Why Credit Unions Should Use LinkedIn Groups

So you have your very own LinkedIn profile and you are connecting to people! Bravo! What now? How can you further utilize this free tool to connect to businesses and professionals?

LinkedIn groups are a great way to connect to your community and other credit unions. Why should you be active in a group? (hopefully you would be in more than just one!) Several reasons:

• Staying active this way online gives you a chance to live out your cooperative principle of “cooperating cooperatives.” When you join a group (especially a group such as “credit union professionals” or “credit union hub” on LinkedIn), you have the opportunity to start and share in discussions with you credit union colleagues and with the community. (it all depends on what group you are in!)

• You never know what you can gain. Groups give you the ability to give and to receive. I recommend you do both.  Not only is there a possibility of gaining knowledge from other credit union professionals but you have the chance to give something back to when you add to the discussion.

• Stay informed. Keep up to date with what is going on in the credit union space. Do you have the opportunity to do this through CUNA newsletters and Credit Union Times? Sure! But the thing about social media is you get your information immediately. You don’t have to wait for next month’s (or next week’s) issue to come out to find the latest.

• Catch trends as they are happening, not after. If social media does anything, it is catching trends before they are happening and as they are happening. When you are participating actively in a group for your community, you can see where the pain points are and where your credit union can step in and help. You can help your credit union stay connected to community concerns and know which products and services to advertise.

So go ahead, search out some credit union groups and some community groups. Get active, get involved and connect!