How to Network on LinkedIn 10 Experts Weigh In

How to Network on LinkedIn 10 Experts Weigh In How to Network on LinkedIn 10 Experts Weigh In Whetzu sich youre trying to wrap up a job search, lay some groundwork for a future career move, or cultivate influence and credibility within your industry, networking on LinkedIn is so much more than collecting contacts.We Asked How to Network on LinkedInWe reached out to 10 experts with a series of questions to learn the best tips, techniques, and examples for how to network on LinkedIn.Austin Belcak, Career Coach and Director-level at MicrosoftDave Byrnes, Networking Trainer for IntrovertsMelanie L. Denny, Career Coach and LinkedIn StrategistBrett Ellis, Tech Career Coach and InstructorShelly Elsliger, Career Coach and LinkedIn TrainerBob McIntosh, MBTI Qualified Career Coach and LinkedIn TrainerHannah Morgan, Job Search Strategist and Career Services ProfessionalAshi Singhal, LinkedIn Branding SpecialistDonna Svei, Executive LinkedIn Profile WriterAshley Watkins, Career Coach and Former RecruiterBelow youll find answers to these LinkedIn networking questionsWhat is your favorite underutilized LinkedIn feature for networking?How should you connect and follow up on LinkedIn after a networking veranstaltung?What are some effective ways to take LinkedIn networking offline?How can introverts best utilize LinkedIn to overcome a common aversion to in-rolle networking events?What is the biggest misconception about networking on LinkedIn?Are there any profile red flags people should address that could be hindering their LinkedIn networking efforts?What are some ways someone could offer value to their growing LinkedIn network?What is your favorite underutilized LinkedIn feature for networking?Austin BelcakComments are easily the fruchtwein underutilized LinkedIn feature.Everyone hears about optimizing your profile, but leaving comments on posts is one of the best ways to drive profile views in a way you can control.Im not talking about comments like love this or great tips I m talking about comments that create value and add to the conversation.Heres my playbookSign on to LinkedIn and scroll through your feedFind a post from someone in your industry thats less than 3 hours old and has decent engagementLeave a thoughtful comment on that postRinse and repeatIf you leave great comments on the right posts, youre going to shoot to the top of the comments section and be able to piggyback on their post views, creating some awesome visibility for yourself.If you want more views, you just need to go out and leave more commentsBrett EllisI love writing articles and how-to guides on LinkedIn for passive and in-person networking. Its a great way to establish credibility, and theres no barrier to entry. LinkedIn articles are also great for in-person networking. Whenever I speak with people in networking environments, I always try to add value to their current situation. If that ever involves a job search or personal branding, I can offer them links to my specific ar ticles and how-to guides. This helps me to stand out as a helper. This often leads to connection requests on LinkedIn as well. That way, I can keep in contact with them after the in-person interaction. I also gain a new advocate for my services and resources. Its a win-win every time.Read more How to post on LinkedIn (and how I got 100k impressions) by Madeline MannHow should you connect and follow up on LinkedIn after a networking event? Shelly ElsligerThe magical formula to following up on LinkedIn after a networking event is to ensure that there is some discussion about LinkedIn at the event. Ask the person you would like to connect with if you could follow up on LinkedIn. If the person says yes, then this is a perfect segue to following up in your customized note that you send along with your connection request. In your note you can mention the event and something memorable about your discussion. Elude to the fact that this is the follow-up previously discussed. Ensure that you profile is optimized as well as your career story. Make sure you have a profile photo because if someone doesnt remember your name, they will often remember your face. Do all that you can to illicit positive memories from the event, the meeting, and the discussion. Make your note (up to 300 characters) pertinent, praiseful, and professional. For exampleJust following up on the discussion we had at the Commerce Career Mixer by connecting with you on LinkedIn. It was so nice to meet you and learn more about your transition into the world of Digital Marketing. I learned so much and look forward to meeting you for a coffee next month. Best, SharonAshley WatkinsIts easy to meet someone at a networking event, grab a business card, and never look back. Instead of connecting in vain, make it a habit to follow up with your new contacts. Immediately after exchanging information, ask to connect on LinkedIn. Send a personal note with your connection request to remind your contacts how/where you met and reference something you talked about at the event. When they accept and respond to your note, it leaves a paper trail you can to refer to later. Immediately after exchanging information, ask to connect on LinkedIn. Ashley WatkinsAfter about a week and while your name is still fresh, follow up. A coaching client recently used this strategy with an industry professional whod mentioned being short-staffed. I advised her to research the company and its challenges. In the follow-up message, she