Last time I looked, LinkedIn had 1,583,987 groups. I belong to 22 of them.
Each one offers a different benefit. The one that I am turning to the most these days is the WWI Historians’ group. Honestly, if I weren’t writing a book about a service dog who served in WWI, I don’t think I would have joined this group.
I found an incredible subject to profile, and my knowledge of WWI was quite limited. Doing the research for my book was a bit overwhelming. I work as a freelance journalist. My mode of researching a story is to interview people. Unfortunately, no one is alive from WWI, and the key players in my book had no heirs. Turning to WWI Historians on LinkedIn was the perfect resource.
Finding Experts
In this group, I learned about life on the front lines, military food, disease, and the Armistice. What an education! Many of the discussions were online in the WWI Historians group; other discussions were private emails, and even a phone call or two. The members were incredibly generous with their information. I believe I have a better book thanks to that group.
A Group for Every Subject
Most of the Linkedin groups I belong to are animal- and pet-related. I blog about pets and wildlife, and occasionally write about animals for publications like parade.com, Family Circle, DIY Network, and the NY Daily News. Reading through the discussions on several LinkedIn groups that I belong to, I occasionally find sources and story ideas.
One of my favorite animal groups is Animal Law Coalition. It is run by an animal rights lawyer. Here, I learn about key areas of legislation affecting animals. Another group I enjoy visiting is Insects and Entomology. Most of my blog focuses on cats and dogs, but occasionally I write about insects. They are animals too, and the conversations here are quite interesting.
Growing Blog Traffic
About a year ago, I started my own group. It’s called Pet News and Views, which is the name of my blog. Currently, there are 1500 members; many subscribe to my blog.
Over the years that I have been a LinkedIn member, I have joined and left groups. I find some are more helpful than others. Sometimes I lurk, read, and learn. Other times, I comment if I think I can provide a helpful response.
I have found that the best way to make a LinkedIn group a beneficial experience is to ask and answer questions as thoughtfully as possible. People on the site know who is there to help and who is there to promote.