6 Ways to Improve LinkedIn Groups
Doyle Slayton | Jul 05, 2009 | Comments 23
Who is LinkedIn listening to for new ideas? I am still scratching my head over the decision to add subgroups. Maybe I’m seeing it wrong, but it appears to me that subgroups are nothing more than another group within the group. So basically, it becomes another set of rooms for group members to wade through… and adds even more areas for group managers to moderate and manage.
I think there are so many other group management tools that need to be added before a subgroup option becomes valuable. Here is my list of 6 ways to improve LinkedIn groups!
1. Allow the group manager to review “spam like” posts prior to posting.
Let’s say a group manager decides that only “discussions” are allowed in the discussions forum… that means no re-direct links allowed in that section of the forum… if someone attempts to post anything containing a link, it goes straight to the spam cue for editing/approval.
2. Feature members and posts from top contributors.
How cool would it be to have the top posts with the most views and the most comments featured in a prominent section of the group? In addition, let’s give our top members featured visibility within the group members list. Finally, allow group members to earn points for inviting new members who not only join, but stay, and become positive contributors also!
3. Allow members to block the spammers.
One of the best things about twitter is that it allows you to follow the people you like and block the members you don’t. Let’s provide that same freedom to our LinkedIn group members! I would just do it in reverse.
Begin by leaving current group membership connectivity as it is… meaning everyone in the group is connected and can communicate with one another. Continue to allow everyone in the group to see each member’s posts. When a group member runs across someone whose posts do not appeal to them, they can personally block that member and move on. If I choose to block someone, everyone else can see that member… but I no longer have to. Pretty simple… but highly effective!
4. Add a new “tab” for Events.
Members would be allowed to promote events on a group calendar listing the date and time of the event. When the event is in the past, it is automatically removed from the calendar.
5. Give the group manager the ability to pick which discussions threads and article posts go out in the group email blast.
At the moment, group members have the choice of receiving a daily update, a weekly update, or no update at all. The problem here is hard to believe… silly really. The group manager does not control when the email blast is sent and more importantly, the group manager does not control the content of the email. Can you believe that?
Here’s the real kicker. I don’t know because I’m not using subgroups… but if you are a member of multiple subgroups… are you going to get more of these random emails? I hope not!
6. Allow the group manager to issue suspensions.
There are a number of people who are flying through the groups… posting with as much speed and efficiency as possible. They are simply not stopping to review the group rules and guidelines.
I suggest giving the group manager the ability to create simple templates that state something along the lines of, “Your recent post was removed from the group discussion thread. Please review the group guidelines prior to submitting additional posts.” Those members may be required to acknowledge they have read and understand the group policies and may have to serve a suspension of a certain number of days prior to posting again. I would do something like 1st violation brings a three day suspension, 2nd violation means a one week suspension, 3rd violation becomes automatic removal from the group.
What ideas do you have to make LinkedIn groups more successful?
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Filed Under: Blog • Featured • Fun-n-Stuff
…and I thought it was just me scratching my head.
Well said Doyle. I do not see benefit in multiple groups within a group; over-complication only becomes ‘noise’. I join a group for the general interest and to be exposed to an expanse of views and stimulating juices.
My question is “why”? Is LinkedIn beginning with the end in mind? (what purpose or is it reactionary?” …and “why not enhance what is already there?”
Interesting suggestions. It sounds like as a group manager, you’re missing some of the essential tools to regulate and build groups. I haven’t started a group on Linkedin, but I am a member of a few.
What I find is that discussion threads are plenty, but comments are so few. What’s the incentive to post back? Maybe add some type of points system or internal rating system so that members can rate responses or be encouraged to respond in general.
I agree that one of the tabs that it is misssing is the events tag or group calendar or Linkup if you will (a play on MeetUp).
As much as linkedin is a excellent tool to network, I get the feeling that there’s something missing.
Doyle, as a group owner, I concur with your questioning the random links contained in the digest. No rhyme or reason that I can see…and I’d prefer to control it myself, including when it goes out.
One annoying issue I find in many of the groups is that they are so incredibly cluttered with news feeds from a single supplier that it’s difficult to find anything else. One group I subscribe to requires wading through 3-4 pages on any given day to get past ONE company’s “news releases” before finding anything else.
In theory, I actually DO see some potential for sub-groups; however, the need to moderate additional groups is clearly a burden on the group owner. I’ve delayed setting up about 6 sub-groups in my “Girls Who Print” group until I can personally ask individuals to help me manage the sub-groups. And – I don’t know if my members are going to be bombard with additional communications from the groups.
So – maybe it’s better to just set up individual ongoing discussion threads instead of entire separate groups.
OK – now I have a headache, and remember why I put this on the back burner in the first place!
I’ve been on LinkedIn for more than 5 years now and to my mind things like groups are a bodged way of trying to offer what most people on LinkedIn have been crying out for: more tools to help broker introductions to people who have a need for what you do.
