On October 14, 2015 LinkedIn changed the functionality of groups on their platform. I’d like to outline a few of the changes I think are important for everyone to understand, and help you find the viable print groups that are still there, even though LinkedIn isn’t showing them to you.
Groups on LinkedIn now fall under two categories: Standard and Unlisted.
A standard group is searchable on the platform, LinkedIn will recommend it based on your profile data, and they are open to new members. This is pretty much unchanged from the user perspective, which is why calling them “standard” isn’t an accident. HOWEVER… The most significant change is the shift of managerial power from group owners and managers, to group members in standard groups. Standard group members can now independently invite and approve membership for first-degree connections without the owner or manager/s involvement. This has opened standard groups, especially the largest ones, to an army of spammers who can now invite and approve anyone to join them without any interference. Pornography and male-enhancement are now the fastest growing segments on the platform.
An unlisted group was formally called a private group. The new iteration comes with some harsh conditions for not being standard. The most significant is that LinkedIn is hiding these groups from searches, from company pages, and from profiles so your connections cannot see them. The only way to find them, is to know they exist. LinkedIn does not want groups to be unlisted, but owners who choose to make theirs standard are risking the communities they have been built, one relevant member at a time.
But wait, there’s more…
Regardless of whether the groups you belong to are standard or unlisted, LinkedIn made additional changes including the removal of the promotions tab, and redesign of the user interface and experience to function more like Facebook. They also implemented an algorithm that decides whether or not the posts and information being shared is spam. If it decides its spam, posts go into purgatory until the group manager decides to keep it, or delete it. This is important to know because pretty much everything with a link is questionable to the algorithm. If you have an event, webinar or something important to share, I’d suggest you contact the group manager for the best way to ensure you information gets out there.
Where are the print groups?
Any group you are a member of will still show up in a search whether they are standard or unlisted. However, if you are not a member of my group Print Production Professionals for example, you will not be able to find it because it’s currently unlisted… and porn/spam free.
To counteract some of the LinkedIn injustice towards groups that were actually managed without the help of members and rouge equations, and to help us all find the relevant print and print related groups, I am starting a list here that I will move to an appropriate place where all can find it.
PLEASE add the groups you belong to, that aren’t accounted for, in the comments below WITH the direct link so people can get to them, and request to join. I’d encourage you to share this post so everyone can get the information LinkedIn doesn’t want us to have. I’m starting this list with my groups, then moving to some of the great ones I belong to…
Print Production Professionals: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/107023 – #1 Print Group on LinkedIn
Marketing and Advertising Print Production Managers and Print Buying Pros: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3761940 BUYERS ONLY! No PRINTERS or SERVICE PROVIDERS of any kind will be approved for membership.
Print Professionals – UK: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2978308
Print Professionals – Nederland en België: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3016807
Print Production Professionals – Paper: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3016967
Print Industry IT Professionals: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4433794
High Volume Print Production: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4514750
In-Plant Print Professionals: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/4547760
Digital Advertising & Digital Media Professionals:
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1054907
These are some of the groups I belong to, that are currently unlisted. Only the group manager/s can approve your request to join.
Two Sides North America: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3948123
Girls Who Print: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1969742
Market Your Printing Company: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2946757
Print Industry Networking Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/99551
Print Strategist: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2680722
PLEASE share yours! Network Long And Prosper!
6 Responses
I thought the changes were bad, but you’ve helped me realize they’re horrible.
Here are some other print-oriented groups I follow:
* In my industry (magazine publishing),https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=1870418 seems to be the largest group specifically for print geeks. It has the potential to be a good information exchange, but these days it’s mostly just BoSacks and I posting.
* https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=65543 andhttps://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=83339 are good for folks interested in direct mail and other places where marketing, print, and mailing intersect.
* https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=75802 seems to be where the prepress and print techies hang out.
* https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=4634753, run by Printing Impressions magazine, is the best LinkedIn group focused on printing news and trends.https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=896677 is a larger group run by another reputable printing-news publishers, but it’s not as active.
Folks might want to know that https://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1969742 allows guys to participate, as long as you remember to put the seat down when you’re done. It seems to be a younger and more social-media-savvy crowd than the typical print group. And definitely not a Good Old Boy Network.
Thank you for posting on this topic. The changes have been very frustrating. It is difficult enough managing groups when you can control who joins.
I manage several private groups for niche markets within print (and overall business communications)
1. Transpromo Professionals Network for those interested in statements and bills as a messaging platform https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=1179937
2. Financial Communications Forum – focused on regulated communications in the banking, insurance, investments and retirement industries https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=96400
3. Healthcare Communications Forum – for those interested in information on regulated communications in health insurance and healthcare provider markets https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=4227415
4. Shareholder Communications Symposium -for those interested in financial print and other investor communications related topics https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=1820442
“Mr. Tree” has already listed several of the other print related groups that I follow. I will list others in a separate comment when I get a moment.
I wonder if LinkedIn is going to lift the prohibition on joining more than 50 groups now that they are pushing the groups they want you to join. Or maybe you can join more than 50 “standard” groups but not private ones 🙁
Elizabeth Gooding The bigger question is what groups are still viable and valuable?
Thanks for the offer Deborah to list a group. As a group manager I saw us being cut off from new members in the Web-To-Print group. After corresponding with close to 4,500 members and keeping the spam out, it looks like LinkedIn found a way to state: be spammed or be forgotten.
Our group since 2008 shares about online print ordering and collaboration technologies, and is closed to avoid end customers or recruiters or spammers overtaking the conversations.
The Web-to-Print group is at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/WebtoPrint-88940/about and if you are a printer, sign maker, designer, brand manager, copy shop … this group is for you.
Slava Apel Thanks for sharing Slava!
Thanks for posting, Deborah. This is a really great synopsis of the unfortunate shift occurring on this platform. I’m sure it’s an eye-opener for many who were unaware that this had even happened. There are some fabulous groups out there (both “standard” and “unlisted”). What I’ve found over the years is that some groups got off to a great start, but have since waned. Perhaps the admin changed roles, or simply became too busy to properly manage. Although I loathe the fact that LinkedIn is basically forcing us to endure porn/spam, I do see this as an opportunity for everyone to take stock of their groups (whether they’re admins or members) and evaluate the value they’re getting from being a member. I myself plan to do just that!