A step-by-step guide to the influencer vetting process

The days of picking influencers based on follower count are long gone. Today’s most effective marketers are vetting like talent scouts—evaluating not just reach, but values, topical alignment, engagement, content style and long-term brand alignment.

A documented influencer vetting process can give your influencer marketing program the structure it needs to scale sustainably while minimizing risk.

In this article, we’ll walk through a step-by-step framework you can adapt for your team, complete with criteria to evaluate fit, tools to streamline the process and red flags to watch for. Because finding the right influencer shouldn’t feel like guesswork.

What is an influencer vetting process?

An influencer vetting process is a standardized set of criteria and steps used to evaluate whether a potential influencer partner is a good fit for your brand. It typically includes assessing factors like topical alignment, engagement quality, past brand partnerships and potential brand safety risks.

For teams running multiple influencer campaigns—or scaling a program across regions, products or business units—a documented vetting process ensures consistency, reduces the risk of brand misalignment and helps marketers make faster, more confident decisions.

In other words, it’s not just about finding someone with the right reach—it’s about building a repeatable way to find the right partners, every time.

Why brands need influencer vetting tools

Sprout Social’s Q1 2025 Pulse Survey found that more than a third (36%) of brands are managing partnerships with six to ten influencers at once. At that scale, relying on gut instinct or manual research alone isn’t just inefficient—it opens the door to brand safety risks and underwhelming campaign performance.

That’s where influencer vetting tools come in. They help teams move faster and smarter by introducing consistency, surfacing the right data and protecting the brand from costly missteps. Here’s how.

They promote brand safety

Every influencer you partner with becomes an extension of your brand—and without an influencer vetting process in place, it’s all too easy to miss signs of misalignment. From controversial posts buried deep in an account’s history to inauthentic engagement fueled by bots, even a single oversight can put your brand’s reputation at risk.

The right influencer vetting tools are equipped with brand safety features that streamline these checks by surfacing red flags early. They help ensure your brand is aligned with creators who not only meet your content standards, but also share your values.

Bonus Resource: Our comprehensive brand safety checklist will give you the key steps and best practices needed to assess and strengthen your brand’s protection across all social media efforts.

Get the checklist

They support data-driven decision making

Not all great creators or influencers are a great fit for your brand. Vetting tools help marketers make smarter, more objective decisions by surfacing data that isn’t always visible on the surface of a profile.

From topical alignment and engagement quality to historical brand collaborations, these tools give you a deeper understanding of who you’re partnering with—and who they’re influencing.

With this kind of insight, your team can confidently prioritize outreach, avoid missteps and build a creator bench that’s rooted in strategy over aesthetics or gut instinct.

They maximize campaign performance

The more aligned your influencer is with your brand, the more likely your campaign is to perform—and vetting tools help make that alignment possible from the start.

By identifying creators who already speak your audience’s language, reflect your brand values and produce content that feels natural to your vertical, you’re setting your campaign up for stronger ROI.

In fact, 83% of marketers say that, on average, sponsored influencer content outperforms organic brand content when it comes to conversion. That kind of impact is only possible when you start with the right creator—and the right data.

A 6-step influencer vetting process that ensures brand alignment and safety

Influencer vetting isn’t a one-and-done task—it’s a lens you should apply at every stage of the selection process. From the moment you start browsing potential partners to the second you hit send on your first outreach message, every touchpoint is a chance to assess fit, flag risks and ensure alignment.

Here’s a six-step process you can use to bake vetting into every stage of your workflow.

Step 1: Define your goals

Before you can vet for brand fit, you have to define what success looks like. Influencer marketing can support every stage of the funnel—from awareness and engagement to conversion and loyalty—but your goals at each stage require different creator qualities.

If you’re focused on top-of-funnel awareness, you might prioritize reach, storytelling ability and alignment with your target audience’s interests. If your goal is mid- to bottom-funnel conversion, you’ll want to vet for creators with high engagement quality and proven experience executing brand partnerships that drive results. Without clarity on what you’re trying to drive, it’s easy to get distracted by surface-level stats that don’t serve your influencer marketing strategy.

By anchoring your vetting criteria to your goals, you’ll not only make smarter influencer selections—you’ll also better position yourself to measure success and refine your program over time.

Step 2: Identify topical campaign alignments to narrow your talent pool

With algorithmic feeds now shaping what people see on nearly every social platform, content—not follower count or other quantitative data point—is what fuels discovery. Audiences aren’t just seeing posts from people they follow anymore. They’re engaging with content surfaced based on relevance, resonance and interest.

That shift has redefined how brands approach influencer selection. Instead of fixating on audience demographics alone, marketers are prioritizing creators whose content aligns with campaign themes.

It’s a more modern approach to the influencer vetting process, helping brands identify partners whose work will land with the right audience, no matter who’s following whom.

Sprout Social Influencer Marketing (formerly Tagger) makes it easier to vet for topical alignment at scale. Our AI-powered semantic search capabilities go beyond keywords to understand context, so you can surface creators using natural language phrases.

Let’s break down what this looks like in action: Say you work with a vegan food brand, and you’re looking for influencers to partner with for an upcoming campaign. Instead of sifting through creators that align demographically with your target audience, you can simply search “plant-based recipes” or “vegan food reviews”.

From there, Influencer Marketing by Sprout Social will surface results based on themes and topics creators talk about in their post captions, even if those exact phrases don’t appear. This means you can find creators with niche interests or overlapping relevance you might’ve missed with standard search filters. This makes it easier to discover niche creators whose content is highly relevant, but might otherwise fly under the radar.

These kinds of creators often foster stronger connections with their audiences, making them powerful partners for brands looking to break through social media noise with authenticity and relevance.

Step 3: Assess brand fit

Not every creator who produces engaging, high-quality content will be the right partner for your brand. That’s why the influencer vetting process should include an additional layer of analysis—one that goes beyond surface-level stats and digs into whether a creator’s audience truly aligns with the people you want to reach.

This is where Sprout Influencer Marketing’s Brand Fit Score comes into play.

Brand Fit Score is a proprietary metric designed to answer one key question: Is this the right creator to drive your brand’s goals?

It evaluates how well a creator reaches and resonates with your target audience by analyzing two major factors:

• Audience interests match: How closely the topics a creator talks about overlap with the interests of your ideal customer.
• Audience location: Whether a significant portion of their audience is located in the regions you want to target.

You can even build multiple Brand Fit Score configurations to represent different audience segments. Whether you’re running a niche campaign or a broad awareness push, this flexible setup gives you confidence that every creator in your vetting pipeline is aligned with the audiences that matter most.

Schedule a demo of Sprout Influencer Marketing

Step 4: Review engagement metrics and content quality

Once you’ve narrowed your talent pool based on brand fit, it’s time to dig deeper into each creator’s profile. This part of the influencer vetting process helps you move beyond surface-level stats and get a clearer picture of who’s actually a good fit.

