are the steps I am taking:



Guideline #1: Group Member Count > 100 Members

Is anyone in this group? Unless you have a few people who are really good at igniting conversations and have unusually interesting and intelligent input, you probably need to have, at least, 100 people in a LinkedIn Group for it to be effective.


Guideline #2: Posts per Day = 3 to 25 Posts

The quantity of posts is really not the key.

If there are TOO MANY POSTS (i.e. 100+ posts/day), then you will post something, which will be at the top of the list. The problem is that about 2 minutes later, someone else will post, and your post will be in Position #2.

After about half a day, guess where you are? Nowhere to be found.

You might be better finding a different LinkedIn Group. Nobody will (likely) see you, anyway.

If there are TOO FEW POSTS (i.e. 0-2/Day), then there probably are not enough discussions to attract higher quality people.

Idea: You might take a flier and try being one of the “first” to post, potentially opening up a logjam of shyness. Sometimes, this might open the floodgates of other people finally feeling comfortable posting…or leaving comments, at least. (Most of the time, this does not work, but it can.)

When there are enough posts to prompt discussion but not so many that you become hidden within the masses, you might have a really good LinkedIn Group, but that’s not guaranteed, yet.


Guideline #3: Are Posts Discussions or News Releases?

If we want to meet people and have them meet us, we want discussions.

I am noticing that many LinkedIn Groups seem to be little more than a list of news releases. Those links might lead to interesting updates, but they do not really encourage a lot of discussion, meaning that there are not many comments. This is similar to Guideline #4.


Guideline #4: Responses to Posts = Yes

Are people actually responding to the posts with this LinkedIn Group? If so, then you have discussions, and you will probably get a chance to meet people (and some of them will likely take the time to meet you) within this Group.

If not, then you have a classified ad garden where everyone is talking but nobody is listening. You might post something there, but most responses will probably be ignored.

You probably do NOT have a discussion group. You might want to spend your time in another LinkedIn Group.


Bonus Guideline: See Who Responds to Their Own Comments

Even in good LinkedIn Groups, not everyone within those Groups are worth your while.

The best people within the best LinkedIn Groups offer insightful posts and comments. They will respond to you when you leave a pertinent, if not also intelligent or intriguing, comment.

However, some people just simple post their stuff hoping that you will see their posts but will never respond to your comments or questions.

See Also: Marketing Question: Is Posting in Multiple LinkedIn Groups SPAM?

In other words, they were not interested in a discussion, only an advertisement.

These LinkedIn Groups are good, still, but you might want to avoid wasting time getting the attention of someone who is ignoring you.


To summarize, this is how I decide whether to spend time with a LinkedIn Group:
1. Group Member Count > 100
2. Posts per Day = 3 to 25 Posts (Roughly)
3. Posts Need to be Discussions More than News Releases
4. People Need to Respond with Comments to Posts

Like this post?  Other recent posts are

• Marketing Question: Is Posting in Multiple LinkedIn Groups SPAM?
• Is Your Mission Statement Really Your Mission?
• Why The Best Businesses Try to Offend People
• I Became a More Effective Marketer When I Did This
• A Big Difference between a Freelancer vs. Business Owner
• 1 Key Fact about Social Media Success
• 5 Ways to Improve Your Reputation on Social Media

To visit The Ultimate Analyst company website click HERE.

Tweet