LinkedIn has 810 million members and a lot of power to help you connect with your target audience, whether it’s clients, employees, or potential employers.
It can be used to raise name brand awareness for your own personal brand as well as to help an employer’s business grow. You can also use it for job searching, as currently 6 people are hired through the platform every minute.
To take advantage of these incredible benefits, however, you must have a strong network. Mass-spamming connection requests to anyone who appears to have a job title that matches what you’re looking for isn’t going to work.
Do you want to expand your network into something that will truly benefit you? These are some of the most important tips.
1. Look for People You Want to Engage With
You should begin by reaching out to people with whom you want to connect. This can help you get started on building a network.
However, it is critical to be selective about who you connect with.
Sure, “connecting” with an industry superstar like Gary V would be fantastic… However, it is unlikely to get you anywhere. Those mega-famous people have so many followers and connections that there’s a slim chance you’ll get genuine engagement.
Instead, look for people who meet the following requirements:
- They appear to be extremely active on the platform, posting great resources, starting discussions, and engaging with others on a regular basis.
- You know them personally or have a “friend of a friend” relationship with them.
- They are in your exact target audience, which may involve some research; don’t be afraid to get specific.
Send a nice message explaining what you have in common and why you’d like to connect when you send that connection request. This significantly increases the chances of acceptance.
2. Engage Both Publicly and Privately
Interact with the content of other connections.
That is a fundamental principle of social media, but it is easy to overlook.
The more you interact with other users’ posts by commenting or liking them, the more likely it is that the following events will occur:
- You’re forming some sort of relationship with the poster (which may be minor or significant, but it can go a long way later on when you’re looking for work).
- Other people reading the discussion can see your comments; if they like what you have to say, they’ll often reach out to you with a connection request.
- Your activity appears in your own feed, allowing you to stay current without having to create lengthy posts.
You should also interact privately with other users. You can contact them to share a personal story about a post that spoke to you, or to thank them for advice or a referral. The goal is to cultivate relationships.
Just don’t make a hard sell to new connections who don’t want to hear it.
3. Take a Content-first Approach
When compared to other social media platforms, 77% of content marketers believe LinkedIn has the best organic reach and can drive the best organic results, particularly for professional content.
Creating valuable resources that share your unique experience and knowledge in order to help others is one of the most effective ways to build both your network and your brand.
Long-form content performs exceptionally well on LinkedIn, and it’s an excellent way to begin your journey to becoming a LinkedIn influencer. And here are a few quick pointers:
- Begin with a story or experience that people can relate to or that captures their attention.
- If possible, include relevant statistics or sources.
- Finish with actionable tips that readers can take away from the post and put into practice.
4. Make Sure That Your Account is Visually Appealing
There’s something I like to call the LinkedIn profile checklist, and for the best results, you’ll want to have every item checked off before you start trying to build connections. This includes the following:
- Having a professional profile picture with a smile (just you and something you’d wear to meet with clients).
- A bio that is straightforward about what your experience is and what you’re looking for.
- A strong tagline that reinforces what you offer while injecting some personality into your profile.
- A current website (if applicable) and work experience
5. Include Images in Your Posts
Want to quickly boost the reach of your LinkedIn posts (which can directly impact visibility and thus inbound connection requests)?
Incorporate images and/or videos into your posts. A single image can attract a lot of attention in the LinkedIn feed. Multiple studies show that they can generate 2x the engagement of posts without images.
6. Make Sure You Are Genuine
This is possibly the most crucial tip of all.
Just be yourself. If you’re not, and you’re attempting to play a character or put on a persona, people will be able to tell. Instead of attracting people, it will drive them away.
If you’re looking for new ways to expand your LinkedIn network, these suggestions are the most dependable. You’re playing a long game here, so you’ll want to remember to be patient as well as consistent.