How to Network More Effectively on LinkedIn
In this article we explore how to network more effectively on LinkedIn. Whether you are new to LinkedIn or a long time member, it will help you maximise your time on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is not social media platform. It is a professional networking platform, and I’d like you to imagine it’s a virtual room where you can converse with your community and learn from others. If your profile is up to date, LinkedIn is also a place where you’re likely to find your next job or client or get head hunted.
LinkedIn rewards those who are curious and open to learning how to better connect with and help their community.
How to Network on LinkedIn
In an increasingly disconnected world, LinkedIn is a great place to stay in touch with your professional community. If you believe in good manners, diverse points of view and respectful debates, networking effectively on LinkedIn helps you engage with the insights of professionals and continue conversations you’ve had at in real life or online events, conferences or social gatherings.
How to Network More Effectively on LinkedIn
Networking on LinkedIn is not hard, your LinkedIn actions simply need a strategy and framework and a small amount of time from you every other day. Some of the key LinkedIn networking rituals included on our Networking & Sales Rituals modules are detailed in the table below. Most of these LinkedIn Networking rituals can be done with a free LinkedIn account.
| Make your LinkedIn profile viewable so people can see your name and headline when you view their LinkedIn profile. |
| Connect with everyone (yes, everyone) you know and spend more time on LinkedIn. |
| Send personalised invitations to connect. |
| Include a link to your LinkedIn Profile in your email signature . |
| Include a link to your LinkedIn Profile in the About Us of your website if it individually features you. |
| Reach out to relevant LinkedIn members who’ve been viewing your profile, including 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree connections. |
| Accept invitations to connect promptly (within 24 hours). |
| Send follow up messages to relevant connections who’ve sent you an invitation to connect to start a conversation. |
| Congratulate connections on events such as work anniversaries and job movements, either publicly via the LinkedIn newsfeed or privately via LinkedIn messaging. |
| Conduct client searches and look at their profiles. |
| If potential clients are active on LinkedIn, follow their LinkedIn profiles. |
| If you share mutual connections with potential clients on LinkedIn, reach out to these mutual connections to introduce you (off LinkedIn). |
| Have a content framework for your LinkedIn activities, including micro-stories, polls and value adding content based on your areas of expertise. |
| Publish LinkedIn articles, or even a LinkedIn newsletter and respond promptly to likes / comments |
Most people need a month or so before they’ve embedded the daily, weekly and monthly LinkedIn networking rituals we recommend in our LinkedIn training and mentoring. You will be more effective on LinkedIn if you consistently follow these rituals and post content within an overall framework based on your professional goals and topic focus.
Once these rituals are embedded in your way of working you will be in a better position to assess the value of LinkedIn Premium for paid features such as extended search and seeing your profile views, beyond the 5 member profile views offered with free LinkedIn membership.
Advantages of Networking on LinkedIn
When you focus on your professional goals and how LinkedIn can help you achieve them, you are taking a more strategic approach to your LinkedIn efforts. Being more active on LinkedIn with regular networking rituals can help you build relationships; create and provide opportunities for yourself and others; teach and learn from others; encourage referrals and job opportunities and stay relevant and top of mind within and beyond your connections and industry.
Your LinkedIn Profile & LinkedIn Etiquette
Your LinkedIn profile needs to represent you well to maximise your LinkedIn networking and marketing efforts. We’ve written extensively about this here on the blog and encourage you to browse our knowledge articles and free downloads if you believe your LinkedIn Profile needs some attention.
Once you’re feeling more confident about how you’re presenting yourself on LinkedIn, remember that LinkedIn is just like a virtual room at a professional event and that you must treat your connections like gold. Being connected to someone on LinkedIn does not give you permission to sell to them. Take a community member approach and consider how you can add value to other LinkedIn members with the content you post. All content you like and comment on via your LinkedIn Profile is seen by your connections, which enables you to engage in the professional topics and causes you care about.
Linked Networking, Sales and Content Marketing Training
In our LinkedIn Marketing Mentoring program we dedicate a module to Networking and Sales Rituals. A ritualised approach is recommended for maximising your time on LinkedIn, whether it be for your networking, sales, content or marketing efforts. These rituals include daily, weekly and monthly actions. We provide messaging scripts and templates for clients to help them save time with these rituals and develop messaging that suits their focus for LinkedIn.