Start with engagement metrics. A high follower count might catch your eye, but it doesn’t guarantee influence. Prioritize creators with strong engagement rates, consistent performance across content and signs of a genuine, invested audience.

Pay close attention to the comment section—are followers asking questions, tagging friends or sharing personal stories? High-quality social media interactions like these are a strong indicator of trust and community.

Once a profile passes the engagement check, evaluate content quality. Use the following criteria to assess fit:

• Brand fit and visual style: Does their aesthetic, tone and values complement yours?
• Storytelling ability: Can they turn everyday moments into compelling narratives?
• Past partnership performance: Do their previous sponsored posts feel natural and well-executed?
• Content variety and format fluency: Does their content style translate across video, photo and story formats?
• Tone and audience sensitivity: Do they demonstrate cultural awareness and a consistent brand-safe voice?

Vetting for content quality ensures you partner with creators who not only look good on paper but can also deliver on-camera.

Step 5: Conduct a brand safety check

Even the most exciting creator and influencer partnerships can unravel quickly if brand safety isn’t part of your vetting process. From past controversies to inappropriate content or inconsistent values, risks can lurk in a creator’s content history—or even their comments’ section.

A thorough brand safety check gives you peace of mind that your brand won’t end up associated with something that undermines your message or alienates your audience.

To conduct a manual brand safety check:

• Scroll through past posts to look for red flags in tone, language‌ or affiliations.
• Scan comment sections for patterns of problematic interactions or community behavior.
• Review bio links and brand partnerships to spot any affiliations that may conflict with your own values or competitors.
• Google their name to catch any headlines or controversies that might not be visible on social.

It’s doable but time-consuming work. And the more creators you’re considering, the harder it is to stay thorough and consistent.

That’s why many teams use Sprout Influencer Marketing’s Brand Safety features to apply customizable standards at scale. Users can customize their own brand safety parameters, or rely on default settings around topics like gambling, adult content or event competitor affiliations. These settings inform the brand safety report available within every creator’s Influencer Marketing profile, so you can quickly assess potential concerns.

This provides instant visibility into potential risks, so you can make faster, more confident decisions—without cutting corners on brand protection.

Step 6: Begin your outreach

Once you’ve vetted and selected your ideal creators, it’s time to reach out and start the conversation. A thoughtful, personalized pitch can make all the difference in standing out—especially if you’re connecting with high-demand talent.

Need help crafting your message? Check out these influencer outreach email templates to get started.

Your influencer vetting process should be as strategic as your campaign

Influencer marketing success doesn’t start with content—it starts with your partnerships. A strategic influencer vetting process ensures every partnership is a fit not just for your brand, but for your business goals.

Influencer Marketing by Sprout Social helps you take the guesswork out of vetting with tools that surface the right creators, evaluate brand fit and protect your brand reputation at scale. Take a free product tour to see how it can streamline your vetting process today.

See Sprout Influencer Marketing in action

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What marketers need to know about managing social media through an economic downturn

Executing on a social media marketing strategy is like completing an obstacle course. In 2025, amid market turbulence, recession chatter and a constant drip of new tariff updates, it feels a bit like the obstacle course is on fire.

If you’re feeling the heat, we see you and hear you. Managing social through down markets requires an additional layer of focus, rigor and empathy. It’s tough terrain, but with the right preparation, it’s possible to stay agile and impactful.

But what does that preparation entail, exactly? Keep reading to find out what you need to know to successfully navigate social media marketing through times of economic contraction—and why now is not the time to pull back on social.

Why social media needs continued investment (even under economic pressure)

Social media has fundamentally reshaped how brands earn attention and trust. In 2025, a brand’s relevance isn’t defined by storefronts or stage presence—it’s determined by its role in the cultural conversation. And that conversation is happening on social.

According to the 2025 Sprout Social Index™, social is now the #1 channel consumers use to keep up with trends and cultural moments. On top of that, 93% of consumers say it’s important for brands to stay in tune with online culture.

Even in 2023, this dynamic was clear. In a past interview, CMO advisor Carilu Dietrich emphasized that “the ability to activate on social is a critical muscle that companies need to exercise, even in times of economic pressure.”

That need for engagement has only grown. Pulling back on brand marketing in a down market might feel like a quick cost-saving win, but on social, standing still is falling behind. Algorithms evolve, conversations move fast and your audience’s expectations shift just as quickly. What worked yesterday won’t guarantee reach or relevance tomorrow.

In contrast, marketers who invest now are building a long-term competitive edge. Social data offers real-time insight into changing customer needs, sentiment and whitespace opportunities—critical intel for staying agile in an uncertain market. Cutting back during a downturn doesn’t just pause growth. It gives competitors an opening to claim your share of voice.

The bottom line? Cutting back on social cuts you off from culture, customers and critical market insight. In 2025, all business is social.

How to make a case for social media investment in a down economy

Even as budgets tighten and teams shrink, there’s still room for ideas that can prove real ROI. That means sticking to the status quo won’t cut it—you’ll need to show how social can drive more than what’s already in your marketing plan.

To earn additional investment, you need to be sharp on strategy and bold on the results you can deliver.

You know why your brand needs to lean in on organic social. Now for the next task: Sharing your vision with the rest of your marketing leadership and executive teams. Follow these tips for success as you make your case for additional social media resources.

Prove impact

When budgets are tight, business leaders need to see clear returns. That’s why proving the ROI of your organic social efforts isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Start by identifying the social media metrics that tie social activity to business outcomes. Go beyond vanity metrics and lean into KPIs that speak leadership’s language, like conversions from link in bio, traffic from social to owned properties or brand sentiment improvements over time.

To dig deeper into revenue impact, connect your social media management platform to your broader marketing tech stack. Integrations with tools like Google Analytics and Salesforce help close the loop between social engagement and pipeline influence.

That connection gives you the ability to track the full customer journey—from discovery to decision—and surface insights that validate social’s role in driving growth.

And don’t wait for a quarterly recap to share your wins. Build executive trust by weaving social proof points into cross-functional updates and strategy docs. The more fluently you connect organic social to broader business value, the more seriously your team will be taken when investment decisions are on the table.

Zoom out

In times of economic uncertainty, it’s easy to get tunnel vision—especially when you’re being asked to do more with less. But this is when zooming out becomes most important.

To earn buy-in for continued investment in social, you need to reframe it not just as a content engine, but as a source of real-time audience intelligence. Social gives you direct access to how your customers feel, what they care about and how those sentiments shift alongside broader market conditions.

Tightening budgets are making people more sensitive to being sold to. This means brands must understand where their customers are, what they are discussing and their shifting sentiments in order to build meaningful and impactful marketing strategies.

Layla Revis
VP of Brand & Social, Sprout Social

In other words, the value of social isn’t just in what you post—it’s in what you learn. The insights you uncover can guide brand positioning, influence product messaging and shape marketing strategy beyond the channel itself. When you show stakeholders how social sharpens the entire organization’s view of the customer, you don’t just make the case for social—you elevate its role in the business.

