LinkedIn Groups: Are They Still Worth It in 2025?

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💬 79% of users prefer brands to take part in smaller, focused online groups like LinkedIn Groups.
📈 LinkedIn’s computer rules started favoring content from communities over normal company posts in late 2023.
🧠 Groups that are active and focus on a specific area help marketing plans more than groups for everyone.
🛠️ More and more professionals use LinkedIn Groups to test what they say, check if what they think is right, and quietly launch products.
🔍 A LinkedIn Group that is looked after well can lower the money spent on paid social media by getting more people to see posts without paying and getting more people to talk.

What Are LinkedIn Groups?

LinkedIn Groups are specific community spots on the platform. Professionals use them to share things, talk about stuff, and connect with others in a specific area based on what they like, their industry, or their job. They were made for more focused talks compared to the regular LinkedIn feed.

There are currently three types of Groups:

Public Groups: These are open to everyone. Posts within them can be seen by anyone, but only members can write comments or posts. They are good for being seen but might need more looking after.
Private (Listed) Groups: These show up in searches, but you have to ask to join. You can only see the content if you are a member, which makes it a closer, more trusted place.
Private (Unlisted) Groups: You can only join these by being invited, and they don’t show up in searches or on members’ public profiles. They are best for company teams, important people, or groups testing new things.

Each group type works differently for a LinkedIn marketing plan. Picking the right one is key, depending on how much control you want, how many people you want to reach, and how close you want the group to feel.

Are LinkedIn Groups Still Worth It in 2025?

For years, LinkedIn Groups almost became useless. From 2016 to 2021, the feature didn't have much activity and was full of spam. But since late 2022, LinkedIn has turned this around by updating how it looks, its computer rules, and what it values in communities to put meaningful talks first.

LinkedIn Groups became popular again, especially as people started liking different kinds of content. According to Sprout Social’s 2024 report, smaller communities based on interests are among the top three ways users want to talk with brands.

Some things that made LinkedIn Groups more important again in 2025 are:

More focus on community-led growth (CLG) in B2B marketing
Getting less back from cold messages, and people like warm connections more
People trust regular posts more than ads
LinkedIn suggests Groups based on what users do

If you want to connect with lots of people without just spending more on ads, LinkedIn Groups are a good way to do it without spending a lot.

Why LinkedIn Groups Still Matter for Brands

When used in a smart way, LinkedIn Groups can help with every step of how you share content and connect with people—from getting known to making sales. Here's how.

Build Trust with Your Audience

In the way people interact today, they want things that feel personal and like a real back-and-forth. Selling straight up doesn’t build loyalty. But showing up and giving value all the time does. In LinkedIn Groups, your team can talk casually, share helpful ideas, and join in talks that make your brand feel more like people. This builds trust by talking with people, not just cutting in.

Example: Someone who sells cybersecurity software sharing tips on how to avoid fake emails in a group for IT managers. It’s useful, fits the topic, and isn’t trying to sell something.

Make Your Brand Look Like an Expert

LinkedIn Groups let brands really get into talking about their industry. Sharing good ideas often, finding and sharing specific content, and explaining hard ideas can make your team or brand look like experts.

Go beyond simple tips. Share longer reports, give your thoughts on news that just broke, or host quick question-and-answer times. By doing this, people will come to you when group members have problems related to what you offer.

Reach People Likely to Buy Without Paying

If you want to reach HR leaders, CFOs, plant managers, or nonprofit directors, there's probably a LinkedIn Group where those types of people already get together. Joining these groups and talking lets you listen before you try to sell. And when the time is right, what you've shared has made people trust you.

People seeing your posts in a trusted community without you paying is always better than cold messages. A helpful comment placed well in a relevant talk can get more people to look at your profile or page than a post seen by strangers in the main feed.

Test Ideas and Get Real Feedback

LinkedIn Groups are like quick ways to check with your audience. Thinking about putting out a new feature? Ask members if it's useful. Want to change what you say? See what words group members use on their own. Ideas from LinkedIn communities can help you make your brand sound better, improve what you offer, and how you present yourself without spending much time or money.

And because groups are places people choose to join, what they tell you tends to be good and based on how they really use things.

Stay on Top of What's Happening

Trends often show up in specific groups before everyone starts talking about them. When a new tool, worry, or change starts going around in your industry’s groups, that's your sign to do something—maybe change what you plan to build, make content that fits the moment, or join the talk.

Talks in groups help you spot trends early. This is much harder to do just by watching the main feed.

How to Find the Right Groups to Join

How well your LinkedIn community plan works depends on picking the right places to show up. Quality is better than just having many.

1. Use Search the Smart Way

Type important words into LinkedIn’s search bar, then go to the "Groups" tab. Be specific—looking for "healthcare content marketers" will give you better results focused on who you want than just "health marketing."

Sort by how many members there are, but don’t just pick the biggest group. Check how active people are, not just how many members it has.

2. Trust LinkedIn’s Suggestions

LinkedIn uses what you do to suggest Groups based on your industry, posts, and who you're connected to. Go to “Groups” using the grid icon and look at the “Recommended for You” area.

You’ll often find specific communities that are very close to the people you want to reach—even if they don’t have many members.

