LinkedIn groups are a great way to connect with other professionals in your industry or with similar interests. One useful feature of LinkedIn groups is the ability to create subgroups within a larger group. Subgroups allow you to break down a large group into smaller, more focused discussions. But can you actually create subgroups within a LinkedIn group you manage or are a member of? Let’s take a look at how LinkedIn subgroups work.
What are LinkedIn Subgroups?
LinkedIn subgroups are smaller groups within a larger parent group. They are designed to provide more focused discussions on specific topics relevant to the overall group’s broader industry or interests.
For example, a larger group for social media marketers might have subgroups for Facebook marketing, Instagram marketing, Twitter marketing, etc. Or an HR professionals group could have subgroups for recruitment, employee relations, compensation & benefits, and so on.
The subgroups allow members to more easily connect and discuss with others interested in their particular niche within the broader group topic. Subgroups are managed separately from the parent group but subgroup members must also be members of the parent group.
Who Can Create Subgroups?
Only group managers and moderators can create subgroups within a LinkedIn group. Regular group members cannot create subgroups.
As a group manager or moderator, you can create up to 100 subgroups within your parent group.
To create a subgroup as a group manager/moderator, simply go to your group’s homepage and click on the Manage tab. Then select the Subgroups option and click the Create subgroup button.
You’ll be prompted to name your subgroup, write a description, and set membership permissions (public or private). Once created, you can manage the subgroup independently with its own members, posts, and discussions.
Joining and Participating in Subgroups
For members to join a subgroup, they must first be a member of the parent group. Then they can browse subgroups within the group and click the Join button on any public subgroups they wish to join.
For private subgroups, members will need to request to join and be approved by the subgroup managers, similar to the process for joining private groups.
Once in a subgroup, members can participate just as they would in the larger parent group – posting discussions, commenting, sharing resources, networking with other subgroup members, etc. The focused nature of subgroups allows for more targeted professional interactions.
Benefits of LinkedIn Subgroups
Here are some of the benefits that subgroups can provide:
- More focused, niche discussions
- Connect with others who share your specific interests/role
- Manage discussions and members more effectively
- Further segment your audience
- Provide more value and engagement for group members
Best Practices for Managing Subgroups
To get the most out of your group’s subgroups, keep these tips in mind:
- Create subgroups centered around popular topics/interests within your group
- Promote your new subgroups in the main group when launched
- Appoint engaged subgroup moderators to help manage discussions
- Cross-promote content between subgroups and the main group
- Monitor member engagement and prune inactive subgroups as needed
LinkedIn Group Subgroup Example
Here is an example to illustrate how subgroups can be effectively used within a LinkedIn parent group:
Parent Group: Social Media Marketers
This group is for social media marketing professionals to share best practices and network. There are 75,000 members.
Potential Subgroups:
Facebook Marketing | Focused discussions about Facebook marketing tactics, trends, advertising, etc. |
Instagram Marketing | Discussing Instagram marketing best practices, influencer collaborations, Instagram Stories ads, etc. |
LinkedIn Marketing | How to optimize LinkedIn company pages, grow your professional network, use LinkedIn ads, etc. |
Twitter Marketing | Discussing the latest Twitter marketing opportunities, trends, and best practices. |
In this example, the subgroups allow members to connect with others specifically interested in marketing on each platform, while still being part of the main overarching group.
Conclusion
In summary, LinkedIn group admins and moderators can create subgroups to segment their group into more focused discussion areas. Subgroups provide a way to better organize topics and members within a large parent group. While regular group members cannot create subgroups, they can browse and join any public subgroups to connect with others in their particular niche. Subgroups are a useful feature to boost engagement within large LinkedIn groups.