I can’t blame spammers for targeting groups, as there is a common frustration that it isn’t easier to use the site for developing business. In fact, this goes against the site ethos, which is that you network only with people you know. But that’s not really networking is it? So people, faced with an inability to just find and connect with interesting new folk, look to use the groups to reach out and they end up getting bogged down with self promotion as members set lures as they can’t find the tools that broker the introductions for them.
LinkedIn is good because it has 40m profiles on business people on it, but it can’t be long before a quicker thinking and much less complacent competitor starts catching frustrated defectors.
Ian Hendry
CEO, WeCanDo.BIZ
http://www.wecando.biz
Talk to me about WeCanDo.Biz. I’m interested.
Thanks Angie.
It’d for all those who join LinkedIn looking to find new business opportunities but the return doesn’t match the time they give it.
We’re a business networking site specifically focused on sales leads and business referrals. And we’re free to join.
Plus you can sign straight in with an existing Twitter or Google ID, rather than needing to register a profile from scratch. You can even connect up with your existing LinkedIn contacts on the site to collect customer endorsements and get better placed in our search and Trusted Business Directory.
Feel welcome to connect with me at http://www.wecando.biz/profile.php?bid=20 and message me if you get stuck.
Ian Hendry
CEO, WeCanDo.BIZ
http://www.wecando.biz
Doyle,
Great post, I always enjoy your thoughts and thought provoking ideas. I only take exception to one point, and that is #2. Featuring an individual or a topic from that individual to me is counter-intuitive to the whole experience. I speak to Guy Kawasaki on Twitter when he says something I like or don’t like and *he* responds in kind. The whole experience is involvement not exclusion or promotion of a specific person. Now . when that person takes the time to contribute, and the contributions are meaningful, guess what, “Promotion” just happens!
I also believe, as with Twitter, and otheer social Media tools, there are no “Right” or “Wrong” ways to to use them. While I feel it’s wrong to self-promote on Twitter or LinkedIn, again I can choose to ignore those people, unfollow or remove the connection… I agree that as a group owner, one should have more control so that the musings are meaningful, not just so much dross for the group to wade through!
…Just my thoughts…
Featured Member is ok in my book when it’s based on consisten contribution to the group participation or growth.
I agree with promotion just happens when you’re interesting enough with the comments and feedback you provide.
Why do you feel it’s wrong to selfpromote on Linkedin and Twitter? I’m curious.
Most (underlined)self promoters are the “Billy Mayes” type. A lot of noise and the product is less than desirable. I have seen social Media success through 3rd party promotion of products or services. So if one of my Twitter followers or someone on LinkedIn recommends a product or service I am more likely to check it out. conversely, If I am trying to promote something I may send it out there, but ask for testimonials or (RT) if sent on twitter
I believe there will always be “Push” marketing, but tell me if you are buying an appliance would you trust an advertisement or consumer reports or a group of people you talk with regularly about other things that have positive and negative feedback on that product?
I trust the things that I can prove. I look on youtube, ripoff reports, groups, forums, reviews. . .But when I need someone like a contractor (locally), I look for referrals from someone I can trust.
I use twitter to keep up to date on what’s happening online. Since there are sooo many marketers on Twitter and I barely know them, I trust my referrals from people I’ve met in person or at least had some level of extended net contact.
Great post Doyle. I particularly agree with your idea on an Events tab.
I am still thinks through the Sub Groups idea and have even posted for suggestions from my group if anyone has any good ideas on how to use subgroups. No suggestions yet.
Doyle,
I was originally excited about the idea of subgroups. I work with channel partners for companies like SAP and Microsoft who have multiple product lines. I imagined these companies starting a group and then having subgroups by product line.
Then I came to my senses. There’s much more value in setting up a group at the product level than burying it in a subgroup. These companies already suffer from monolithic approaches to working with their channel. Having subgroups would just compound the problem.
BTW, I use the salesblogcast.com rules as my primary example for my clients on how to set up good rules. The thing I love about your rules is that you know we are all compelled to market ourselves. You accept that and tell us how to do it by your rules.
All the best!
Melissa Paulik
The Marketing Survivalist
Thank you Doyle,
I agree that posters that are merely promoting themselves should be suspended.
However, I disagree about promoting the super posters, the well established clique will discourage others from posting if their initial posts are buried.
Warm regards from the Great
Wet North,
Byron Yankou
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
@Doyle and everyone on the comments thread,
Thanks for your feedback on LinkedIn Groups.
We continue listening to our users and iterating to make Groups even more useful to you.
I’ve forwarded this discussion to the team working on Groups.
Mario from LinkedIn
http://blog.linkedin.com/
http://twitter.com/linkedin
Mario,
How DO we impact what is happening on Linked In? This is one of many great Social Media tools, one of only three I use. So there is potential to make it better (serve the people who are using it) How do we go about making / influencing those changes?
