On a magical journey through the LinkedIn blog, the blog was discussing LinkedIn groups yesterday. They were discussing how to engineer LinkedIn Groups, so you can accurately measure how popular a post is, and use that calculation to determine which posts to show more frequently.
It is an interesting look into how a social network ranks different posts and discussion threads. This is something that I have been interested to find out more about on other forums, such as Warrior Forum and also on Facebook’s newsfeed. Warrior Forum seems to have different calculations for different forums. Facebook bases the popular newsfeed on people that you have spoken with lately. It seems to slightly mirror my action on the site.
With that being said, let’s talk about LinkedIn Groups and how to work with their discussion boards for ultimate effect.
5 Things I Got From Reading About LinkedIn Groups
- I am no mathematician. In fact, I used to want to be an astronomer as a child until I found out that you needed to know math. It was a game changer as I entered 5th grade.
- This process while singular to LinkedIn groups has applications throughout social networking. It delves into the social proof idea that a post really isn’t measurable unless there is some type of interaction. That is what this post measures: Interaction.
- From my understanding, LinkedIn does not decay old posts. For example, Google gives sites additional search strength when they have recent posts. Why? Because that means the site is not decaying and void of current information. Think of using a history textbook in school today that was written in 1935. Imagine what the students would miss. This is one of the reasons why blogging has taken off over the past few years. New content. LinkedIn is stating that they do not care if a post is one year or one month. The fact is whenever someone comments on the discussion it adds to the score and makes it more relevant.
- However, you can not just keep adding, because then you will never see new content and also the new content even if it is better will never have a chance to catch up. So, you have to limit that older discussion. I will be honest this is the point where the mathematical equations had my head doing loops. Also, if a topic becomes hot really quickly and dies it will not be around forever. For example, when Osama bin Laden was killed it was a top story that died out after a few weeks. Two years from now, that is not a ground breaking story that needs to be in first place.
- They are only counting likes and comments to determine how popular a post is. That means if 500 people look at a post A and do nothing they will ignore the post, but if 100 people look at post B and 10 people comment on it then it will gain more traction
So, what does this mean for you? If you are out there on LinkedIn or other social networks do not just go for the views and think life is great. Encourage dialogue, because if you want a post to last longer you actually have to have it become social.
Let me give you a great recent example from Facebook. I will generally post my blog everyday there. I get a few comments and likes on different topics. However, I post one pic of my cat lying on it’s back and I had 10 comments in one hour along with 5 likes. Which post do you think Facebook is more likely to show to my friends. The picture of the cat or the blog post?
Either way, this post should help you get an understanding of the power of social networking in LinkedIn groups and throughout social networking sites.
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Very interesting, thanks for the review of Linkedin groups Andy. There is certainly no shortage of examples – such as the one you used about the popularity of photos of your cat. All one has to do is look at the topics trending on Twitter to see a similar pattern. The only time there’s anything meaningful trending is if there’s a major news event.
Marquita,
Glad you enjoyed the review of different LinkedIn groups. That is the big word-meaningful. People look at items that are meaningful to them.
Andy
Interesting, I’m just starting to look into Linkedin as a marketing solution. It makes sense that the most popular would be what creates the most buzz so I guess posting slightly controversial topics might help?
James,
Controversial can sometimes work in your favor and also if done incorrectly can really backfire. That being said, do not be boring. I hope that was some help. Let me know if you need additional help as you get started with LinkedIn.
Andy
LinkedIn is a great tool for networking with potential employers, small business owners and directors of large organizations. The more connections you have, the better your chances of landing a high level position.
What type of job are you looking for?
I have been using linkedin for the past couple of months and I haven’t really had much time to play with it. I’m going to start networking more as I hear good things about it. great post it’s got me thinking…
What are you looking to achieve with LinkedIn? Think about the end in mind and the site will be a lot easier to figure out.
I have been using LinkedIn for around a year. I have gotten a couple of clients from it. What I do is join groups and try to give good advice. I think if you try to help people out with information when I can and they will in return seek you out later for other ventures/advice. It is all about building relationships.
Eric,
Groups are a tremendous resource to help you finding clients! Glad that you found some clients there.
Andy
This is actually where I thrive! My LinkedIn Group (CWC) became so successful I was asked to join the LinkedIn Group design discussion forum that is responsible for the updated group format we’re used to now. Discussions in that group regularly had hundreds (yes, hundreds) of comments and there was virtually no spam.
The one tip I can recommend for anyone taking their brand and their group seriously is to moderate as if it were a job. I checked comments and discussions for spammy content every single day and removed it immediately without apology or warning. I didn’t need to warn members because the group rules stated very clearly what was expected. And yes, I made sure my group rules were seen before members even joined the group so there were no excuses. Therefore, it makes absolutely no sense to recommend a discussion for users to read to get to know how to behave or learn what’s expected within the group. Those that are there to spam are NOT going to stop and read the rules and those that intend to get or lend quality discussions to the group most likely don’t need them. Don’t bother cluttering the group with a lengthy discussion about rules. That doesn’t work. Period. It’s like telling a thief not to steal. A thief is a thief and they won’t care.
One tip that I suggested regarding the usage of Twitter for LinkedIn Group members is still in use by the Forbes Women LinkedIn Group today – because it works.
Lastly, for those who just love social media in general, a well-managed LinkedIn Group can end up offering opportunities unexpected. There are well-paying jobs now for community managers and being an example of it by having a group that works is a demonstration of such skills. I do that for my clients now as well!
For more information, visit http://www.nixonvs.com/linkedin-groups-101-design-before-sending-invitations/.
Patricia,
This is some great advice! I love the fact that you were able to run your group so smoothly and also the part you played in the new LinkedIn groups. That is awesome!
Andy