Make it urgent

If you’re not involved in day-to-day social management, it can be easy to forget the channel isn’t just for trends and memes. There are real risks that come with under-equipping a social media team. It’s your job to ensure your executive team is aware of that.

For example, say a defective product batch causes a slew of negative customer feedback on social. If you don’t have what you need to get ahead of the issue quickly, you risk losing hard-earned fans. According to the 2025 Index, nearly three-quarters of consumers expect a response within 24 hours or sooner.

Now that social has come into its own as a customer care channel, failing to respond to customers on time, even in non-crisis situations, is a risk. When this happens, 73% of consumers say they’ll buy from a competitor.

Provide competitive context

So far, most of what we’ve covered is hypothetical. If you want to pull some of these insights into reality, you’ll need to provide the right context.

Conduct a social media competitive analysis to better understand your brand’s role in the current social media landscape. Dietrich believes that can serve as a blueprint for outpacing your competitors.

“Capitalizing on a competitive gap or shortcoming can be huge,” said Dietrich in 2023. “We may not get as much funding for social media this year, but it needs to remain strong enough to function through the downturn and seize on opportunity when the time is right.”

Understanding how your competitors use (or don’t use) social can unveil opportunities that are hidden in plain sight. Here are some questions to consider as you dig for competitive intel.

• What content formats (design, visual) are your competitors prioritizing? Based on their existing content, how would you rate their level of investment?
• How active are your competitor’s mentions, tags and comments? How often are they replying?
• What can you infer about their priorities based on their social content mix?

This context will help make the risks and benefits of your requested resources more tangible throughout the approval process.

6 ways to make the most of your current social media resources in a tight economy

If additional resources aren’t in the cards, don’t worry. There are still ways to optimize your social media operations to get the most out of what you have today. Here are some tips that will help you deliver results on a tight budget.

1. Audit team responsibilities

Many team rituals are maintained due to inertia instead of impact. If you haven’t taken time to review your team processes and responsibilities in the new year, now’s the time to do it.

Host candid conversations with your team about their bandwidth, routines and working styles. These talks will give you a better idea of how your team spends their time.

You may find that everyone can take a few hours back by swapping meetings for async stand-ups or rolling back an initiative that’s not driving clear results. Whatever the outcome, it will help ensure your team is on the same page, marching toward the same goal.

2. Focus your efforts

You won’t be able to do it all. The more comfortable you get with ruthless prioritization, the easier it will be to push back on competing priorities confidently.

For example, if you find that a specific network consistently underperforms compared to the rest of your brand accounts, now’s the time to put it into maintenance mode. Share posts and stay on top of customer care requests, but save big swings for networks with proven track records for engagement.

3. Use AI to your advantage

When resources are tight, AI can help you maximize your team’s output without requiring additional headcount or budget.

By integrating AI-powered tools into your social media workflow, you can automate routine tasks, streamline content creation and gain deeper insights into audience behavior without adding extra headcount.

But remember: AI isn’t something that should be used to create content from start-to-finish. Instead, it should be an efficiency tool, giving your team more time to do things that require brain power and creative thinking. It should bear the mental load of social monitoring, completing basic tasks and performing intensive data analysis.

4. Build community through transparency

In times of economic uncertainty, consumers are more attuned to how brands communicate. One of the most effective ways to build trust with your audience is by using social media as a vehicle to openly share your brand’s challenges and the steps you’re taking to navigate them.

Le Puzz, a puzzle brand, offers a great example of this. When the ongoing tariff back-and-forth started to impact their supply chain, they took to Instagram with a thoughtful carousel post explaining how the situation might affect pricing.

By offering insight into the behind-the-scenes realities of their business, they humanized their brand and created an open dialogue with their customers.

This kind of transparency is key, especially when you consider that 93% of consumers believe brands need to do more to combat misinformation—a finding from the 2025 Sprout Social Index™.

5. Partner with trusted influencers

When budgets are tight, every dollar you spend needs to work harder. That’s what makes influencer marketing such a smart investment. The right influencer partnerships don’t just amplify brand awareness—they drive action, conversion and measurable ROI.

According to Sprout’s VP of Brand & Social, Layla Revis, “Influencer marketing not only has an impressive ROI, on average $5.78 for every $1 invested, but it is key for developing long-lasting consumer trust and relevance—two factors brands must have in their strategies right now.”

That trust is especially critical in today’s economic environment. Consumers are more aware than ever of when they’re being sold to, and some influencers are even facing backlash for promoting consumerism during uncertain times. Those who offer real value—through education, resources or entertainment—are thriving. It’s a reminder that partnerships might need to look different in a downturn, but they can still be powerful when rooted in authenticity and relevance.

Influencers are already embedded in the communities your brand wants to reach. When chosen wisely, their credibility drives higher engagement and stronger purchase intent—without the overhead costs of traditional campaigns.

6. Tighten market positioning with social data

Social data can illuminate customer experience improvements, product innovations and brand differentiation opportunities. It’s the north star that will help ground your strategy in the needs and motivations of your audience.

Your social listening tool can provide real-time insights into your brand and its competitive landscape. Use it to spark new marketing ideas that will help your brand stand out among the rest.

“Make your spending work harder by having more targeted, better content,” advised Dietrich. “A lot of messaging is ‘blah,’ but every now and then something really pierces through the noise and speaks to you. How can you create that for your company? How can you make your product critical in this current market?”

Social media is essential for growth-minded brands

Economic uncertainty may have your team operating with fewer resources, but social media remains one of the most powerful tools in your marketing toolkit. When used strategically, it can generate demand, surface customer insights, strengthen brand affinity and stretch the impact of every dollar spent.

But to secure the resources you need—or make the most of the ones you already have—you need to clearly articulate the ROI of organic social to your stakeholders.

To help, we created a social media ROI toolkit packed with resources to do exactly that. From customizable reporting dashboards to deck templates built for executive buy-in, it’s designed to help you connect your organic efforts to business impact.

Get the toolkit

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A blueprint to add LinkedIn video to your social strategy

Video is one of the best ways to stand out on social media, and video on LinkedIn is no exception with video uploads increasing 45% year-over-year. According to The 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report, 66% of consumers say short-form videos are the most engaging type of in-feed content.

And with LinkedIn incorporating short-form video into its platform, and growing at twice the rate of other formats, you should take it as a sign to add video to your LinkedIn marketing strategy. From educating people on your products and services to sharing quick thought leadership takes, now’s the time to lean in and start experimenting.

The good news? Taking advantage of video on LinkedIn doesn’t necessarily mean producing more video content. With Sprout’s LinkedIn integration, you can schedule and crosspost videos as part of your multi-channel network strategy, track performance metrics and test out different formats to monitor how your audience responds. You’ll also see how your LinkedIn video efforts fit into your cross-network strategy, all in one place.

In this blueprint, we’ll discuss the three types of LinkedIn video: organic, live and paid. Keep reading to learn more about the updates to LinkedIn video and how to use it to boost brand awareness and engagement.