Check Each Group Carefully

Before joining, check each group you might join:

How Active It Is: See how often people post—every day or week is best.
How People Talk: Do people comment, react, and keep talking?
What People Post: Is it full of spam links or helpful ideas?
How Admins Act: Are the group leaders posting, keeping things in order, and talking with people?

Only join LinkedIn Groups where you can really help and get useful information—don't just join for others to see you.

How to Join and Contribute the Smart Way

Once you choose the right group, go in with a plan:

Follow the rules: Every group has rules. Read and follow them.
Talk like them: Talk like the group members do.
Share helpful things when you can: Don’t wait for the perfect talk. Ask good questions, point out good ideas from others, or post your own content if it fits what the group is about.
Keep doing it: One great comment doesn’t build your name. But sharing things every week will.

Don’t link to things that make people sign up unless someone asks you to. Try to get people to talk, not just send them away.

Should You Create a LinkedIn Group?

Yes—if you focus on a specific area or already have a group of people who want a closer connection and shared learning.

Start your own LinkedIn Group when:

You have a focused audience who aren't finding what they need in other groups.
You want people talking over a long time, more than just likes and shares.
You're ready to help people talk regularly, keep things in order, and give them helpful stuff.

Good LinkedIn communities are like good real-life groups. They need a clear purpose, someone to lead, and doing things regularly.

How to Create a LinkedIn Group That Works

Step 1: Make the Group’s Purpose Clear

Why does this group need to be here? Make one simple sentence your team can work with. Example: “Helping HR leaders figure out how to use AI in their jobs.” A clear purpose keeps the group focused—and gets the right people to join.

Step 2: Set It Up Well

Do these steps on LinkedIn’s “Create Group” page:

Pick a name with words people search for
Write a good group description
Put up a cover image that shows your brand but looks clean
Set who can see the group (private is often better unless you want everyone to see your brand)
Add clear rules for joining in (like no sales pitches, write helpful comments)

Step 3: Give New Members a Warm Welcome

Using tools helps, but making it personal works best. Put up a welcome post or send a message explaining what the group is for, how often you’ll post, and what kind of posts are welcome. Ask new members to say hi with a quick question.

Step 4: Start Putting Content Out

Make a posting plan—like a question on Mondays, a post with an idea on Wednesdays, a poll on Fridays. Ask important team members and partners to answer right away and often to get things going.

Step 5: Tell People About Your Group

Add invites and mentions to:

Employee email signatures
Newsletters
Buttons on blogs (CTAs)
Online talks and podcasts

Pin the group on your company page so more people see it.

How to Best Grow and Get People Talking in Your LinkedIn Group

Schedule posts regularly—Use themes like Tip Tuesday, Ask Me Anything Thursday, or Trend Friday.
Choose people to help run the group from your most involved members to help manage the community as it grows.
Thank people for talking with shoutouts, LinkedIn endorsements, or even gifts.
You can approve posts if you need to, but make sure you don’t stop people from posting freely.
Use hashtags, emojis, and mentions to help people talk more without it being too obvious—LinkedIn’s feed likes this now too.

Use Groups to Help Your Content Marketing Plan

Communities are great places for content ideas. Use groups to:

Find common questions to answer on your blog
Check if product names or online talk ideas work
Collect good feedback or what users say to show others your stuff is good
Find new words people use in the group for search terms
Spot questions asked again and again in different groups to help with SEO

Turn talks into facts—even without using special tools.

LinkedIn Groups + Tools = Marketing to Communities on a Bigger Scale

If you already use tools like Buffer or Hootsuite to manage your social media, carefully add LinkedIn Groups to the tools you use to post, but do it in a way that works.

Copy parts of real group talks into LinkedIn posts. Use talks as ideas for your next longer report. Make content about the real problems people talk about often.

This is how to make memorable content that connects with people—because it’s from what your audience actually talks about.

Things to Watch Out For

Spamming or just watching—you must really join in.
Making groups for everyone—focus! "Growth Marketing for Non-Tech B2B Startups" is better than "Marketing Pros."
Letting less experienced staff run the group without watching them—community leading needs senior people.
Deleting criticism—use it to learn something.
Letting your group stop growing—no posts means no growth.

Examples: LinkedIn Groups That Work

Content Marketing Institute

With over 150,000 members, this group stays clean, professional, and useful because someone keeps things in order and the content is good. Members regularly share ideas without trying to sell things.

Search Engine Land

Their community focuses on search engine marketers. It offers questions and answers between members, thoughts on industry news, and talks started by questions like #TipOfTheWeek and #QuestionForTheGroup.

Women in Photography

It’s more than just about cameras—it’s a place for support, who they are, and sharing stories. This is a great example of putting the audience first in content, tone, and leading the group with understanding.

LinkedIn Groups in 2025: Still Worth It?

Absolutely—if done the right way and with the right thinking.

LinkedIn Groups are not about quick sales. They’re about making your brand stay important over time, getting people in the community to talk, and getting ideas for marketing. If you're a big company brand or a small consulting firm, they offer a unique way to connect with the people most likely to buy.

See them not like a speaker you shout into, but like a room where people talk. If you do this, you'll stand out in ways your competitors can't copy just with ads.

Talk well, listen well, give a lot of help—and Groups might just be your best LinkedIn marketing tool in 2025.

CitationSprout Social. (2024). 2024 Social Content Strategy Report. Retrieved from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/data/2024-social-content-strategy-report/