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TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 Introduction

STEP 1: ENGAGE STEP 3: GROW


03 Welcoming New Members 14 Growing Your Group

04 Moderator: Otilia Otlacan 15 Keeping Your Group Rolling

05 Fostering Community 16 Mistakes to Avoid

17 Moderator: Steven Bonacorsi


STEP 2: ENABLE
18 Resources
07 Enabling Great Discussions

08 Taking Part in Great Discussions

09 Discovering Killer Content

10 Starting Discussions with Content

11 Moderator: Lee Buckler

12 Celebrating Member Success


INTRODUCTION
Participating in LinkedIn Groups is rewarding for many
professionals, and we know a successful group is often a direct
reflection of the time, energy and effort of you, the people who
manage them—the group moderators.

While success at anything requires some work, moderating a


LinkedIn Group shouldn’t be a burden. With this in mind, we’ve
created this field guide to help surface dozens of expert insights,
time-saving tips and perhaps lesser-known LinkedIn Groups
features that we think will help moderators like you more easily
engage and grow your groups today.

We hope you keep this field guide by your side for quick
reference and also consider joining our new LinkedIn Group
for moderators to learn and share more.

— LinkedIn Groups Team

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WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS
It’s easy to create a welcoming environment for your new members. Try a few of these quick
tips to help ensure each new member has a great first experience:

LET THEM INTRODUCE GIVE THEM THEIR INVITE CONVERSATION


THEMSELVES FIRST KUDOS ABOUT THE RULES

Try creating a separate discussion for Everyone wants their contributions Posting the group rules in a discussion
introductions, it’ll provide the group to be valued. Try to share and show makes it more likely members will see
with one destination for welcoming your support for new members by them. You can also collect feedback to
new folks. commenting on their initial posts. continue refining the rules as the
group grows.

HELLO

SAY “HELLO” LAY DOWN THE LAW SEND A PRIVATE MESSAGE TO


MAKE SURE YOU CONNECT
The welcome email is a great A clear, detailed set of guidelines
opportunity to greet new members. will help new members get in on Private messages are the most-read
You can personalize the template the conversation. Use the Group communication on LinkedIn. They’re a
with an introduction, some features Rules to let them know what type good way to send an etiquette guide
of the group and a “thank you” of content and discussion your to clue new members in on the tone
for joining. group encourages. and “unwritten rules” of the group.

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MODERATOR
SUCCESS STORY
ADVICE FOR GROUP OWNERS ON KEEPING DISCUSSION ACTIVE

“Make sure that you communicate “I try to identify conversations that


the group expectations and offer sound interesting but have gone stale
fresh content every day.” because they got buried under new
content, or identify conversations that
THE SECRET TO SUCCESS have a sense of urgency. I try to bring
them up—stir them up a bit—then I
“We spend a lot of time and effort
answer myself or pull others into the
Otilia Otlacan making sure members are relevant
conversation that can help answer
Co-Founder at RightFit Media to the group. We are a really niche
the questions.”
community and that brings people in.”
THE GROUP
Ad Operations Professionals Group ON WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS ONE MISTAKE TO AVOID

“People start talking and interacting “I realized I was afraid to be an


FOUNDED
if they receive the welcome email, aggressive moderator. When I decided
2008
which outlines guidelines, topics, etc. to be more firm, it was welcome within
MEMBERS We stress that everyone should feel the group and worked better.”
12,500+ comfortable reaching out to the
group if they have questions.
TIME SPENT MODERATING
45 min-1 hour per day

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FOSTERING COMMUNITY
Creating a group doesn’t automatically create a community too. Community forming can take
some time, but these six tips can help accelerate your progress:

LET MEMBERS FLY THE FLAG SET UP THE VELVET ROPE MAKE A SPACE FOR CHATTER

20% of all group growth comes from Consider only allowing group It’s helpful to create a discussion
traffic through member’s profiles. Make members to post. A little privacy just for personal chat to help people
sure you allow members to share your and exclusivity enhances the sense connect and bond. Keep it contained
logo on their profiles so they can show of community. And, it helps keep to one space so everything else
their loyalty. out spam. remains on-topic.

MAKE A VISUAL IMPRESSION GO BEYOND LINKEDIN SEND A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

LinkedIn members are 10x more Try to encourage members to network Once a week, you can send an
likely to check out a group that has in as many ways as they can. Create a announcement to all of your
a logo. A good logo helps establish dedicated discussion for members to group’s members. Make it useful,
the group identity that keeps your exchange their profile info on other not self-promotional; call out great
members coming back. social media sites. discussions and link to news about
the group’s members.

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ENABLING GREAT
GROUP DISCUSSIONS
People often join a group to get industry news and discuss
trends with their peers. As a moderator, there’s several small
things you can do to help encourage conversations:

CELEBRATE YOUR ALL-STARS SHINE THE SPOTLIGHT

When a member posts a useful You can highlight a discussion


article or an insightful comment, at the top of your group’s feed
give them a public thumbs-up. with the Manager’s Choice
It’ll give everyone an example option. Change it up regularly
to follow. so it’s fresh and relevant.

