Groups Are Where The Action Is

A lot of people tell me they joined LinkedIn, completed the profile and nothing happened. Well you have to do more than complete the profile and make some connections. It's like any other form of networking you have to go out and do something. Although in this case you don't go out to do it you do it in front of your computer.

One of the best ways to network on LinkedIn is to join the gorups and became active -- at least somewhat. Join groups that reflect your personal or professional interests. When you get the weekly digest look at the discussions and see which ones interest you and participate. You can connect with people from all over the world by posting something, commenting on what people have posted or asking to connect with people whose posts you find interesting.

As you do more and more with the discussions people get to know you. You increase your number of connections and you can get buisnessf rom people who like what you have to say.

Joining groups

There are over 400,000 groups on LinkedIn. Yes, that's right over 400,000. You can find a group for just and any interest, personal or professional. You can join up to 50 groups and even if you don't join that many you should join a bunch of them. It's a way to learn about business areas, meet people through the discussions, post your own questions and learn things.

Go to the upper right hand-side where it says People. Hit the drop down button and the last on the list is Groups. Start filling in the box your interest and see what comes up. When you join a group make sure to check that you want the weekly digest not the daily one. You don't want your email Inbox to be swamped.

Some LinkedIn Numbers

3 -- number of recommendations that you need as part of the profile complete message.

5 -- Number of people who IDK (I Don't Know) you after which Customer Service puts limits on your account.

50 -- How many groups you can join

500 -- After this number of connections it will just say 500+ without giving an exact count.

3,000 -- How many invites you can send out. After you reach this number people have to invite you.

Why Should I Join Groups?

By joining groups you spread your outreach.

LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 groups. Don't just join buisness groups but think about other things -- your geographical area, your personal interests and things you want to be involved with.

I joined the Foodies group because -- guess what -- I love food and any discussions about food. Even though I feel outclassed by the many food professionals it's still a great place for me because I enjoy the postings and have actually answered a few quesitons myself.

The networking groups are great and so are the alumni groups. You'll meet people from all over the world, answer their questions and maybe get a chance to do business with them.

Social Media and the New Year

In the last decade we've seen a great change in communication caused by the Internet. It's changed how we send out information, how we get information and how we deal with information.

Social media and social networking which are still in their infancy have had a profound effect on how people communicate and relate to teach other. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are the three top social networks and LinkedIn is the one that is used solely for business.

Think about the reasons that you either use LinkedIn or will be using LinkedIn.

Hunt for a job.

Look up profiles to find out information about people.

Search for people you've lost contact with.

Use the Q & A for expertise or fun.

Join groups for information or networking.

Use the company profiles to find out more about a company.

Link yourself to people across the world.

These are a few of the ways LinkedIn can work for you.

What's Different About Social Media

I just listened to an excellent keynote speech by Peter Shankman and he pointed out one of the biggest differences between social media and other media.

Social media is a two way communication. Radio and TV are one way. They say something and that's it. You have no way (or very little way) of responding and intereacting. Social media is a two way street. You're constantly updating and interacting with people who are interacting directly with you. You post something and right away people see or hear it and respond.

Remember that to get the most out of LinkedIn you need to do more than just post a profile and not do anything else.

What Do You Want From LinkedIn?

LinkedIn can be used for many purposes. Obviously all of them are some form of networking.

Do you want to find a job?

Find people at a particular company who can help with a job search?

Contact people you knew in school or at work that you've lost touch with?

Get to know people in the same line of work to discuss similar problems?

Meet people with similar hobbies or interests?

Expand your business through people you contact through LinkedIn?

Join groups of people with a similar school or business background or interest?

Get help with particular problems that involve your business?

Hear about job opportunities?

Post job opportunities?

The list could go on and on. Think about why you are using LinkedIn. This can help you focus so that you can get the most out of LinkedIn. It can be used many ways but it's up to you to think about how it can be used for what you want or need the most.