How video on LinkedIn fits into the social media landscape

LinkedIn has been testing video on the platform over the past few years. Some users may see a dedicated video tab in the navigation bar on its mobile app. The tab takes users to its new immersive vertical video feed that mirrors the short-form, swipeable style popularized by TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels.

This addition is just the beginning. Recent updates include a full-screen vertical video feed on desktop and the “Videos for You” module, which recommends curated content based on user behavior. And they are keeping their community updated on video best practices on the platform.

Fortunately for social practitioners everywhere, similar features across different networks makes social media content creation easier.

With the rise of LinkedIn video, several LinkedIn influencers and content creators have claimed that their vertical video content receives more engagement and impressions on LinkedIn. While these observations are unconfirmed, this suggests the platform is investing in video discovery and performance.

Outside of LinkedIn’s video push, the platform has evolved a lot in the last few years. Our 2024 Social Content Strategy Report found that it’s evolved from being strictly business to a place where users get more personal and build a community. For brands, this shift opens the door to more meaningful connections and allows you to meet your audience where they are, professionally and personally.

The impact of video for your brand on LinkedIn

For B2B brands, video on LinkedIn represents an unmatched opportunity to boost brand awareness. Four out of five LinkedIn members help make business decisions, and LinkedIn members have twice the buying power of the average online audience. Think of a LinkedIn video as a direct line to decision-makers in a context where your message carries more weight.

More than any other type of content, consumers want educational product information on LinkedIn, according to The 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report. But with so many brands sharing similar content, how do you stand out? The answer is edutainment social content.

Edutainment is entertaining educational content that’s quick to watch and easy to understand. Using humor, storytelling, gamification or strong visuals, brands can turn product information into creative video content that hooks viewers and increases brand recall. Sprout’s 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report found 66% of social users say edutainment is the most engaging type of brand content, even surpassing skits, memes or serialized content.

Here’s an example from Plaid. In this fun, less-than-one-minute video, they highlight how Branch uses Plaid in a clear, engaging way.

Whether you’re sharing tips, showing how your product works or telling a customer story, video on LinkedIn helps your brand feel more helpful and trustworthy.

Learn how Plaid used Sprout to grow its LinkedIn audience by 60% in one year.

Using video for engagement and community building on LinkedIn

Want more people to engage with your LinkedIn videos? Include one call to action (CTA) per video and keep them short. Our 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report found that videos under 15 or 30 seconds get the most engagement.

You can also boost engagement by working with LinkedIn influencers and thought leaders. There’s been a 23% year-over-year increase in posts from CEOs on LinkedIn. Posts from C-suite executives and thought leaders get four times more engagement than the average LinkedIn post, showing that people want to hear from real voices, not just brands.

One potential way to work with LinkedIn influencers is by leveraging LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads.

These ads promote content from a LinkedIn influencer, an employee or a thought leader, rather than the brand itself. A LinkedIn video ad like this feels less promotional, humanizing your brand and maximizing your investment.

If you are looking for a faster, smarter way to identify the right people to partner with and manage those partnerships, Sprout Social Influencer Marketing might be right for you.

Together, these tactics increase engagement and create opportunities for meaningful interaction, which is the foundation of any strong community.

What to know about the different LinkedIn video types

LinkedIn has a few different ways to share video, and it’s essential to know how each format works and when to use it.

No matter how many LinkedIn pages you manage, Sprout’s LinkedIn integration makes it easy to plan, publish and measure performance for all your videos on LinkedIn.

When you’re ready to post your video to LinkedIn, reference our always up-to-date video specs guide.

LinkedIn Live video

LinkedIn Live enables you to broadcast live video content on the platform. You can use it to host live virtual events like panels, Q&As, announcements or product launches.

Unlike the other types of video content, LinkedIn Live directly connects the host with the audience, making them ideal for building community. This is likely why, on average, LinkedIn Live broadcasts get 23 times more comments than regular videos.

To use LinkedIn Live, your Company Page or profile needs to meet certain criteria and use a third-party broadcasting tool. Sprout’s integrations with streaming platforms help you manage your live content alongside the rest of your strategy.

If you’re new to planning or hosting LinkedIn Live, check out our ultimate guide to LinkedIn Live.

Standard LinkedIn video formats

Standard LinkedIn video formats are posted directly to your feed, making them a key part of a consistent posting strategy. They are best for brand awareness, thought leadership and audience education.

Short videos perform best, especially when they have a strong hook at the beginning and call to action at the end.

Take Sephora, for example. The brand shared a horizontal trailer-style video to promote its Beauty and Belonging campaign and used the call to action to tell viewers to go to YouTube and in-store to watch the long-form version. This shows that Sephora understands the role of LinkedIn video in a multi-channel strategy.

LinkedIn video ads

LinkedIn video ads are paid posts that show up in users’ feeds based on your targeting. You can target by filters such as job title, company and industry, helping you directly reach and win over decision-makers. After all, LinkedIn says audiences are two to three times more likely to associate positive traits with a brand after seeing its LinkedIn ads.

Like all the other social platforms, on LinkedIn, it’s not enough to pay for placement. Your video ads need to be creative, clear and memorable. In a study on B2B video ads on LinkedIn, only 19% of participants remembered the advertisement and attributed it to the correct brand.

Here are some best practices suggested by the study to consider incorporating into your ads:

1. Brand early and often by including three or more brand mentions.
2. Use sound strategically, as it can help enhance memory and engagement.
3. Keep ads 30 seconds and under. In the study, recognition results dropped from 68% for videos 10 seconds or less to 59% for videos 18 seconds or less.

As an example, this professional ad by Rogers Business hits all of the best practices above and promotes its products by telling the story of one of its customers.

If you’re new to creating LinkedIn ads, our LinkedIn ads guide runs through key best practices you’ll want to know.

LinkedIn vertical video

The full-screen vertical video feed is LinkedIn’s answer to TikTok-style content: full-screen, vertical video that’s short, scrollable and built for discovery on both desktop and mobile. While it’s an exciting new feature, not all users can access it because LinkedIn is still experimenting. For example, when I open my mobile app, I don’t see it on the bottom navigation bar.

Another important thing to mention about LinkedIn’s immersive video feed is that you can’t post directly to it. The content that gets featured is based on quality and relevance, and most of the videos are very business-centric.

Tips to succeed with video on LinkedIn

Once you know the video types, the next step is creating content that connects. Here are a few best practices to help your videos stand out and deliver results on LinkedIn.

• Lead with a hook in the first 3 seconds of all your videos. Ask a question, share a stat or tease the value upfront to keep viewers watching.
• Keep your LinkedIn videos short, ideally between 15 to 30 seconds for maximum impact, especially since the ideal watch time is between 13 and 15 seconds (depending on the account size).
• 79% of LinkedIn videos are watched with the sound off. Optimize for muted viewing by using captions or on-screen text. Sprout’s video publishing tools let you upload and schedule videos with captions included, so you can scale accessibility across your video library.
• Focus on consistency and iteration over perfection. Use Sprout’s social media analytics and reporting tools to track what works so you can build on it.

