30 LinkedIn Tips in 30 Days: 25/30 - Join groups
David Petherick
I make you visible, legible & credible. ? Writing effective LinkedIn profiles since 2006. ? 100% 1,000 day satisfaction guarantee.
30 short, useful, actionable LinkedIn tips in 30 days from Doctor LinkedIn?, David Petherick. #30x30
#25/30: Join Groups. Learn, share, network and show what your interests are.
Did you know you can join up to 100 different Groups on LinkedIn?
Groups are useful sources of information, new opportunities for business or employment, or for focused expertise. Being a member of a group will also be (at your choice) be visible on your profile. So people can see where you are active, what interests you, and how broad your interests are.
I can see from the groups here that this individual focuses on his area of expertise - the groups focus on voiceover and film and TV production.
So I can draw an inference from this. No memberships might suggest that you don't seem to be interested in anything.
Similarly, if I see that you are a member of lots of new job opportunity groups, I can infer you're looking for a new role. So take care if you are job-seeking not to flag this up to your current employer.
This is easy to do - you simply opt to make the individual group's logo not show on your profile. I explain how to do this later in this article.
1: How to find groups on LinkedIn
First, where are groups within LinkedIn?
Look under Interests, and it's there.
The first thing you'll see is the most active groups and latest or most popular conversation there. You can click through to discover new groups, where suggestions will appear for you. These are based on what your profile says about you, what industry you're part of, and what other groups you are a member of.
2: How do I find the group that suits me?
You can also search for Groups that might interest you, which is often the best way to find more specific, specialist groups. Use the search menu, but click on the drop-down that appears at the left of the search dialogue to carry out your search only among Groups.
3: Managing your groups and settings
If you are a member of a number of groups, you can filter down or search from My Groups to locate the groups you want to look at, and you can also click through to adjust the group settings as described next.
4: How do I manage my group settings and show or hide membership?
The screenshot below explains some of the key options. This is reached with a click through from Group Settings as highlighted in the screenshot above with the orange exclamation.
It's a simple matter to untick a box to make your membership invisible on your profile. Other people may still be aware of your membership if they are in the group and you start or add to conversations.
You can choose whether or not to receive updates by email about the group's activities, and can choose a specific email address for these notices to be delivered. This can make it easier to filter information - a number of people use a similar system to me and add filters, labels and rules to such messages to help manage them efficiently.
You can also choose whether other group members can send you messages, even if they're not connected to you. This can be a useful way of making your profile more open and approachable.
5: Managing your Profile's View of your groups
Accessed from your Groups page by clicking on the far right 'Gear' icon, this screen allows you to adjust the order in which your group memberships are listed on your profile.
Because only the first seven will be visible without a click (and few people will bother to click) try to make the 'Top 7' reflect your interests most effectively. Choose the sexiest groups that you want associated with you.
From here, you can also go to adjust individual group settings as shown earlier, to remove visibility from your profile, or get fewer email notifications.
Enjoy your Groups - go join a new one today
Groups, even those with low levels of activity and few members, can be an excellent way to make new connections and friendships. Join some, and enjoy...
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David Petherick writes LinkedIn profiles for a living. He is Director of First Impressions at Amazes.Me and Consultant Surgeon at Doctor LinkedIn. David makes your online presence visible, legible and credible. Follow him on Twitter at @petherick or click the 'Follow' button on my LinkedIn profile for updates.
A Practical & Sustainable Approach to FSMS | Highfield Trainer, Auditor, Consultant |
8 年Thanks David, some good suggestions.I didn't know I could change my group order, very helpful.
Chief Executive of bakery supplying pies, biscuits, confectionery to national caterers|Chartered Accountant
8 年Excellent advice, David. I am sharing this with my network. We can all join up to 100 groups. When considering the number of groups to join, there is a conflict between extending your network and being able to make a meaningful contribution to each of the groups to which you belong. Some commentators believe 10-20 groups is the manageable limit.