According to Teddy Burris, a LinkedIn professional coach and trainer, there are more than 2 million LinkedIn groups.
However, according to Burris, “Most of them are dying or totally dormant.”
A LinkedIn group is for people in the same industry or with similar interests to share content, ask questions, get ideas, and solve common problems.
In the professional cleaning industry, what has become one of the most active LinkedIn groups is the Janitorial Management Group, started by Ron Segura, a leading cleaning consultant for both cleaning contractors as well as universities and corporations.
“We have more than 12,000 active members,” says Segura. “We passed the 12,000 mark a couple of months ago.”
Because so many LinkedIn groups end up “dying” or becoming “totally dormant,” Segura lists a few of his secrets on building and managing his group. Among them are the following:
Think long-term. “I knew [the group] would not happen overnight,” says Segura. “To get things going, I just kept asking [the members] questions, sharing thoughts and ideas.”
Impose simple rules: Some groups have several rules. Segura’s group asks only that no promotional materials be posted in the group.
Have a group focus: The goal of Segura’s group is to only discuss janitorial-related issues, from management and hiring to cleaning and customer relations.
Keep moderating: “It’s important to stay connected to the group, keep posting, and watch what is being discussed. Stay flexible but make sure the discussions do not go off track.”
Related to this, because companies now use LinkedIn to find out about vendors such as cleaning contractors, “they may check out the groups you’re in as well,” say Segura, “and if your prospect likes what you write and how you interact with the group, it can even become a marketing tool for you.”