Integrating LinkedIn video into your social media strategy

LinkedIn video content works best when it’s aligned with your bigger goals.

For example, if you’re a B2B software company, you might use short-form videos to explain key product features or highlight customer success stories. A consultant or thought leader could use live video to share real-time insights, answer questions or build trust with their network.

And when you’re managing more than one platform, Sprout’s social media management platform makes it easier to run a multi-network video strategy without doubling your workload. With Sprout, you can schedule video content across all your social channels, track performance in one place and get data-driven insights.

For more insights to help you create content that resonates wherever your audience scrolls, read Sprout’s 2024 Content Strategy Report.

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Reddit statistics in 2025 and tactics to grow your brand

Reddit has, undoubtedly, solidified its position as a leading social media platform, attracting a wide range of demographics. The platform fosters passionate communities across countless interests, markets and target audiences. But unlike other social platforms, where engagement might be more straightforward, Reddit’s community-first culture requires brands to earn users’ trust by providing real value.

Let’s dive into Reddit statistics you’ll want to know to inform your Reddit marketing efforts to be even more effective.

Reddit user demographics statistics

Even though many Reddit users have anonymous accounts, you can learn where they come from and who they are through Reddit data. Key demographic details include:

• 44% of Reddit users fall into the 18-29 age group.
• 49.59% of the platform’s daily active users are in the US—India, the UK, Canada, Brazil and Germany also have large user bases.
• As of the third quarter of 2024, 59.8% of users identified as male and 39.1% as female.
• In 2023, US users’ ethnicities were 21% White, 14% Black, 23% Hispanic and 36% Asian.

Reddit’s users lean young, making it a great social network to reach Gen Z and younger millennials. While the platform reaches US audiences effectively, India, the United Kingdom and Canada also have notable bases.

These data points reveal a unique advantage for brands targeting social media demographics like Reddit’s through authenticity, community engagement and value-first organic interactions.

Choosing to engage with niche subreddits allows you to narrow your focus to key topics and interests of your specific target audience. A focused approach makes what you share more relevant and directly impacts your target audience. Teams can also tailor to specific cities or countries through localized subreddits (the different forums and communities on the platform).

How Reddit users engage: Understanding behavior and traffic

On Reddit.com, you can increase engagement in a few ways. Users might see your post, comment in their news feed or find you in a specific subreddit. The other way is through search engines.

Reddit is a popular place for real information. Because of Google’s $60 million yearly deal with Reddit and how people search, many internet users find Reddit posts through search engines.

Here are some key Reddit traffic and behavior numbers:

• 97.2 million daily users each day, with 42 million app downloads in 2024
• 2 million websites linking to Reddit pages as of March 2025

So how should brands post? Foundation Marketing’s analysis of Reddit stats revealed that:

• Titles with 60-80 characters did best and earned more upvotes.
• Posts with questions got more comments and upvotes.
• Users prefer content with external links—with video links earning the most upvotes.

Here’s a general understanding of how Reddit users behave and how you can consider joining the conversation:

• Redditors engage with authenticity: Reddit user behavior is often different from users on other social media platforms. They are invested in in-depth discussions about other people’s genuine thoughts, opinions and perspectives. Because of this, they’re invested in authentic discussions and are skeptical of promotional language and overt marketing.
• All users are expected to respect subreddit rules and guidelines: Each subreddit has its own rules, guidelines and styles of engagement that all users are expected to follow. If you break those standards, you could easily lose trust, especially as a marketer. As a marketer, it’s important to understand community nuances and learn how users talk and think in the niche communities you’re involved in.
• Users trust the authenticity of product reviews on Reddit: Since Reddit is a community-based platform, what users organically say about a product or business carries weight. To engage with redditors successfully, brands must join conversations and add enriching perspectives. It’s already been mentioned—but it can’t be mentioned enough: To keep your expertise trustworthy in the different subreddit communities you’re engaging in, it’s vital to avoid directly promoting your brand’s offerings.
• Redditors especially engage in the comments: It’s known that the real value for users is in the comment sections of posts. Users have countless conversations that rabbit trail from the original post’s initial discussion. Your brand can hop into the myriad of conversations within just one thread and build relational equity within that community.

When you keep these Reddit user behaviors in mind, you set yourself up to start working on gaining traction within Reddit communities.

But it’s worth noting that Reddit growth takes diligence, time and patience.

Consistent Reddit engagement on a healthy cadence matters. If you want to convert your traffic and increase your subreddit following, stay genuinely engaged in conversations where you can show your expertise and offer helpful perspectives. Be sure to foster connections in subreddit communities by following different redditors you engage with in meaningful discussions.

One way to nurture your audience is by hosting an AMA (Ask Me Anything). It adds a lot of value and builds your credibility. For example, if you’re a social media manager for a coffee shop, you could host an AMA on a local subreddit that encourages users to ask about your company’s methods to produce high-quality coffee or how you manage solid profit margins through different seasons.

38 most popular subreddits by industry

The Reddit platform has over 100,000 engaged and active subreddits, and there are plenty of top subreddits where you can find your audience.

General interest and high-traffic communities

• r/funny: 67 million members (share humor)
• r/AskReddit: 53 million members (ask general questions)
• r/music: 37 million members (share, discover and talk music)
• r/todayilearned: 40 million members (post impressive photos)
• r/pics: 32 million members (post impressive photos)

Retail and e-commerce industries

• r/ecommerce: 524k members (Discuss operating online businesses)
• r/shopify: 281k members (connect with business owners on Shopify)
• r/AdPorn: 454k members (showcase your favorite ads and maybe your own winners)
• r/FulfillmentByAmazon: 115k members (talk about selling and fulfillment with Amazon)
• r/Etsy: 124k members (network with Etsy sellers)

Hospitality industries

• r/travel: 13 million members (build community around travel and experiences)
• r/hotels: 36k members (share hotel news and interact with communities)
• r/restaurant: 168k members (connect with restaurant owners and industry professionals)
• r/restaurantowners: 38k members (discuss restaurant owner challenges and solutions)
• r/Cooking: 4.7 million members (share recipes and cooking tips)

Technology and software industries

• r/technology: 19 million members (share trends, products and tech news)
• r/dataisbeautiful: 22 million members (share exciting, big data visuals)
• r/gaming: 46 million members (share gaming news, culture and conversations)
• r/buildapc: 7.9 million members (discuss guides and advice on building PCs)
• r/programming: 6.8 million members (discuss software development and code)

Education industries

• r/Engineering: 682k members (connect with engineers and students)
• r/Philosophy: 18 million members (join in-depth philosophical discussions)
• r/AskHistorians: 2.3 million members (share expert responses to historical questions)
• r/GetStudying: 3.2 million members (talk study tips and productivity resources)
• r/College: 2.9 million members (discuss college life and academics)
• r/PersonalFinance: 20.7 million members (share financial guidance)

