Do LinkedIn Pods Work? (Or Are They Principally Embarrassing?)

This previous November, I made a decision to do an experiment. I needed to see if LinkedIn pods truly labored or in the event that they have been only a waste of time.

For these of you who don’t know what a LinkedIn pod is, it’s principally a gaggle of people that agree to love, remark and have interaction with one another’s posts. The speculation is that by doing this, your content material will probably be boosted by the LinkedIn algorithm. So, I made a decision to hitch just a few pods and try it out for myself.

I’m not essentially a longtime LinkedIn thought chief with hundreds of followers, however I submit about my writing work on a reasonably common foundation and have even gotten just a few purchasers by LinkedIn. So just a few extra followers and engagements with my posts positively wouldn’t damage.

Right here’s what I discovered from my expertise with LinkedIn pods.

• Amplify the attain of your content material
• Provide help to get extra engagement in your content material (likes, feedback, shares)
• Supply prolonged networking alternatives
• Interact workers to help your model

The speculation is that LinkedIn favors posts with extra engagement, so if you will get extra likes and feedback, your submit will carry out higher.

That is particularly necessary as a result of the LinkedIn algorithm divides content material on the platform into three sorts:

1. Spam: Posts with unhealthy grammar, too many hashtags, or accounts that submit too continuously could also be marked as spam.
2. Low-quality posts: Posts that don’t observe finest practices, or don’t get sufficient engagement, will probably be labeled “low-quality.”
3. Excessive-quality posts: Posts which are simple to learn, encourage questions, and incorporate robust key phrases will probably be labeled high-quality and, due to this fact, will probably be proven to extra customers on LinkedIn.

The query is: is engagement sufficient to make a submit “high-quality” within the eyes of the LinkedIn algorithm? I got down to put this concept to the take a look at.

Learn how to be part of a LinkedIn pod

There are a few other ways to hitch a LinkedIn engagement pod.

First, you can begin your individual pod by creating a gaggle message thread with LinkedIn customers you’d wish to pod with. We’ll name this a guide LinkedIn pod.

Second, you need to use LinkedIn-specific pods, the place you be part of LinkedIn teams targeted on creating pods. Search “LinkedIn pods” or “engagement pods” in your LinkedIn search bar and see which of them relate to your business.

There are additionally third-party apps like lempod particularly constructed for automating LinkedIn engagement pods.

Lastly, LinkedIn pod teams exist on different social media websites. There’s the LinkedIn Progress Hackers pod on Fb and varied different pods on platforms like Telegram.

Methodology

I experimented with all 4 forms of engagement pods to see which of them labored finest. I used a distinct LinkedIn submit for every methodology in order that I may precisely observe any variations in engagement throughout strategies.

Right here’s a breakdown of that course of.

Handbook pods: I used a weblog submit on scheduling Instagram reels.

Earlier than the experiment began, I had 12 likes, 487 impressions, 0 shares, and a pair of feedback.

LinkedIn-specific pods: For this methodology, I used a weblog submit I’d shared on recession advertising and marketing.

Earlier than the experiment began, I had 5 likes, 189 impressions, 1 share, and a pair of feedback.

Automated LinkedIn pods: I used a submit I wrote for Hootsuite on social media share of voice.

Earlier than the experiment began, I had 2 likes, 191 impressions, 0 shares, and 0 feedback.

Cross-platform LinkedIn pods:

I used to be not in a position to be part of any cross-platform pods, so no posts have been used right here.

Handbook LinkedIn pod methodology

I began off by making a guide LinkedIn pod of my very own. I selected a small group of my author buddies (as a result of they perceive the analysis course of) to pod up with. I despatched them a fast message outlining the technique and inspired them to work together with one another.

Fortunately, they’re all good sports activities, and I instantly began receiving a barrage of LinkedIn notifications displaying the help of my friends.

I additionally instantly seen some new (stranger) accounts creeping my LinkedIn profile.

And I even received this message from a random “LinkedIn” worker (fairly sure this was spam).

That every one occurred in simply a few hours!

LinkedIn-specific pod methodology

I additionally joined just a few LinkedIn group pods targeted on digital advertising and marketing and social media.

The variety of members actually assorted in these teams. One had over 1,000,000 members, on the others had just some dozen. I selected a combination of high-member pods in addition to just a few smaller ones. If vainness metrics have taught me something, it’s that simply because lots of people are in your circle, it doesn’t imply they’re truly paying consideration.

A few of the pods I discovered in my search have been described as inactive, so I stayed away from these.

Of all of the teams I joined, Sport of Content material was the one one which appeared to have common posts from different customers.

The principles of GoC have been fairly easy:

There is just one submit ever current within the group, and it’s made by an admin. They repopulate this submit each couple of days so it stays related. Group members can then touch upon the submit with their LinkedIn submit hyperlink and different members are supposed to have interaction with them.

As I went by the weekday submit feedback, I did see plenty of folks replying to feedback with phrases like, “Completed! Right here’s my hyperlink.”

Once I clicked by to their posts, I may see likes and feedback from those self same group members.

So, yeah, this was working. Not less than when it comes to garnering extra likes and feedback.

I went in and adopted go well with, participating with posted hyperlinks and commenting with my very own hyperlink after I used to be achieved.

And I slowly began to see engagement reciprocated by myself posts.

Automated LinkedIn pods with lempod methodology

I additionally put in the lempod extension on my Google Chrome browser. lempod presents a digital market stuffed with LinkedIn engagement pods you may be part of.