LET THE CONVERSATION FLOW TAKE IT TO THE WEB

If your group is set up so that Don’t be shy about linking group


discussions require approval to discussions on other social media.
be posted, try to keep the queue It’ll help bring new voices into the
clear so you don’t bottleneck conversation.
the discussion.

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TAKING PART IN GREAT
GROUP DISCUSSIONS
There are a variety of ways you can keep your group
talking, some of which might require you to get
directly involved:

DITCH THE GENERIC QUESTIONS STAY IN THE MIX

Instead of, “what do you think?” When you start a discussion,


ask, “do you agree with this make sure to respond when
point?” Specific questions are people reply. Your members
more likely to spark discussion are more likely to jump in the
than generic ones. conversation if it’s active.

STAY ON POINT
“We do a lot of Q & A’s with
You’ll get more quality comments industry experts. Then we have
on posts that are directly related to quite a lot of members whose work
your group’s specific purpose. is relevant to the audience, and
they share content with the group.”
— Otilia Otlacan
Ad Operations Professionals
Group Moderator

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FINDING
KILLER CONTENT
Regularly sharing content is a simple way to add value
and encourage group discussion. Here are just a few
resources you can use to discover great stuff to share:

GOOGLE ALERTS I NDUSTRY-SPECIFIC


NEWS SITES AND BLOGS
You can set Google Alerts for
keyword topics relevant to your The more specific, the better.
industry. You’ll get an email when Many sites have an InShare button
news articles that match your alert to let you instantly share to your
are posted, so you can evaluate group. If not, you can always copy
and share them. and paste the link.

LINKEDIN PULSE

There’s a whole lot of great content


on LinkedIn Pulse if you customize
it to work for you. Follow leaders
in your industry and subscribe to
relevant categories to make Pulse
a go-to resource.

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STARTING DISCUSSIONS
WITH CONTENT
As you surface great content to share with your group,
try some of these tactics—they may help you boost
engagement and discussion:

KEEP IT REAL STIR THE POT

It’s important to stay true to your You don’t want every post to
group’s specific purpose. More start a riot, but the occasional
generalized topics may dilute your controversial article can be great
mission statement and won’t inspire for getting members fired up
your members to insightful discussion. and contributing.

ADD A PERSONAL TOUCH


“Be a little like the talk-show host.
It may seem easier to just click You want to be hard-nosed,
“share” and move on, but you’ll opinionated, provocative. At
get a better response if you the same time, you must be
include a personal note when you absolutely respectful of other
share an article. What struck you people’s opinions.”
as important about the article? — Lee Buckler
What should your members think Cell Therapy Group Moderator
about as they read it?

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MODERATOR
SUCCESS STORY
ADVICE FOR GROUP OWNERS ON KEEPING OUT SPAM

“You want to be very protective “The best way to moderate spam


of your member’s time, of their is to moderate people. 99% of
contributions. You want to make unwanted content comes from
them feel like they’re somewhere repeat offenders.”
safe, somewhere that’s useful.”

THE SECRET TO SUCCESS ON SPARKING DISCUSSION


Lee Buckler
VP of Business Development at Replicel “My commitment to active engagement “Be a little like the talk-show host.
with questions. Policing of off-topic You want to be hard-nosed,
THE GROUP or promotional content. I also screen opinionated, provocative. At the
Cell Therapy Industry Group every applicant.” same time, you must be absolutely
respectful of other people’s opinions.”
FOUNDED ON WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS
2008
“I created a standing thread that’s an
MEMBERS ‘introduce yourself or your company/
10,000+ tech thread.’ It’s good to have a space
for self-promotion.”
TIME SPENT MODERATING:
45 minutes-1 hour a day

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CELEBRATING
MEMBER SUCCESS
Supporting your group members outside of the group is a
very effective way to keep them engaged. Here’s a few easy
ways you can recognize their accomplishments:

GET THE WORD OUT WHAT’S NEW WITH YOU?

97% of people writing posts and If you follow your members on


updates on LinkedIn belong to LinkedIn, you’ll get notifications
groups too. When a member when they change jobs, get
writes or shares something new, promoted or have a work
post a discussion and throw anniversary. You can congratulate
them a link. Your members will them privately or include them
appreciate the cross-promotion. in your weekly announcement.

THIS JUST IN…

Newsle is a service that finds


mentions of your contacts in the
news. Once you connect your
LinkedIn account to Newsle,
check in regularly and don’t miss
an opportunity to celebrate your
newsworthy group members.
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GROWING YOUR GROUP
Building a great group is far more about the quality of your members, not the quantity.
If, however, you’re looking for some smart ways to enrich your group’s discussion with
new perspectives and opinions, here’s a few suggestions to consider:

EXPAND THE GUEST LIST WHO ARE YOU, AGAIN? VISIT YOUR NEIGHBORS
If you have an existing email list, Make sure you only invite people who It’s acceptable to share valuable,
you can upload it to send Group will want to join. If there are too many unique content with similar groups.
Invites quickly. This may also help unaccepted invites associated with the Just make sure such posts are
you identify connections you group, LinkedIn could suspend your permitted in their rules, and only share
haven’t made yet. ability to send new invites. the best content from your group.

