Use LinkedIN Groups As Your Company’s Email Newsletter (How To)

Does your company have an email newsletter? If not (and even if you do) consider the group announcement feature of LinkedIN. Did you know that once per week an administrator of a LinkedIn group can send a broadcast email to the entire group? The member can opt-out from such announcements however most don’t – which makes this group announcement feature a great reason to create and grow a group based upon your technical specialty.

At Sage Summit 2011 I’ll be presenting with Bill Kizer and Peter Wolf on the Seven Mistakes Everyone Makes with LinkedIn ( Tuesday July 12, 2011 3:30 to 4:45)  . I’ll also talk extensively about features such as this group announcement which you can use to promote your company’s services.

Here’s a copy of a group broadcast email I received today. Notice the email  links are both to Linkedin group content – AND to content that leads to what I presume is the group manager’s own web site.

So long as you are a group manager you simply click on your LinkedIN group’s “Manage” link and then setup a group announcement as follows:

Remember that in order to send announcements you must be a LinkedIn Group administrator. Email broadcasts will also work best when they do NOT sell but provide quality technical information of interest to those who are members of your group.

A group announcement may be sent only once per week and it will only go to those members who have not opted out (see image below) on the settings page for your group.