Four Group Conversation Starters to Bring Your Community Together

The social isolation and professional uncertainty of today has made connecting with our communities more important than ever. Did you know that you have a 4x higher likelihood of landing your next opportunity when you keep in touch with your network? 

Sharing interesting content from your LinkedIn feed such as news, trends, opportunities, advice and career movements are great reasons to reach out and reconnect with connections you grew closer with at the last conference, alumni from your class, or former coworkers you fell out of touch with. 

Starting a group conversation can feel intimidating, but when you share common interests, experiences or helpful tips, the conversation flows easily. Here are 4 reasons to kick off a group conversation:  

1. Offer an introduction or ask for one if there is a great fit 

If you notice someone in your network posted about an opening at their company, lend a helping  hand to connect the dots by making an introduction to someone who could be the right fit. You can introduce the two connections through a group conversation. Who knows, by connecting your community your mutual connection can get valuable advice or better yet, a referral, only strengthening your relationships in the long run. 

2. Talk shop with people in the same industry

You have probably connected with folks in the same industry through companies you’ve worked at, schools, or industry conferences you’ve gone to over the years. Creating a group conversation can help you stay in touch while sharing insights, tips, and best practices with others in the same industry. You can also ask questions like which software tool for project management is the most ideal, or pick someone’s brain if they have had experience solving a specific industry challenge and can share thoughts with the larger group. 

Need help to figure out who might want to join your group chat? Start a conversation with people in your network, who can be alumni, past coworkers, or social acquaintances. 

3. Bring together a passionate community of enthusiasts  

LinkedIn is a unique place where even social acquaintances, like your latest book club or softball league, can help diversify your network and add new perspectives. They are just one of the five types of connections you should have in your network. Share posts from people you are following, like authors, industry professionals and thought leaders, and allow members to react to messages to engage even more in the conversation. Who knows, the next book to read for your book club could be chosen through a conversation you have on LinkedIn. And, you can invite even more people to join the conversation by sharing an invitation link.  

Here’s how to reshare posts into a group conversation:

• Press “Send” on the post of interest. Need inspiration? Checkout the LinkedIn News articles from your feed
• Add a few people to get the conversation going. Type multiple names or add people using the “+” sign to select from the drop down menu
• Start discussing!

4. Rally behind a cause!

Need to get a group inspired behind a cause or a campaign? Start a group chat of folks you’ve met at an event, school alumni, or previous coworkers to make something happen. A simple group chat could end up saving a small business or inspiring others to campaign for something they believe in. As the conversation progresses, you, and the conversation participants, can always add more people as the ideas grow. 

How to add more people: 

If you’ve already started the conversation, type “@” and continue adding people directly in the conversation who will be able to see conversation history, so they can jump into the latest plans.

These are just a few ways conversations can start with groups of people in your network. Bring your community together with group chats, because behind every opportunity is a conversation.