Connor Brooke
LinkedIn is the boring brother of Facebook and Twitter.
Sometimes you feel like shaking him and asking if if he knows what it’s like to have a little bit of fun. Comparisons continue to be made including the ones between Facebook and Linkedin. One I have heard that sums it up well is….”Facebook is like hanging out at a barbeque with friends while LinkedIn is the cocktail party“.
Compared to Twitter, the social media rock star that attracts the media spotlight and streams across the bottom of the television, LinkedIn is a bit buttoned up. It’s suit and tie versus jeans and t-shirt. Sometimes you feel like you should be prodding it with a stick.
But despite the comparisons, the jokes and the snide remarks, LinkedIn is not to be underestimated. It can connect you to powerful influencers, provide a focused ecosystem to share your content and be a B2B marketers best friend.
These numbers put some context on the importance and scale of the LinkedIn community.
- 187 million monthly unique users
- 3 million LinkedIn business pages
- 2.1 million Linkedin groups
So what are some simple tips to be more effective on LinkedIn and make use of its global network of movers and shakers?
10 tips to double your LinkedIn connections
Sometimes the simplest tactics are forgotten that can make a big difference over time. With the majority of users having less than 500 connections these tips will provide the guidelines to take it beyond the 1,000 barrier.
- Update your status daily. This could include posting your latest blog post, sharing an interesting Slideshare presentation or an article that is of value to your industry and niche
- Participate in (or start) a LinkedIn group discussion weekly
- Follow influencers and ask or answer questions on their posts
- Join relevant LinkedIn groups and focus on 3-5 of these and stay active on each one
- Send one new invite daily and personalize it. Don’t use the standard default invite request
- Prominently display your contact information so you make it easy for people to contact you
- Endorse people you know for their skills with no expectation of reciprocation
- Promote your LinkedIn profile. Include it on your card, place it in your email signature and on your website/blog
- Tweet your LinkedIn updates to Twitter.
- Include links to your blog and website in your LinkedIn profile. This will help you build credibility by displaying your full online presence.
For more tips check out the Infographic below.
Infographic source: Whoishostingthis.com
What about you?
How are you using LinkedIn? Are you a Linkedin power user? What is your best story about the effectiveness of LinkedIn?
Look forward to your insights in the comments below.
Learn how to create and grow a successful blog powered by social media
My book – “Blogging the Smart Way – How to Create and Market a Killer Blog with Social Media” – reveals the tips and the tactics.
Read more: How To Find the Best Connections on LinkedIn
This article was written for Business 2 Community by Connor Brooke.
Learn how to publish your content on B2C
Join our Telegram channel to stay up to date on breaking news coverage
Add B2C to your Google News Feed
Great ‘to do’ list for getting more involved in LinkedIn. The main issue for me is finding the time to perform all the ‘tasks’ you mention – on a daily basis. That’s why I recommend using your Blog posts to feed into your FB, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts (e.g. JetPack), thus saving you a lot of time, but keeping you in the social media sphere at all times.
Neil
http://goo.gl/0N2cU3
I would have the opposite advice: every few month, comb through your LI contacts and throw out the deadbeats. Hyper-mass is inefficient. This article, anyway, is only there to attract more people to LinkedIn. It’s Nuevo advertising, hence a precious waste of my time.
Thank you for the helpful tips! I found my current part-time on LinkedIn, and am praying to find another this way.
I get requests all the time from people I don’t know, or people I know only on a casual or social basis. I never accept these invitations, because they are NOT part of my professional network. I build my professional network by working with people and developing relationships, then use LinkedIn to MANAGE that network.
Agree! And… Never Robo-Post! So many people using LinkedIn now to post generic articles that are aleady out there! Also, whenever you see a post written with third person pronouns (and it’s that person’s post) – they have delegated LinkedIn to an assistant and it is not even them! Embarrasing?
2.1 million groups sounds impressive until checking into group membership. Over 500,000 “groups” have only one member. A group with 10,000 members ranks, by size, in the top 4500. 98% of groups are inconsequential and are a waste of time.
This is pointless. Most normal people DO NOT really *know* 3,000+ people (or whatever number). Anybody who is linked to more than 700 is probably just pointlessly linking to people.
Years back the mantra of LinkedIn was to only add people that you knew well and would vouch for – somehow that changed.
Agree. Stay strong!
Why would I wish to double the number of contacts?
I know some of the community just want to have a measuring contest! but seriously why do I want to let someone A) I don’t know and B)don’t want to be in contact with, share my connections.
I already have to delete all those who want to be in my network whom I’ve never heard of – Im getting sick of it. Surley My network is just that MINE its full of people I Like, Trust, Know are professional and hopefully respect me. It isn’t twatter.
Or am I missing the point of LinkedIn ?
Actually taking time to really know people is another great approach…and it can help your career, business or development/mentoring more than just ‘connecting’. Concentrating on connection quality will help much more than just shear connection volume. Also, taking the time to recognize others through recommendations or ‘top skills’ sections is a way to role model good network value. More than anything…coming up with ways to add value FOR your network will make others want to join your network.
To be honest, I’m really trying to develop connections on the site, but the thing is, I’m not exactly sure HOW to start.
This article is very misleading. LinkedIn is a “Professional Networking tool” to keep track of your collegues and access to inspiring people. It is not another social network. I will not trusth a regular person with more than 500 connections. It is not the number its the quality of people that you know and that you are connected to support your professional skills.
Poor marketing strategy!
I like the fact that LinkedIn is the more professional member of the social media family. Just like the gross uncle that can belch the alphabet, Facebook can be crude and nagging. LinkedIn is for us more serious individuals who go to the site for a purpose, whether its networking, providing information on new technologies or looking for a new position. My interactions and connections should reflect the position I want and not resemble a weekend frat party.
Lovingly spend MORE time with the people who matter!
If you try to be everything to everyone you end up being nothing to everyone. Jack of all trades master of none. Etc…
When you have the right people, SMALL IS GOOD! Small can be highly reciprocally profitable if you properly “qualify” the people.
LinkedIn is a great professional networking tool. It is important to make genuine connections with people based on your previous interaction(s) with them and to increase your contacts in this manner. As for the previous query or comments from Monee Williams,who wanted to know how to start being connected, I would suggest that you search for the people you know from your professional life on LinkedIn and build your network from there.
I’m trying to use linkein to brand myself, will try a few of these tips you have here, thanks.
good ideas. Don’t just add names, add individuals that make sense to your profession and job search.