Marketing and advertising industries

• r/marketing: 1.8 million members (contribute to marketing strategy discussions)
• r/digitalmarketing: 240k members (talk digital marketing practices and trends)
• r/socialmedia: 2 million members (discuss social media platforms and strategy discussions)
• r/SocialMediaMarketing: 166k members (cover social marketing strategies)
• r/SEO: 382k members (discuss search engine optimization techniques)
• r/advertising: 204k members (talk advertising strategies and insights)

Health industries

• r/nursing: 1.1 million members (connect with nurses globally)
• r/pharmacy: 178k members (discuss everything pharmaceutical)
• r/Fitness: 12 million members (share fitness goals and news)
• r/loseit: 4 million members (discuss weight loss)
• r/Microbiome: 141k members (share about gut health)
• r/mentalhealth: 513k members (focus on mental health and support)

Leveraging niche subreddits and how they shape trends

Many subreddits shape social trends by sparking viral posts that users share on different platforms. Some are so influential that they’ve even inspired movies and documentaries, like r/wallstreetbets influencing the GameStop stock surge, leading Wall Street to intervene. Your brand can leverage the power of community by posting on these top subreddits or targeted subreddits where your audience is.

Posting to niche communities can also offer great potential. Let’s say you own a restaurant that serves Mexican food in Toronto with a college-age customer base. You can explore subreddits like:

• r/Ontario: 973 thousand members
• r/Toronto: 827 thousand members
• r/FoodToronto: 71 thousand members
• r/UofT (University of Toronto): 126 thousand members

Targeting specific communities like r/FoodToronto and r/UofT is a smart way to reach your ideal customer.

In 2025, Reddit announced that it’s considering paywalls for specific subreddits. This change could generate new opportunities for paid communities that provide access to more qualified, topic-specific audiences.

 

• Find brand-specific questions and answer them.
• Post about new features or services in places like r/AMA or host an AMA on a niche subreddit.

• Grow your Karma (Reddit’s point system) by providing in-depth answers in key subreddits.
• Announce discounts, contests and event information in relevant subreddits.
• Respond to pressing news to create buzz among your most passionate target audience.

Reddit advertising and brand engagement statistics

As Reddit grows and companies like Google invest, marketers have even more reasons to dive into the community-driven platform. Consider these stats:

1. Users are 46% more likely to trust brands with ads on Reddit. Consumers reached through Reddit have a 1.7x higher brand association, and brands enjoy a 12% increase in brand favorability among customers.
2. Companies have seen promising results from Reddit Ads, like Liquid I.V., which achieved a 94% reduction in cost per action and 17x return on ads.
3. Reddit generated USD 315 million in advertising revenue in Q3 2024, a 56% increase from the previous year.
4. Reddit receives millions of visits each month. In March 2025, it received 834 million visits and ranked for 100 million keywords.

While organic engagement is essential to building trust, Reddit Ads can quickly expand your reach. Using both approaches, you can maximize visibility and connect with more potential customers.

To maximize your Reddit Ad strategy, apply these key tactics:

• Place laser-targeted ads: Use Reddit Ads to place advertisements in niche, relevant subreddits. You’ll get direct access to a specific audience.
• Use Reddit formats: Incorporate formats like Conversation Ads and Carousel Ads for more interactive, native experiences. For example, a Carousel Ad can show product benefits in a visual format.
• Leverage data: Build, learn and iterate your ads with Reddit data. Set aside a budget for A/B test headlines, subreddits and creative formats.
• Engage with the ad: When users leave comments on a Conversation Ad, keep the discussion going and engage with your audience. Use your conversations and findings to fuel ideas for future organic interactions with posts, AMAs and comments.

How to use Reddit statistics to inform your social strategy

Reddit’s user base and niche communities offer valuable insights and opportunities to connect with your target audience. Tap into the social media platform and use these Reddit insights to:

• Leverage subreddit-level market insights: You can leverage Reddit’s advanced search features and Reddit social listening to learn more about your ideal customers in the communities where they’re most active. Start by analyzing the most upvoted threads, user feelings in the comments, common questions and pain points.
• Drive brand visibility with community-powered content: While engaging with posts is a major part of a healthy Reddit marketing strategy, find ways to invite collaboration. Think of tactics like posting polls, inviting user feedback on a project or product idea, hosting an AMA or announcing a giveaway. These community-involved approaches can boost engagement and trust for your brand. Center your strategies on education and transparency over in-your-face promotion.
• Track Reddit mentions and brand interactions: Use a social listening tool to detect brand mentions and conversations. This insight allows you to enter discussions naturally and engage authentically. The right tool will use alerts for mentions that let you join conversations and shape how audiences view your brand.

When implementing these actions, always follow a subreddit’s rules and guidelines. Moderators manage many communities and ban obvious spam or promotional materials. An organic, community-driven approach will work best.

Because Reddit can be more anonymous, it’s an excellent platform for unfiltered feedback and thoughts. A strong social listening platform and social content strategy can help you spot key opportunities to make a difference and win new customers.

Find out what your audience says about your brand and join the conversation today with a 30-day free trial.

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What brands get wrong about influencer sourcing

We’re back with the latest edition of our series, @Me Next Time, where we invite Team Sprout and some of our favorite social experts to share how they really feel about the latest trends.

This time, we’re breaking down what brands get wrong about influencer sourcing. We’ve all seen those overly-scripted, cringe-worthy sponsored videos. The ones where the influencer completely changes their tone and content style to talk about a product they would never use. The influencer seems more like a paid actor than a content creator.

We sat down with Greg Scuvuzzo, Director of Product Marketing and senior player in the influencer marketing space, to get his thoughts on why so many brands source influencers the wrong way. “Forced partnerships usually lead to extremely underwhelming results—and often do more harm for your brand than good,” laments Scavuzzo.

So what should brands do instead? Marketers need to align their influencer sourcing techniques with evolving algorithms, and trust that influencers know how to create content that resonates and drives engagement.

Why some brands think influencer marketing doesn’t work

There is plenty of proof that influencer marketing works. Sprout’s own Q1 2025 Pulse Survey found that marketers say influencer content outperforms brand content in terms of reach, engagement and conversion. The same survey revealed 65% of marketers are very confident they can prove the business impact of influencer marketing, while another 60% plan to partner with more influencers this year compared to 2024.

But what if you’ve tried it, and it didn’t deliver compelling results? It can be tempting to write-off influencer marketing entirely, thinking it just doesn’t resonate with your audience or industry.

But there might be another reason your strategy fell flat. As Scavuzzo says, “Marketers have traditionally led with filtering for creators via quantitative profile attributes—like follower size, audience demographics, engagement rate or location—because distribution used to be all about who followed a particular influencer. That approach no longer addresses how the networks serve up content, or how users consume social. When teams over-rely on these attributes, collaborations underperform and leadership might be quick to abandon your program.”