EXTEND AN INVITATION DON’T BE ANTI-SOCIAL THROW A (WEB-BASED) PARTY


You can reach a wider audience Open events can be a good way
Start with your established network.
by sharing links to the best group to promote as well. Your group
You can directly invite LinkedIn
conversations on other social networks. can sponsor an online webinar or
members, provided you’re either
Definitely encourage your members discussion to reach a wider audience.
directly connected with them or
to share as well.
know their email.

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KEEPING YOUR GROUP ROLLING
As your group grows in membership, what you can do with the group and how you operate
it will evolve too. Here are just a few paths you may want to explore as your group thrives:

BRING IN THE BIG GUNS GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP TAKE IT OFFLINE

Set your sights on thought If you feel overwhelmed Face-to-face meet-ups are a
leaders with network influence. keeping your group spam-free great way to strengthen your
Share their content in the and thriving, tap your all-star community. If you’re not into
group, then invite them to contributors to help moderate. organizing an offline event, there
lead a discussion. They’ll feel more invested in the are bound to be a few enthusiastic
group’s growth, and you’ll get people in the group who can put
some of your free time back. it together with your blessing.

BREAK IT DOWN FILL UP ON CONTENT


“Certainly I’ve always believed
As your discussion feed fills up, If you see an organization in the power of flattery and
you’ll start to see certain topics putting out content that your acknowledgment. So I was
over and over. Consider making group would love—white papers, overt in my appreciation of
a separate group for popular videos, articles, eBooks—you can their contributions, both in
topics, so people can easily find approach them about posting person and in the forum itself.”
the specific conversation they’re directly to the group. — Lee Buckler
looking for. Cell Therapy Group
Moderator

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MISTAKES TO AVOID
Even the best moderators make mistakes once in a while. Keep an eye out for these common
mistakes that can hurt your group’s chances of success.

LETTING SPAM TAKE OVER MODERATING TOO LIGHTLY DOMINATING THE DISCUSSION

Spam is the top reason people We’d all like to avoid conflict. You definitely want to stay active in
leave groups. To cut down on Sometimes, though, a moderator discussions, but not at the cost of
spam, manually approve requests needs to confront, warn, and even members feeling shut out. Try to offer
to join, then actively moderate ban members. Don’t hesitate to thought provoking questions in the
posts from new members for address members who violate your comments that encourage continued
the first week or so. group rules. on-topic conversation.

BEING TOO PROMOTIONAL LETTING THE GROUP STAGNATE DOING IT ALL YOURSELF

It’s easy to think of your group as an Your community is a living ecosystem. If your group is growing quickly,
audience to promote your business, It needs nourishment to continue to moderating it may require a little
but too much self-promotion will cause thrive. Make sure you’re keeping the more effort. Deputize managers and
members to tune out. The bulk of your Manager’s Choice updated, curating moderators to help keep discussions
shared content should focus on what content, and posting in discussions relevant and active.
members want to read. at least weekly.

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MODERATOR
SUCCESS STORY
ADVICE FOR GROUP OWNERS ON FINDING QUALITY CONTENT

“Know who the audience is that you’re “More than finding an article, it’s
trying to reach. What’s in it for them? creating a relationship with content
You’ve got to know the purpose of creators so they can post themselves.
your group, know the audience, and We have partnerships with 300
message them in a way that will hook companies who we trust to provide
them right away.” valuable content.”

Steven Bonacorsi
THE SECRET TO SUCCESS ON KEEPING THE
Lean Six Sigma
DISCUSSION GOING
Six Sigma Consultant “The engagement is number one.
You need to have good leadership. “You’ve got to be there to finish.
THE GROUP You have to show up. A group is You can’t start a handshake and
Lean Six Sigma Group a long-term investment to lead walk away. Don’t leave the
the team.” conversations hanging.”
FOUNDED
2007 ON WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS
MEMBERS “We send two messages. One is more
325,000+ focused on, ‘here’s how you use our
group,’ the other is, ‘here’s a bunch
TIME SPENT MODERATING:
of free stuff’.”
8+ hours/day

17 l LinkedIn Groups
RESOURCES

GENERAL
Groups: Getting Started
Group Management: Best Practices

ENABLING GREAT GROUP DISCUSSIONS


Stay up to date with LinkedIn Group discussions

DISCOVERING VALUABLE CONTENT


Influencer Content: LinkedIn Pulse
Industry Content: Google Alerts
News Release Content: Newsle
Social Content: Buffer

GROWING YOUR GROUP


How to rule LinkedIn Groups

18 l LinkedIn Groups
We hope you found this field guide helpful.
If you’re a Linkedin Group moderator with your
own tips or advice — and would like to give us
some feedback on this and future moderator
materials, please click here.

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