I joined just a few pods targeted on digital advertising and marketing and social media.

The primary one I used to be accepted to was referred to as “Content material + Social Media Advertising and marketing pod”. That appeared related.

I instantly posted the hyperlink to my submit. As soon as I shared the hyperlink, the display screen opened as much as an enormous graph, with an inventory of individuals “Members who will have interaction” and “Members who’ve already engaged.”

I cross-checked the “Members who’ve already engaged” tab with my precise submit.

And, yep. Certain sufficient, these customers have been now proven as new likes on my submit.

Inside just some minutes, my impressions had grown from 191 to 206. I additionally had six new feedback. I watched this quantity steadily climb over the subsequent hour.

Whereas I used to be seeing plenty of engagement, I wasn’t seeing any profile views, direct messages, or the rest which may point out these customers have been truly curious about my work.

To not point out, the engagement was coming in quick. Each 45 seconds there was one other notification! Perhaps LinkedIn would take into account my submit viral? Or, possibly it might get labeled as spam.

I let the automation run till I noticed that each member of the pod had engaged.

Two hours later, I had 54 likes, 261 impressions and 24 feedback!

Cross-platform LinkedIn pods

I did attempt becoming a member of the “LinkedIn Progress Hackers” group on Fb, however I used to be by no means permitted. It appears this group could also be inactive now. I didn’t discover another lively LinkedIn pods to hitch on different channels.

Outcomes

TL;DR: At first look, it could seem like the Automated LinkedIn pod was the simplest pod, however I truly suppose it was the Handbook pod for causes that I’ll clarify under. Both means, not one of the LinkedIn pods actually made an enormous distinction for me or helped develop my presence on the platform considerably.

Preserve studying for extra particulars and context on these outcomes.

Handbook pods

This appeared like essentially the most natural, most constant methodology. As a result of I used to be leveraging folks I already knew, the feedback have been genuine, related, and honest.

To not point out, these individuals are truly in my business–which means if my posts present up of their feeds to their connections, it’d assist me community additional.

Nothing about this methodology got here off as spammy, although I don’t know the way lifelike it’s to ask my buddies to do that each week.

Over the course of 1 week, my submit received:

• 13 likes
• 3 feedback
• 0 shares
• 507 impressions

LinkedIn-specific pods

Whereas this methodology introduced in essentially the most feedback, responses have been obscure and fewer related than these present in my guide pods. Plus, most of those folks labored exterior of my business. So, there possible isn’t a lot profit to my content material displaying up of their feeds or networks.

After the weeklong experiment, my submit received:

• 13 likes
• 364 impressions
• 2 shares
• 6 feedback

Automated LinkedIn pods

This methodology definitely introduced in essentially the most likes and feedback. However, I didn’t see any related profile visits, direct messages, or connection requests come by.

Additionally, whereas there have been quite a lot of new feedback, they have been all just about the identical:

• “Actually cool Hannah!”
• “Nice submit, Hannah!”
• “Thanks for sharing Hannah!”

To me, these obscure feedback sign that none of those customers truly learn my submit (which is sensible, contemplating their profiles are being automated).

I can solely think about that different customers may see this and suppose the identical factor. My spam alert is sounding.

After three hours, my submit received:

• 54 likes
• 24 feedback
• 261 impressions
• 0 shares

Cross-platform LinkedIn pods

I didn’t collect any additional engagement from this methodology.

What do the outcomes imply?

Listed here are the principle takeaways from my experiment.

Genuine pods have advantage

There may be definitely some engagement to be gained from utilizing LinkedIn pods. Pods which are made up of related, genuine connections inside your business can definitely assist to amplify your content material and get you extra views, likes, and feedback.

Spammy pods received’t get you far

However, in case you’re making an attempt to sport the system by becoming a member of pods which are full of pretend accounts or which are unrelated to your business, you’re not going to see a lot profit. So what in case you received 50, 100, or 200 likes? They don’t imply a lot in the event that they’re coming from accounts that may by no means do enterprise with you.

LinkedIn pods ARE embarrassing

I believe what struck me most about this experiment was the discomfort that got here with having so many unconnected strangers current on my posts. Certain, from a look it appears cool to have 50+ likes, but when anybody took a more in-depth look it might be fairly apparent the engagement was spam.

Simply as I wouldn’t recommend companies purchase their Instagram followers, I wouldn’t recommend they use engagement pods. Perhaps, in some instances, the place the pod members are hyper-relevant to your area of interest, it’s price it. But when it appears suspicious, chances are high your viewers will discover. And the very last thing you need is to lose their belief.

Concentrate on shut, related connections

In case you nonetheless wish to be part of a LinkedIn pod after studying this, one of the best ways to make use of them is to hitch ones which are related to your business and which are made up of connections you can authentically have interaction with. This manner, you’re getting focused engagement that may result in priceless relationships (and, hopefully, actual prospects).

Listed here are just a few ideas for locating the appropriate LinkedIn pods:

• Take a look at teams associated to your business or area of interest. Many of those can have pods related to them.
• Ask trusted connections in the event that they know of any good pods to hitch.
• Create your individual pod with a gaggle of like-minded people.
• Keep away from overly spammy pods which are solely targeted on selling content material and never participating in actual conversations.
• Most of all, concentrate on good, previous, natural LinkedIn advertising and marketing. Whereas “hacking the algorithm” by pods is interesting, nothing beats placing within the work, one submit at a time.

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