In my last post I discussed how to setup your own custom LinkedIn Group in order to market your business effectively. Hopefully by now you have used the step-by-step instructions to get your very own LinkedIn Group off the ground.

But now what?

You’ve probably started some discussions, sent out a few invitations…but isn’t there more to it?

There sure is!

Here are the top 5 things you need to know to effectively manage your LinkedIn Group to foster growth and engagement:

1. Check in Daily. Log into your group once a day and click on the Manage tab. Take a look at the Submission Queue, Moderation Queue and Requests to Join. If you have your Group settings configured in such a way that you have to approve all new members, comments, discussions, promotions, etc (which I highly recommend) it is important to check in consistently in order to keep the conversation going and your audience interested.

2. Use Your Templates. In the Manage section, look on the left hand side and click on the Templates link. This page will help you create, manage and automatically send custom messages to people interested in your group when they ask to join and once they are approved! Make sure to add your other social media links, weblinks and maybe even a special offer to your templates to increase your visibility.

3. Set the Rules. In the Manage page, you will also see the Group Rules link. It is important to set the rules of your group in order to best suit your market. For example, if you do not want people hocking their wares or posting job vacancies all the time – set this in stone by stating this in your Group Rules.

4. Send Announcements! One of the most under utilized tools in LinkedIn Groups is Announcements. As a Group Manager will have the ability to send announcements once a week (or every 7 days). Make sure that they are group related: either a promotion, discussion or an update that you feel is important. Remember, if you abuse this people will leave the group just as they would opt-out of an email blast that turns spammy.

5. Keep Track of Your Statistics. Conveniently hidden and hard to find, the LinkedIn Group statistics page is very helpful in terms of you getting more familiar with the demographics of your custom Group. When in your Group, click on the “More…” tab and select “Group Statistics” from the drop-down menu. You will see helpful items such as Summary, Demographics, Growth and Activity. By monitoring these trends you can see how you can improve your group, enhance engagement and attract better quality members.

Now your homework is to login to LinkedIn and explore these items in your LinkedIn Group today. Write some templates, send an announcement and check out your statistics. These 5 items will help you get that extra benefit from LinkedIn Groups that many don’t take advantage of. Let me know how you get on!