This LinkedIn tutorial will show you how to use the Groups and Answers features.

1. LinkedIn - How To Use LinkedIn Groups and Answers
LinkedIn – Groups and Answers
These two features in LinkedIn allow LinkedIn users to demonstrate their subject matter
expertise. In using these two aspects, you can expand the size of your network by
demonstrating your subject matter expertise. Typically when you are building your
network using Groups and Answers you are reaching people that you would otherwise
not have access to.
Groups
There are thousands of groups on LinkedIn that cover a broad range of topics ranging
from professional groups such as TREB, different school alumni groups and everything
in between. To leverage this feature you need to identify a group that you think would
have people in it that you could associate with, this is very similar to more traditional
offline networking. By associating with other members of the group you can engage them
in conversation and through that conversation demonstrate your expertise and value that
you bring to the group. If you engage in an interesting conversation with someone they
might want to add you to their network thus increasing your network.
Identify different topics that you can add value to, i.e. Toronto real estate, or one of your
hobbies such as gardening. It is better to find Toronto based group and be as
geographically focused as possible with groups in general so that the potential of getting
clients is higher.
1. Sign into your account by going to www.linkedin.com and sign in using the top
menu.
2. Once you are in your profile to go the top bar where it says “Home,” “Profile,”
etc., and click on the “Groups” tab. This will take you to your Groups menu page
(do not click on any of the options in the drop down menu, just on the title
“Groups”).
3. Go to the search engine at the top right. Type in Toronto Real Estate, for example.
4. The search results will bring up various groups related to Toronto real estate.
5. Click on the name of the group you are interested in.
6. Based on how the group is set up, you may have to request to join and wait for the
administrator of the group to accept your invitation. Other groups allow you to
join just by clicking the “Join Group” button.
7. Once you are in a group you can go to their main page where you are able to enter
into discussions and start engaging other group members and developing
relationships. The key here is adding value to the group. It is this value that will
allow you to demonstrate your expertise and increase the likelihood to convince
other people to link in with you with the long term goal of having that person as a
client or business prospect.

2. Entering a Conversation
8. If there is something interesting that is happening you can enter a conversation
topic in the space provided, some additional details (maybe your two cents on the
issue) and at the end of your comment it is always a good idea to end off with a
questions or comment that will engage other members.
9. Click on “Submit for Discussion.”
Adding News
This is recommended if you have a lot of content on your website to get that
content out into the general domain.
10. Adding newsfeeds is also a great way to engage group members.
11. If you do have relevant articles that you would like to share, or you stumble
across interesting articles, click on the “News” tab (beside the Overview and
Discussions tabs).
12. It will ask you for the URL. Enter the URL and click “Continue.”
13. This will post the URL out to the general group. This is a good trick if you have
good relevant information on your website. You can post this article in the News
section and start a discussion that references it in the group.
Answers
This is another much more overt way in which you can demonstrate your expertise.
People will post general questions to the LinkedIn community. And what you can do as a
member of the LinkedIn community is search for questions related to your expertise and
post an answer that demonstrates your knowledge.
1. Go to your profile.
2. Click on “More” and then on “Answers” from the drop down menu.
3. To find a question to answer, go to “Answer Now” button which can be found in
the orange box under the title Answer Question.
4. You can see what questions can be recently asked. However the likelihood that
the question you are interested in has been asked recently is slim so it is best that
you use the advanced search to look for your question.
5. Click on “Advanced Answers Search” near the top of the page.
6. Fill in the given fields with your search criteria.
7. Click “Search.”
8. Once the search results appear, click on the “Open Questions” tab at the top of the
page. If the question has already been closed there is no point in searching
through them since you will be unable to answer them.
9. Scan through the open questions. Find one that you think you can answer
appropriately and click on its hyperlink.
10. Read through the answers so you know what information has already been given
about the question. This will allow you to give a fresh perspective on the question.

3. 11. Click on the orange “Answer” button at the top of the page and enter in your
answer. If you have any links you would like to add as references you can enter
that as well in the “Web Resources” section.
12. When you are done scroll down and click the blue “Submit” button.
13. What you have done now is found a question that some individual has about real
estate, and you have answered it very well so that the individual might continue
engaging with you outside of the Answer section of LinkedIn possibly ending up
in a possible business opportunity.