socialauthority

Today we're going to discuss LinkedIn Groups!

Looking forward to it :-)

Glad to be here

To get things rolling, Let's start with Q1. Do you like large or small groups?

our favorite topic! Students have the most success in LinkedIn Groups.

A1: LinkedIn is a great platform for affinity groups to meet and share...but they have to nurtured.

I like large groups because there is more traffic. But small groups are great for industry specific discussions.

Smaller groups give you more time to get to know others. Larger are better for more visibility of your profile

@GilbBrian right Brian! All depends on your goals. :)

For B2B purposes, I think smaller groups are the most effective to participate in

A 1 - I think relevance is more important than size.

As we have discussed in the past, the number of followers is not always the best measure, it is the strength of the connection...

Q2: Tell us about your LinkedIn Group experience so far.

A1 I like active groups vs size

@cathcamheldt So size doens't matter? LOL!

A2: The key to creating a good LinkedIn Group hinges on creating an environment of participation without overt selling.

HA!!!!!!!!!!

A2 LinkedIn Groups are great for educating yourself about your industry and they are also good places for getting your point of view out there. I have heard from so many students that they have had the most productive results from Groups.

@Profitecture I've hear the same! Number one sales tool.

Q2: really interesting to see peoples responses. Also a great learning tool to see what experts are saying

I really like getting outside my industry group and going with my alumni group

Q3: where can you find good groups?

A2 I've learned a great deal from groups and appreciate what they have to offer

Doing a general search on key words in your industry is one way to start

A5: Like all things #b2bsocial, I would steer away from that theory because it's not just about the numbers, it's about the strength of affinity.

A5: The nice thing is that you can set your digest activity, so you are not overwhelmed with updates from your Groups, but common sense suggests there are only so many conversations you can stay on top.

A5: It would be really tough to keep up on all those groups. Not to mention the emails pouring in!

A5 I suggest 4-7 that you can manage and be active in

A5: I'd say only join as many LinkedIn groups as you can contribute to the conversation and help others. If not, its too much to manage

@Profitecture right! every now and then I turn off the notifications.

Agreed! It's almost like reverse spam.

A5: Yes! Hard to keep up with all the activity. Better to focus on three to five key Groups you feel you get value from.

A5: stick to groups where you can offer the most and where you can prospect the best. Basically what is worth the most of your time

A5 some LinkedIn fans suggest joining as many as possible for search purposes. Agree/disagree?

A: a few good ones is probably better then many average ones.

.@denisebahs I started out in tons of groups due to varied interests. As a result it was overwhelming to decide where to hang out. Shorter list with great discussions is preferred.

A4: one of the cons is that it takes a lot of work. And you would need an organization and team of people to help you maintain it and keep it active

A4: one of the pros is that, once it gets going, you have a lot of visibility for your company and platform

A4: It takes time and effort to start a new Group. You need to see which Groups already exist and how you can differentiate your Group from those already established.

A4:Starting a new community is really hard. It takes a tremendous amount of nurturing.

Me and a colleague started a group and it took a couple of years to get it going.

A4: Best to find an active group in the area of interest and begin to build your participation there.

@GilbBrian Agree with you, Brian, that starting a new Group requires support from others to keep the conversation lively.

@Profitecture there also needs to be a plan behind it before it ever even starts

@GilbBrian Yes, so much easier to find an established group and jump in.

A4 I worked with a student who did a GREAT job as an admin. TON of dedication! Great rewards.

A4 need to differentiate your group from the 1000s "out there"

A6: well character length first off. Also more in depth engagement. Gets easier to know people and see what they know

A6: You can have a more substantive conversation in Groups. Twitter limits you by the characters and you might have to answer over a number of tweets.

A6 More than 140 characters....

A6: The shelf life! I have a question in a group that is still active after several months. Great stuff!

A6: Totally different engagement in LinkedIn Groups...Allows for much deeper insights.

A6: So true! I think the stat for the life of a tweet is like an hour!

A6 agree @denisebahs ! I just engaged with a discussion after 23 days

A6: you'll find more experts and be able to see their credentials

A6: If you want to read more of our views on this, here is a blog post: http://profitecture....