Don’t fear changing algorithms, embrace them with AI

As Scavuzzo alluded, algorithms are becoming increasingly niche as networks create experiences customized to each user based on the content they engage with most. Quantitative data doesn’t tell the full story of what kind of content influencers create, or who it will resonate with.

“Consumer behavior on social has significantly changed. Users engage with content from experts and personalities who consistently speak on a specific topic that resonates with them. And more and more, they’re seeking this content out in For You Pages, and they’re being served content from creators they don’t even follow in their main feed,” says Scavuzzo.

Think about your own For You Page. It’s built around topics you find interesting, not necessarily your location, gender, age or the size of the creators you typically interact with. That’s exactly why brands need to lead with the topics influencers talk about when they conduct their research.

What does this look like? Historically it’s been highly manual, even with influencer marketing management software. Marketers had to rely on complex filtering, spend significant time vetting and comb through piles of data to ensure quality results. And even after logging hours of manual work, the influencer could still end up being a poor brand safety fit.

Thankfully, that’s changing. Emerging AI-powered natural language discovery helps brands search based on the content they want to create. This approach ensures influencer content actually matches up with your brand values and campaign messaging—driving much stronger results.

Stronger influencer sourcing = long-lasting influencer performance

Building partnerships with influencers who are the right fit for your brand is a long-term investment that can help you weather an evolving marketing landscape.

Traditional tactics like paid search are becoming less effective—cost per clicks are more expensive and conversion rates are steadily falling. Yet, influencer marketing continues to grow, estimated to be worth half-a-trillion dollars by 2027. Already, 49% of consumers make a purchase inspired by an influencer at least once a month, per The Influencer Marketing Report. Some consumers make weekly—or even daily—purchases.

Why do some posts make them hit “add to cart” when others don’t? While the word authentic gets thrown around often, audiences aren’t looking for 100% authenticity—but they do want content to feel on-brand for the influencer. Scavuzzo points out, “Consumers are smart. They recognize an ad or a paid partnership, even when it’s coming from an influencer they follow and trust. But influencers can afford brands something that has been nearly impossible to achieve to date: the ability to bring a product or customer service experience to life in a more genuine way.”

Which is why effective influencer sourcing is so critical. Sponsored content needs to feel like a natural fit for the influencer, and they should already have some share of voice in your industry. Scavuzzo adds, “Some of the best influencer marketing campaigns are being led by brands and influencers who have cultivated long-term relationships and collaborate offline too.” The Influencer Marketing Report backs this up, as the report found that 80% of consumers would be more likely to buy from brands who partner with influencers beyond social content.

“Take Blueland’s collaboration with forager, environmental activist and influencer Alexis Nikole. The eco-friendly CPG brand and influencer have co-created a handsoap line that sold out twice. The partnership works so well because it’s values-aligned, and Blueland allows Alexis Nikole the freedom to create the content she knows resonates with her audience. They look to her as the expert for what her followers want to see, and trust that she’s the right advocate for their brand,” says Scavuzzo.

Find the right fit, not just the right metrics

Influencer marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach consumers—many brands are just following the wrong blueprint. The strongest partnerships are no longer based on profile stats or follower counts. They’re built on shared values, mutual trust and content that actually fits the way people consume social today.

By leveraging tools like AI-powered discovery and leading with a content-first approach that prioritizes topical relevance over quantitative metrics, marketers can find the right voices to tell their stories—and make those stories stick. As Scavuzzo says, “The best results come when brands treat influencers like strategic partners, not just broadcast channels.”

It’s time to move beyond the surface. Source smarter. Collaborate deeper. And let your influencer strategy evolve with the platforms—and people—it’s built for.

Looking for more resources to reinvigorate your strategy? This influencer toolkit will set you up with the resources you need to begin, budget and build a strategy optimized for ROI.

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LinkedIn Groups: How to create and use groups for business growth

LinkedIn has become the center of B2B engagement.

It’s where decision-makers go to connect, learn and grow. For brands, it offers a unique opportunity to build stronger relationships with their target audience.

LinkedIn Groups are designed for that kind of interaction.

In fact, Sprout Social’s research found that managing smaller communities is one of the top three ways users want brands to show up on LinkedIn.

In this post, you’ll learn why you need to use Groups as part of your LinkedIn marketing. We’ll also walk you through creating, joining and engaging in these groups.

What are LinkedIn Groups?

LinkedIn Groups are spaces where professionals come together to share ideas, ask questions and connect around a common interest, industry or goal. They’re designed for deeper, more focused conversations than what you’d typically find in the public feed.

There are three types of LinkedIn Groups:

• Public: These groups are open to anyone and appear in search results. Posts can be viewed by anyone on or off LinkedIn, but only members can create them or comment.
• Private (listed): These groups also show up in search results and are visible on members’ profiles. You’ll need to request to join, and only members can see the content and participate in discussions.
• Private (unlisted): These groups don’t appear in search and aren’t visible on member profiles. They’re invite-only or accessible via a direct link, which makes them ideal for more closed or internal communities.

Why should you use LinkedIn Groups?

If you’re looking to build deeper connections on LinkedIn, Groups are a good place to start.

Here’s why they’re worth your time.

Build valuable connections

LinkedIn Groups are one of the easiest ways to meet people who care about the same things you do. Everyone in the group is there for a reason, whether it’s to grow in their role, find new tools or stay updated.

Let’s say you manage social media for a SaaS brand. You could join a group for B2B marketers, comment on a post about ad performance and start a real conversation.

As opposed to cold outreach, it’s a more natural and effective way to build relationships that can lead to partnerships, referrals or new customers.

Position your brand as a thought leader

Groups give you a space to show your expertise without coming across as overly promotional. By offering helpful advice, answering questions or sharing useful content, you build credibility with people who are active in your niche.

For example, if someone in a marketing group asks about improving reach and you share a tip that’s worked for your team, you’re already building authority. People remember (and trust) brands that help them solve real problems.

Reach a targeted audience

Joining the right LinkedIn Group gets you in front of decision-makers directly.

For example, if you’re promoting a project management tool for construction teams, a group for site managers lets you connect with people who use those tools on the ground. Avoid being overly promotional when joining groups. Focus instead on offering a solution rather than self-promoting.

Since groups are centered around a common interest, your content is more likely to resonate. It’s a great way to stretch your organic efforts without spending on ads.

Share and discover useful content

LinkedIn Groups are a good place to share your best content and see how it performs in a smaller, more focused setting.

For example, if you share a post about your latest product launch in a group for product marketers, you might get thoughtful feedback or follow-up questions you wouldn’t see on your regular feed.

You can also learn a lot by observing what others post. If you notice a certain format or topic gets more engagement, use that insight to improve your own content strategy.

Gather feedback and ideas

Groups are a quick way to test ideas before putting a budget behind them. Even consider brainstorming or sharing rough drafts with peers who understand your space.

Let’s say you’re planning a guide for email marketers. You could ask a question like, “What’s your biggest challenge with list growth?” The responses you get might shape your entire outline. They could even uncover pain points you hadn’t considered earlier.

