Are Any LinkedIn Groups Worth the Time and Bother for Financial Advisors

You know the logic behind LinkedIn.  You join.  You build a network.  You post.  This raises your visibility.  It has a drawback.  Your post is in a continuous feed your first level connections receive.  Maybe they see it, maybe they don’t.  You need a plan B,   You join a few groups.  Many are as silent as an empty warehouse.  You post.  No one reacts.  You figure joining and posting to groups is a waste of time.  What next?

I had the same experience.  I found the answer.

Start by doing an Internet search for largest or most active groups on LinkedIn.  Do this a few times.  Change your wording.  Here are a few of the ones I found that I also joined.  I’ve also included their own descriptive text.

  1. Marketing Communication.   854,460 members.  The description includes “messages and related media used to communicate with a market via advertising, social media, branding, direct marketing...”
  2. Media and Marketing Professionals Worldwide.  682,364 members.  “World’s #1 largest group of media and marketing professionals on LinkedIn...”
  3. SOLUTIONators for Marketing, Sales, Social Media, Digital Advertising, Promotion and PR Innovation.  637.391 members.  The title says it all.  The description includes many hashtags.
  4. Business Development.  The Missing link Between Marketing and Sales.  338,522 members.  “Continuously boosting communication, PR, sales and marketing...”
  5. Sales Management Executives.  325,129 members.  “The largest LinkedIn sales management group!”
  6. Sales Best Practices.  331,605 members. “sharing our experiences and solutions as it relates to selling, marketing and best practices.”

You will find lists of the most active groups includes ones focused on accountants, realtors or IT professionals.  This can be excellent if you have a connection to a niche and want to raise your visibility. 

Things You Will Discover

In my opinion, you need to join a group with the intention of becoming active.  Read other member’s posts.  Comment on them.  Reply to comments to your own posts.  Engage in back and forth dialog as people comment on comments.

LinkedIn can be full of surprises.

  1. You have friends.  Some of your 1st level connections might already belong.
  2. Vetting.  Some sites put your post into a “waiting room” to be approved before posting.
  3. Helpful people.  I’ve found people post “I have a marketing problem with...” People post answers and engage in dialogs.
  4. People will invite you to connect.  You will impress people.  They will reach out.  Likewise, you will come across influencers.  One of the reasons you give for connecting will be your shared membership in this active group.

You will raise your visibility.  Who knows where that might lead? Hopefully to more client relationships.

Related: What Putting the Client First in Practical Terms Means