Creating that 'Homey' feeling for your LinkedIn Group

LinkedIn Groups can provide a wealth of information about your industry, but many LI users are turned off by groups due to the spammy blasts of self-promotional posts.  Now I understand many entrepreneurs and small business owners create groups to enhance their online presence and brand.  The struggle comes with growing the group and with member engagement.  What's the best way to help your group grow and to encourage group engagement?

Simple! Your group will just have to be one of the GREAT groups on LinkedIn that people want to join.  Create a welcoming atmosphere and persona within your group where members feel comfortable approaching you via private message, or freely commenting on a discussion post.  Below are a couple of ground rules to follow to help you accomplish this:

Posting Frequency
Post from your own blog site or website no more than 1x a week.  The idea is to generate discussion, not use the group as your personal billboard.

Post Quality
Post direct questions.  Group members love direct questions - it makes people feel like they are part of a community. AND you are most likely to get more comments with these kind of posts.

Set the rules and Stick to them
Don't feel guilty.  Only try to let content through that you feel will be truly helpful to the group.

Reward your Members
Read other people's posts and provide a meaningful comment.  Reward other members when they post genuine discussion questions (and not a link to their site) by featuring these posts on the Manager's Choice board.

What methods have you found helpful to encourage growth and engagement?  Please share - we'd love to hear from you!

Do you need help starting a group, or with a group that's lacking that 'homey' feeling?  Shoot me an email at jeaninevidalsolutions@gmail.com.

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