Last week, I discussed the importance of joining LinkedIn. It really has proven its value and is a must for all professionals.

So far, what has benefited me the most are the Groups. There are thousands of groups on LinkedIn … anyone can start one.

You can join groups associated with your field, your interests, and your professional needs.

I use groups mainly in three ways:

1. To Connect with Potential Customers.

I join groups where potential clients hang out, which in my case are furniture and flooring dealers and local business groups. Then I follow discussions and contribute posts if I have something to say. Usually, my posts deal with helping businesses with their websites. I don’t try to sell. I just network and build relationships.

2. For Professional Support.

I join groups with other SEO copywriters / content developers. This is very helpful because when I have a professional problem I can post a question to the group. Because some of these groups are very large, the “crowd-sourcing” aspect means that I will get very good cutting-edge answers, which enables me to better serve my clients.

3. To Solve Unusual Problems Inexpensively.

Sometimes I join a group spur of the moment just to solve a particular problem. Here’s an example. For some clients I do web mastering, as well as develop the content for their pages. That means I develop the content and then upload it to their websites. I’m not super techy, so sometimes this is a challenge for me.

Last year I was working on a web site built on the tricky Joomla! platform. While working on the site, something went wrong with the navigation. I contacted the original web developer of the site to correct the problem. He couldn’t do it. He said, “Kathy, what did you do?” I replied, “Nothing, honest!” Still, he couldn’t fix the problem, and he’s pretty darn smart.

So I hopped on the Internet looking for a solution. I found a Joomla! support site where a fellow said he could help me for $85. Not much, really, for a problem that had been vexing me for a week. But I thought maybe I could find some free help on LinkedIn. I hopped on LinkedIn and joined a Joomla! group and posted my problem.

The next morning, I got up and there was a reply to my question from several people in my email inbox. Most of the answers looked complicated and I didn’t understand them. But one answer from a “Mohammed in Egypt” looked simple enough for me to follow. I did the steps as he instructed and within a minute my navigation problem was resolved.

How cool is that? I’m in California and in less than 24-hours a fellow from the other side of the world helped me for free.

I am sure there are even more ways to use Groups and other aspects of LinkedIn. When I learn them, I’ll be sure to share what I learn with you.

Easy Web Tip #119: Joining various Groups on LinkedIn can help you generate new ideas for your business and resolve problems with respect to day-to-day operations.