LinkedIn Group Discussions: do's & don'ts

LinkedIn (and Facebook) group discussions. Used well, with ethics, sincerity and most importantly, for the right reasons, starting and participating in group discussions will deliver the following rewards:

• Increase your exposure as an expert in your industry
• Create and nurture relationships
• Provide support and advice when you need it
• Learn what others are thinking
• Generate leads
• Let your network know who you are

But, hang on a minute - a quick scroll down many group discussion boards can show post after post of link promotion. In many cases; there is no question posed, no discussion point raised ... just a link. What does that tell you about the person posting?

discussion noun

1. the action or process of talking about something in order to reach a decision or to exchange ideas.

LinkedIn Group Discussions: Don'ts

1. Don't 'blast' your connection's newsfeeds by posting all your group discussions at once.
2. Don't post the exact same discussion across a number of groups.
3. Don't post if it's not a 'discussion'.
4. Don't use only your own content to base your discussions on.
5. Don't comment if you are not staying true to the discussion topic.
6. Don't start your own group and be the only person posting.
7. Don't copy the title of the article you are sharing into the title of the discussion.
8. Don't promote yourself!!
9. Don't neglect to ask a question or add your opinion in the discussion.
10. Don't discuss at all if your only goal is marketing. You need to want more from LinkedIn.

LinkedIn Group Discussions: Do's

1. Do select your groups carefully.
2. Do make your title and more details field interesting/controversial ... the start of a "discussion".
3. Do inject personality, LinkedIn is about people (in fact it's full of them!!)
4. Do respond to comments on your discussions.
5. Do ask for help on LinkedIn, there is a wealth of advice available.
6. Do reach out to those whose discussions and comments you connect with. Invite them to connect and tell them why you are doing this.
7. Do be sincere. I think this is the most important trait there is on LinkedIn (and elsewhere).
8. Do be motivated to help. Post discussions around your customers' pain points. Solve problems and offer advice where appropriate.
9. Do give credit where due. If you are sharing someone else's discussion topic (because you love it!), give the author credit.
10. Do have fun. Like sincerity, if you're having fun on LinkedIn it shines through.

These same rules of etiquette apply to all social media conversations and updates you post. Be original, be sincere (I know, again I've mentioned it), be helpful and you'll be surprised by the results.

If you made it all the way to the bottom, thank you for reading! Please comment if you have something to share and if you’d like to receive my weekly blog straight to your inbox, please subscribe here. I’d absolutely love that!

What's one thing about a LinkedIn discussion that would encourage you to engage?