3 Simple Ways to Network Better on LinkedIn

LinkedIn has a solid reputation as the jobseeker’s social platform of choice; while it’s certainly possible to look for jobs and develop connections on Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn remains the most powerful online channel for expanding your professional network.

This doesn’t happen without some effort, though. Fortunately, there are some small, simple things you can do—each and every day—to network more effectively on LinkedIn. Ultimately, these small daily habits may land you your next big career move.

Post Status Updates

You know that old saying, out of sight, out of mind? Well, there’s an extent to which that’s true on LinkedIn. Having a big network in place is good, but it won’t get you far if the people in your network forget that you exist. Remind them by posting regular status updates.

Crucially, these need to be updates that underscore your professional acumen. Save your funny pet stories for Facebook, and your political hot takes for Twitter. On LinkedIn, use status updates to cultivate thought leadership. Post articles or news updates that pertain to your industry. Prove yourself to be knowledgeable and credible within your field.

Accept Connection Requests

You probably receive plenty of regular requests to join other people’s network. Don’t let these requests build up, unacknowledged. Take just a minute or two each day to check for new LinkedIn requests and to confirm them.

You don’t necessarily have to accept requests, of course. You can always ignore them. Generally speaking, you should at least accept the ones from people you know or who work within your field. If you get a totally random request from someone in a totally unrelated field, that’s an occasion on which ignoring might make the most sense.

Engage Your Network

Finally, as you take the time to accept new requests, also engage with what’s happening in your network. If nothing else, you may notice some birthdays or work anniversaries. It never hurts to take just a moment to send a quick note, acknowledging these events. Again: Keeping yourself visible to the people in your network will only help you in your job search.

Each of these three steps is quite simple; really, it all comes down to working LinkedIn into your day. Spend 10 minutes checking in while you sip your morning coffee. It may not seem like you’re doing much, but actually, you’re forming the right networking habits to really make LinkedIn work for you.