September 12, 2011
Do you remember the movie, The Graduate? It starred a very young Dustin Hoffman. There is a famous quote from the movie you may remember:
I just want to say one word to you, Ben. Just one word. PLASTICS!
Well, dear readers, I have just one word to say to you, GROUPS!
LinkedIn Groups is the EASIEST way to expand your LinkedIn network. LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 100 LinkedIn Groups. JOIN ALL 50 100 GROUPS!!! But I don’t want you to join just any LinkedIn Groups. I WANT YOU TO JOIN LINKEDIN GROUPS WITH LARGE NUMBERS OF MEMBERS! When I say large numbers, I am not talking a hundred or a thousand. Heck, let’s keep up with the movie quotes, okay? “A million members isn’t cool, you know what’s cool? A billion members!” I know, I fudged it… but you get my point! I want you targeting LinkedIn Groups with hundreds of thousands of members!
Why do I want you to join Groups with TONS of members? I think it’s best to quote LinkedIn:
Fellow members of your LinkedIn Groups – These people are considered part of your network because you’re members of the same group. You’ll see a Group icon next to their name in search results and on their profile.
Do you get it? By joining a group, you are adding all those group members to your LinkedIn network. Since you are now in their network, you will come up in their search results within LinkedIn and you can communicate with them. So you see it behooves you to join groups with lots and lots of members. It’s like that old saying, “Kill two birds with one stone.” Well, maybe not.
So now that you get the strategy, your next question should be, “What Groups have the most members so I can expand my LinkedIn network the most!”
Here is the magical link:
https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/groups/ UPDATED 2019
Clicking on the link above takes you to a list of LinkedIn Groups by order of members. Start from the top and work your way down the list!
YES! THERE ARE! If I were you, Charlie Brown, I’d also join those Open Networker/LION Groups! By joining LinkedIn Open Networking Groups, you are giving the other members the okay to invite you to connect regardless of whether you are a person they know or trust. Look, if your head is spinning over that last sentence, don’t worry. I will have another blog entry out soon all about the benefits of being an Open Networker.
In the meantime, if you want to be a cowboy… or cowgirl… here are some of my favorite LinkedIn Open Networking Groups. What makes them my favorite? THEY ARE THE GROUPS WITH THE LARGEST NUMBER OF MEMBERS, SILLY!
Look, if you are dealing with a particular industry, I take it all back! Okay, not totally. Focus not on the largest LinkedIn Groups but the largest LinkedIn Groups within your subject area! You want to make sure that the people you are connecting to are beneficial to your LinkedIn network. Join LinkedIn Groups that contain your PROSPECTS, CUSTOMERS, BUSINESS PARTNERS, etc! Lucky for you, LinkedIn sorts the Group list search results by Groups with the most members at the top to the Groups with the least amount at the end. This means you really don’t have to do a lot of looking to find Groups with large numbers… they are typically at the top of the list.
Look Pollyanna, I didn’t say I want you to interact in all these LinkedIn Groups… I simply said I want you to JOIN them. Pick a couple of Groups that strike your fancy and get involved if it’s beneficial to you. Don’t feel any pressure to spend hours perusing all these LinkedIn Groups. Heck, feel free to ignore them if you want to… it’s okay. We joined these LinkedIn Groups mainly to expand your network. Sure there are ways to work the Groups for marketing purposes but that’s another blog entry entirely! Right now, I just want you to get the benefit of an expanded LinkedIn Network.
Yeah, it’s like a freaking avalanche of email, isn’t it? Makes you understand why Postal Workers go postal. Here’s how you can TURN OFF those annoying and never ending Group Digest Emails.
It’s funny how LinkedIn touts the importance of keeping your network closed. Only connect with people you know and trust! PHOOEY, I say! If it’s so important to have a closed network, why does LinkedIn reward people with large networks with high ranking in search results? It’s true! Try it out! Perform some keyword searches and you will quickly see the people at the top of the search results all have over 500 connections. Not only that but people with large networks are able to communicate with more people AND their status updates are seen by more eyes. There are many ways to get a large network but by far the easiest way is through LinkedIn Groups. What are you waiting for? GO OUT AND JOIN SOME LINKEDIN GROUPS!
If you have any questions or are interested in having us write your LinkedIn profile, contact me TODAY!
Access my LinkedIn Headline Generator app to boost your brand and achieve higher placement in LinkedIn Search results. Your profile will get more views and you will collide with amazing opportunities! All it takes is a couple of clicks and in seconds you have an engaging, professional LinkedIn Headline that impresses. It's fast, easy, and completely free.
Instant Access
Input your search keywords and press Enter.
This was THE most refreshing blog post I’ve read in…hmm, forever. Well, maybe not forever. But I had several belly laughs—that might be too much information—but more importantly, your advice makes great sense. I’ve been hanging in and around LinkedIn for awhile now, and I even started a group with my partner—https://www.linkedin.com/groups/Hiring-Tips-4900526/about —if that link stays in, I’ll be ecstatic. But all kidding aside, VERY helpful post, Donna.
Glad you enjoyed it, Stan!
I just love reading your blogs Donna!
Yes, joining LinkedIn Groups is one of the best way to grow your professional network. And another Yes! Having a close network will get you nowhere.
Thanks for this very useful and entertaining post 🙂
You have some great information here. And by the way I’m a LION. g9492833714 at gmail
Donna…I recently joined another compnay in my industry and the most difficult hurdle has been the inability to contact comopnaies that already have been contacted via others slaes personnel via my company….Linked in has provided a source of information that enables me to bound over the cursory “just checking in” comment that is sufficient enough to reserve that company via my fellow sales accociate. Compare “just checking in” to having a contact person that is also the decision maker.
Your insight on how to grow your network will be used on a daily basis. My goal is to increase my network 1,000% over the next 6 months. With the info you have supplied, I know I am headed in the right direction. I sell commercial electrical power and natural gas in states where de-regulation has taken place—the consumer has the ability to pick and choose their provider.
If you ever need any thing from the Dallas Houston markets, let me know…Thanks for your insigh!
How does joining these groups enable you to communicate with more people? I thought LinkedIn had a maximum of 15 messages per month that you can send to group members who you are not connected to regardless of how many groups you belong to.
Thanks Donna, Useful info! I know this post is several years old – do you still value being a LinkedIn LION? Does it still have the same impact on LinkedIn rankings?
The following link did not work. Is there any change in the link?
“Which LinkedIn Groups Have the Most Members?
So now that you get the strategy, your next question should be, “What Groups have the most members so I can expand my LinkedIn network the most!”
Here is the magical link:
https://www.linkedin.com/groupsDirectory?results=&sik=1304055844060”
Thanks!
Deepak
Deepak — I updated the links so they work for 2019. I can’t say that I still feel as exuberant about groups as I did back in 2011 but it’s still a viable strategy.