Dear Danny,
I would like to promote my business on LinkedIn. I am a member of a number of LinkedIn groups that include people I would like to do business with. Is it ok to promote my services on LinkedIn group discussions?
Best regards,
Brian.
Dear Brian,
The short answer is yes and no. It all depends on the LinkedIn group you’re posting to. Some are relatively small and intimate, and their purpose is to help members promote their business. In such a group, members may actually invite you to post information about your products and services. On the other hand, a large group with hundreds or thousands of members is a different story. These will typically have dozens of discussions taking place at any one time and it is doubtful whether a plug for your services will even get noticed. Large groups also tend to get plagued by spammers who are all trying to plug their products so you will end up looking like just like them.
At the end of the day, a little common sense is required. My advice is to limit promoting your business to the smaller more intimate groups (especially if the other members know you). Also, check whether the relevant group has a policy on what can and can’t be posted. If in doubt, ask the group administrator. Some groups will have a specific promotions section intended for members to sell their business (but this again can be prone to spammers).
Best regards,
Danny Bermant
Do you have a question about social media? Please tweet me at @brainstormdsgn. You can also email me at info@brainstormdesignltd.com.