It’s faster (and more personal) than running a survey. Plus, people love being asked for their input. It makes them feel heard, and they’ll be more likely to engage with your brand.

Stay on top of trends

When something starts getting traction, whether it’s a new brand, tactic or tool, you’ll often see it come up in a LinkedIn Group before it surfaces elsewhere.

For example, if everyone in a marketing group is suddenly talking about AI-generated content, that’s a sign it’s worth addressing in your next post or newsletter.

Staying plugged in helps you move faster and stay relevant.

How to find groups on LinkedIn

Finding the right LinkedIn Group is easy once you know where to look. The platform offers two ways to discover active, relevant groups. Let’s explore them below.

Note: If you’re interested in joining an unlisted group, keep in mind that these don’t show up in search results and can only be joined through a direct invite or link.

Method 1. Search for groups aligned with your interests

Use the LinkedIn search bar to look for groups based on topics or industries that interest you. You can search using keywords, group names, company names or roles.

For example, typing in “Microsoft Excel” will show you the “Microsoft Excel Users” group under the Groups tab in your results.

Note: Some queries may take you directly to the Groups section, while others may show a mix. Just be sure to click the Groups filter at the top.

Method 2. Choose from Groups suggested by LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s algorithm also recommends groups based on your profile, interests and existing group activity. Here’s how to find these suggestions:

• Look for the Groups tab in your left panel. You can also click on the grid icon at the top-right corner and select Groups from the drop-down menu.

• You’ll see a list of groups you’re already a part of. At the bottom, you’ll find a link that says: Search for other trusted communities that share and support your goals.

• Hit Search to view LinkedIn’s group recommendations.

How to join a LinkedIn Group

Joining a LinkedIn Group is simple. You can click the Join button from the search results, a suggested group list or directly on the group’s profile page.

Some groups accept new members right away. Others may require admin approval before you’re added. Either way, LinkedIn will notify you once your request is accepted.

Before joining, you can click on the group name to view its profile and learn more.

This includes:

• Group description and rules
• Member highlights
• Admin section
• Related groups

Once you’re in, the group will appear on your profile by default.

To change this, go to your Groups list, tap the three dots next to the group and select Update your settings. Then toggle off “Display group on profile” if you prefer to keep it private.

Note: Each member can join up to 100 LinkedIn Groups at one time.

How to create a LinkedIn Group

Creating a LinkedIn Group is a great way to bring professionals together around a shared topic. Here’s how to make one for your brand or community.

Step 1: Identify the purpose of creating a Group

Before setting up your group, align your marketing and social media teams on why this group should exist. Are you building a community for customers? Supporting industry peers?

Get clear on who the group is for, what value it offers and how it fits into your brand’s larger strategy. Here’s a helpful guide to setting your social media goals.

Step 2: Create a LinkedIn Group and fill in required information

Go to your Groups page from the grid icon in the top-right corner of LinkedIn.

Then, click the Create Group button.

Fill out the following information when the window pops open:

• Group name and description
• Industry and location (optional)
• Rules (optional)
• Privacy settings (public or private)
• Private group discoverability (listed or unlisted)
• Member permissions

You can also upload a group logo and cover image here to visually represent your brand or topic. It also helps you look professional.

Step 3: Finalize your LinkedIn Group

Once the form is complete, click the Create button.

That’s it. Your group is now live.

You’ll be listed as the group’s owner, and you can assign other members as admins or co-owners later. Learn more about group roles and permissions.

Step 4: Write a welcome message to new members

LinkedIn lets you write a welcome message that new members can see on top of the group feed right after they join.

Use this space to introduce the purpose of your group and set the tone for discussion. Let newcomers know what to expect, how to contribute and where to start.

Here’s an example of a welcome message:

A message like this encourages engagement from day one and makes the group feel more personal and active.

Step 5: Invite members to join your LinkedIn Group

Now the fun begins!

Start inviting people from your network who would find value in the group.

You can also ask coworkers, customers or brand advocates to join and help initiate the first few conversations. This early momentum is key to building a strong community.

Best practices to grow and engage your LinkedIn Group

Creating a group is just the beginning. To build a strong, active community, you need the right strategy to keep people engaged and coming back.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Invite members and expand your reach

Tap into your existing network and find people who are a good fit for your group’s topic. Bonus points if they’re active on LinkedIn and more likely to contribute.

For example, if you’re running a group for startup founders, you could invite people you’ve met at events or through industry communities.

You can also promote the group on your company page, newsletter, blog or even webinars. The key is to have the right people join instead of simply growing a number.

Facilitate engaging discussions

Keep the group active by posting regular, relevant prompts. Questions, polls and useful links are great conversation starters.

In a search marketing group, for instance, you could ask: “What’s one thing you’ve changed in your strategy after the latest Google update?”

Make time to build on the discussion and reply to comments. When the group’s owner engages, it often encourages others to share their thoughts.

Moderate and manage group content

If you want your group to stay useful, you have to consistently moderate the content.

For example:

• Remove off-topic posts, spam or repeated self-promotion
• Set up post approvals, especially as your group grows

Outline rules in your group description or welcome post so members know what to expect.

3 Examples of successful LinkedIn Groups

If you want to see what a thriving LinkedIn Group looks like, here are three examples of groups that are active and managed well.

Content Marketing Institute

The Content Marketing Institute group is a private, listed LinkedIn community built for anyone working in or interested in content marketing. The group has over 150,000 thousand members and continues to grow, with hundreds of new members joining weekly.

Members use the group to ask questions, share experiences and talk about what’s working in content marketing. All posts go through admin approval, and promotions and unrelated links aren’t allowed. This ensures all conversations stay relevant and useful.

Women in Photography

Women in Photography is a private, listed LinkedIn Group for women who are passionate about photography. The group is open to both beginners and professionals and sees regular activity with new posts every day.

The group is a supportive space where members are encouraged to post once a day, share their work, ask questions and start photography-related discussions.

You need to request access to join the group. Moderators will review your profile to confirm you’re female before approving your request. This is also mentioned in the group’s rules, which you can review before joining.

Search Engine Land

Search Engine Land is a private, listed group with over 137,000 members focused on SEO, PPC and search engine marketing. It’s known as a go-to hub for industry news, how-to guides and expert analysis.

The group stays active with polls, job posts and daily discussions. Members often use the tag #QuestionForTheGroup to ask for help or feedback, and responses are quick and thoughtful.

It brings together a mix of professionals, including marketers, developers and tech leaders, which makes it a valuable space to learn and connect.

Build a community with your target audience using LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn Groups give you plenty of opportunities to learn about your audience. Where else can you have such a concentration of people who have come specifically to consume your content and interact with you?

Now that you know all there is to know about LinkedIn Groups, go ahead and start making and joining groups today.

If you’re looking for more LinkedIn tips for your brand, use our LinkedIn strategy template worksheet to audit and expand your efforts.

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