See it in 140 on Twitter too!
Thanks,
Hank Merkle
Hi Doyle,
I manage 4 groups on linkedin and was wondering about the subgroups. I sent a note to my group of 1100 Jr. League Members regarding the topic and created a ‘test’ western region group. Group Managers have the connections to contact anyone in the group directly; however, I don’t think group members do – I don’t know if sub-groups will change this – but it would be an interesting thought.
Juliette Ferguson
Pink MBA Studios
http://www.MyVemma.com/Juliette_Ferguson
At the request of my clients, I have started becoming involved in Linked-In. They have all asked me to determine the viability of Linked-In as a tool for prospecting, networking, and eventually making sales. As a result, I am taking the view that if salespeople are spending time on social media sites there needs to be an appropriate return. Right now, the one’s I have seen that are getting a return are the so called “spammers”. Why? Becasue even though we do not like them, they have measureable results. Let’s say they post a link and that link takes the person to a website whereby they get a 5% sign up for their newsletter list. Then from here they see a percent return in sales. This is measureable and actionable. However, it appears that most are not seeing any tangible results from Linked-In or other social media sites. Since my understanding is that this is a tool for helping people connect, networking with those you want to meet, and eventually having value for everyone invovled I would love to hear success stories. Real success stories that resulted in new business, or more customers etc. If the answer in most cases is that it hasn’t then my argument is that the discussion groups, forums, networking sites, and other avenues should not be allowed to be visited or used on company time. They are not serving the purpose that they were created for. If we do not allow people to market their services–I’m not talking about blatant spamming or self promotion then what is the point of Linked-In or any other site? What is the best advice I can relay to my clients when they say their salespeople or marketing people are adamantly supporting the use of these sites? Yet there are no tangible results coming in. In my opinion, these 6 ways to improve Linked-In will just serve to hinder any effectiveness the site may currently have in connecting others. I don’t know the answer, and I am perhaps too new, only a few months under my belt, but I want to hear about the real success stories and how they came about! That means business was generated by social-media, and the customer was happy.
I think it’s perfectly fair for you to be asking those questions Tony. Although I joined LinkedIn wishing to use it as a prospecting tool, I can now see it isn’t that — it’s more about developing your personal reputation and career. And I think it is entirely valid to be questioning whether either of those should be done on company time.
Don’t write of all social media on the basis of LinkedIn however. We have many businesses on our sales leads and business referrals website closing business, winning orders and writing invoices! But then that’s what we built it to offer. I don’t think this is what LinkedIn was built to do.
Ian Hendry
CEO, WeCanDo.BIZ
http://www.wecando.biz
@Tony Smith
There are two schools of thought when it comes to Networking.
Start with who you know and who your network knows or try to make connections with those you’ve never met before based on a similar interests or associations
Having said that, when I signed up for Linkedin, my profile was dormant for at a least a year. There was nothing going on for me because I wasn’t making an effort. I learned over time how to promote myself without turning off people, which is quite a balancing act/skill within itself. I know now that I have to make an effort to meet people in person or via chat, email or webcam. I am only successful because look for people who reciprocal networking. The people I meet know that I would like them to either become my client or referring me to people who might want/need my product or service.
Linkedin, however, has a connection hierarchy if you will. You can ask your friends/contact to introduce you to other people, which is a form of prospecting. You can participate in Groups, Answers, and Polls as a way to meet people with similar interests or associations. (The Back Door Strategy)
But ultimately, the key here is that people have to make a commitment to search LinkedIn first when they are about to make a buying decision before they Google or Bing it.
I think it would depends on your business strategy, model and commission to know if spending _________time is worth your time? What is measurable and actionable for me may not be the same metrics you use to determine your success. ROI is important, but sometimes, it’s more able the relationships you establish.
Now, do be on linkedin on company time. . .that’s a whole different ball game.
Ok, so I’m actaully a member of the National Association of Realtors group on Linkedin and that seems like it needs subgroups since real estate is local and what affects me in my market, may not be the case in another market.
Great post!
I’ve been struggling with linkedin groups for some months as managing 13,000 members is painful sometimes with the limited features and multiple moderators.
The suggested features would be most welcome and greatly needed if we are to keep them relevant for our members.
Thanks!
Justin
Thanks for the post and suggestions. I’m limiting myself by reading only one social media post per day, because most are irrelevant. I hit on a good one today. Thanks Doyle
LinkedIn groups are totally anarchic. So many groups duplicate other groups, and people multi post topics to many of them.
As a discussion forum they are awful, with no rich text or images, lousy threading, searching and notification options.
You should not have to join a group just to see what is going on in it.
Why they did not learn from the decent forums like Eng-Tips I fail to understand.
I think they need to completely rethink and reboot them