Does posting in LinkedIn groups help?

LinkedIn groups can be a valuable tool for expanding your professional network and increasing engagement, but figuring out if posting in them is actually helping your goals can be tricky. Here’s a look at some of the key questions around using LinkedIn groups and how they can fit into your overall social media strategy.

What are the benefits of posting in LinkedIn groups?

Posting in relevant LinkedIn groups can provide several potential benefits:

• Increasing your reach and visibility – Groups provide access to new audiences outside your 1st degree network.
• Positioning yourself as an expert – Regular, thoughtful posts can help establish authority in your niche.
• Generating engagement – Posts often get more comments/likes than regular feed posts.
• Finding new connections – You can connect with other engaged group members.
• Getting found in search – Posts have their own URLs, which Google can index.
• Promoting content – Groups allow you to share your own content and start discussions.
• Market research – Pay attention to what topics and types of posts generate engagement.
• Recruiting – Groups focused on careers, industries, etc. allow you to get in front of relevant talent.

The size and activity level of groups varies widely, but the most active ones provide access to a targeted audience that is already engaged in the topic. This built-in relevance makes groups powerful platforms for expanding reach.

How do I choose which groups to join and post in?

With over 2 million groups on LinkedIn, it can be overwhelming to sort through them and pick the right ones. Here are some tips for choosing groups:

• Search for keywords related to your industry, interests, skills, etc. Browse the results and join groups with the most members and recent activity.
• Look for groups specific to your target customers, niche, region, etc. to make connections relevant to your goals.
• Focus on a small number of groups closely aligned with your offerings and expertise. Too many unrelated groups spread your efforts thin.
• Join groups where you can provide value by answering questions, sharing insights, and starting discussions.
• Assess group culture before posting. Make sure self-promotion is allowed and encouraged.
• Check that moderators are active and discussions are professional. Leave groups that don’t meet your standards.

Posting consistently in just a handful of niche, targeted, well-moderated groups usually provides more value than scattered posts across many broad groups.

What kinds of posts generate engagement in groups?

Not all posts are created equal when it comes to generating clicks, comments, and reactions in groups. Here are some types of content that tend to spur engagement:

• Thought leadership posts – Share insights, data, trends related to the group’s focus.
• Curated articles – Commentary on and links to relevant third party content.
• Discussions starters – Pose interesting questions to the group to spark dialog.
• Surveys and polls – Engage group members by asking for opinions.
• Job opportunities – Openings and career advice attract interest.
• Images and videos – Visual content tends to gets more attention.
• Live videos – Stream presentations, Q&As, and events.
• AMAs – Host “ask me anything” sessions with experts.

In general, posts that provide value, spark discussion, or tap into the group’s interests tend to perform best. Avoid blatant self-promotion posts focused only on you or your company.

How often should I post in LinkedIn groups?

Posting frequency is another key consideration when developing a LinkedIn group strategy. Here are some guidelines on cadence:

• Limit posts to no more than 1 per day per group. Spamming groups is a quick way to get banned.
• Aim for 2-3 times per week per group maximum for active engagement. More than that risks being seen as spam.
• Space out posts over days and weeks. Posting a flurry in quick succession looks robotic.
• Monitor groups before joining to assess typical post frequency and volume.
• Not all groups need daily posts. Gauge member activity levels before deciding on frequency.
• Be more active in the most relevant niche groups, less in broad groups.
• Continually assess your engagement levels. Increase or decrease frequency as appropriate.

Make sure you can sustain consistent posting over time across all your groups. Avoid spreading yourself too thin and diluting the impact.

What are some best practices for posting in groups?

Follow these best practices to make the most of your LinkedIn group posting:

• Craft eye-catching headlines to draw readers in.
• Use images, videos, polls, hashtags, and tagging to boost visibility.
• Keep intro copy short and compelling before linking to content.
• Share a mix of your own content and curated third-party content.
• Add value and start conversations – don’t just broadcast.
• Follow each group’s rules and guidelines around self-promotion.
• Engage with other members by commenting and sharing.
• Monitor discussions and respond to comments on your posts.
• Use group analytics to identify your best-performing content.
• Refine your post strategy based on engagement levels and member feedback.
• Repurpose top-performing posts across multiple relevant groups.

Make sure your posts align closely with each group’s purpose and provide tangible value. Quality over quantity is key.

How do I track the results of group posting?

Measuring your results is key to assessing the impact of your group posting efforts. Here are some metrics to track:

• Group post reach – How many people saw your posts?
• Engagement rate – Likes, comments, clicks as a % of reach.
• Followers acquired – Did new members follow you?
• Leads generated – Form fills, demo sign-ups, sales inquiries.
• Content shares – How often is your content being shared?
• Mentions and tags – Are members talking about and tagging you?
• Backlinks – Track URLs mentioned in posts for SEO value.
• Member feedback – Sentiment of comments, direct feedback received.

Compare numbers before and after implementing a group strategy to see the impact. Watch for trends over time as you refine your approach.

Should I pay to sponsor posts in LinkedIn groups?

LinkedIn offers paid options to further promote posts and expand their reach. Here are some things to consider on paid sponsorships:

• Sponsoring extends reach beyond group members to broader LinkedIn audiences.
• Costs vary based on target demographic, but range from a few cents to a few dollars per click.
• Use sparingly for high-priority posts. Sponsoring all posts gets expensive fast.
• Test different targeting parameters and bid amounts to optimize cost per click.
• Weigh the potential for increased traffic vs. the hard costs.
• Make sure your landing page, offer, and call-to-action are optimized to convert traffic.
• Gauge the quality of sponsored post traffic and leads before scaling budgets.

In general, focus first on providing value and optimizing organic reach. With a solid group strategy, paid sponsorships can take things to the next level.

Should I use an automation tool to post to groups?

LinkedIn group automation tools exist to simplify and scale posting across multiple groups. Here are some pros and cons of using automation:

The key risk with automation is that tools can’t replace real human interaction. Thoughtful commenting and response remain crucial to building relationships.

Intelligently applied automation augments (rather than replaces) manual engagement. Used sparingly on high-quality content, it can enhance — rather than undermine — an effective group strategy.

What are some LinkedIn group alternatives and supplements?

While valuable, LinkedIn groups are just one piece of an integrated social media puzzle. Here are some other effective tactics to complement groups:

• Publish long-form posts on LinkedIn’s main feed.
• Engage on relevant hashtags like #softwareengineering or #marketing.
• Comment on posts from strategic accounts and influencers.
• Guest post on third-party publications and blogs.
• Run LinkedIn ads targeted to specific demographics.
• Start your own LinkedIn Showcase page as a content hub.
• Participate actively in niche forums and communities.
• Repurpose top content across YouTube, Twitter, Facebook.
• Publish on Medium to reach broader audiences.

A multi-pronged approach allows you to extend your reach and relationships beyond just LinkedIn groups. Apply similar tracking and analytics across channels.

Conclusion

Posting in a focused selection of niche, relevant LinkedIn groups can be an impactful tactic for expanding your reach and establishing thought leadership. But groups work best as part of an integrated strategy encompassing both social promotion and valuable content creation. By tracking results closely, you can optimize your approach for long-term relationship and lead generation rather than just vanity metrics.