referenced their previous conversation at the event and shared her interest in joining the team. She included her value proposition along with a resume. A week later, she interviewed face-to-face with the department head and accepted her new role. While all connections wont result in a job offer, youve still expanded your network and an opportunity to share ideas, ask questions, and build relationships.Austin BelcakI always recommend using the Recap + Next Steps formula when Im following up after an event.Chances are pretty good that the person you spoke to met a lot of people at that event. Its helpful to remind them of who you are and what you spoke about to jog their memory.After the reminder, I always throw in a call to action for next steps to keep the conversation going. This shows youre genuinely interested in furthering the relationshipThe best way to leverage both of these is by adding a custom note with your LinkedIn request. Heres a quick template you can useHi Name, it was great meeting you at Event. I really enjoyed our conversation about Topic. You mentioned looking for some help with Thing. We started using a tool to solve that same herausforderung on my team, Id love to meet up for coffee and walk you through it if that would be helpfulRead more How to connect with someone on LinkedIn by Jon ShieldsWhat are some effective ways to take LinkedIn networking offline?Hannah MorganLinkedIn accelerates and scales the relationship-building process, making it faster and easier to build mutually beneficial, long-term relationships.Requesting a meeting willBuild a closer relationshipEnable you to tap into their knowledge/expertiseEstablish trust/familiarityAllow you to highlight your skills/expertiseLay the groundwork for future meetingBut you cant just ask someone for a meeting or conversation during your first interaction on LinkedIn. To earn the right to ask someone for a conversation (or favor), you need to build a connection with the person. You do this by finding a common professional interest, leaving a thoughtful comment, or showing interest in what they are doing or sharing.To earn the right to ask someone for a conversation, you need to build a connection with the person.Hannah MorganThere is another networking rule that applies here. Its the give to get rule. Earn the persons trust by showing you care about them. Offer the person youd like to meet something. It could be sharing news and trends youve learned about in your indust ry, offering help or advice, or you could introduce them to someone you think they should know. Showing respect is often all it takes to make the person want to meet with you.Your ultimate goal is to develop a relationship online that can be converted into IRL (in real life). It happens every dayHow can introverts best utilize LinkedIn to overcome a common aversion to in-person networking events?Bob McIntoshAttending job-seeker networking events are difficult for many people as it requires them to conjure up the energy and courage to meet with others who are unknown to them. For people who prefer introversion, networking events can be even tougher. I know, because Im an introvert.LinkedIn empowers introverts to reach out and make soft introductions to other LinkedIn users in their area. LinkedIn is particularly appealing to introverts who by nature prefer writing versus speaking. I have engaged with local LinkedIn users to the point where I feel I know them and would enjoy the oppor tunity to meet them at a networking event. The same procedure of developing soft introductions would apply to job seekers.LinkedIn is particularly appealing to introverts who by nature prefer writing versus speaking.Bob McIntoshWhats important to note, however, is that engagement is key. Yes, you must develop a network of like-minded people, but it cant end there. Engage with them through direct messaging, commenting on their posts, sharing articles of interest, and commenting on those articles. By doing this, you will allow others to get to know you. When you finally meet them in person, they are no longer unknown.Dave ByrnesTypical networking events involve meeting many people to find the few that can impact your career. For an introvert, that burns a lot of our limited social energy.Introverts excel in one-on-one or smaller group interactions. LinkedIn is a great tool to cut through all the trial and error of a typical networking event and only connect with the right people.Using your introvert strength for research and LinkedIns search feature, you can search by job title, industry, and location to build a list to network with. You can also save that search and see new people.Using LinkedIn can cut out a lot of the hit-and-miss nature of networking events.Dave ByrnesAs introverts often dislike small talk, you can view your new connections newsfeed to see what they are posting about and start a real conversation.The goal is to eventually build relationships in person, but using LinkedIn can cut out a lot of the hit-and-miss nature of networking events.What is the biggest misconception about networking on LinkedIn?Ashley WatkinsMost job seekers limit their LinkedIn connections to people they already know. Get your feet wet by aligning yourself with industry professionals youve never met, including people who work for other companies but share your same title or target job title. By networking with these newfound colleagues, you expand your reach and employee referral opportunities. If you get sweaty palms just thinking about awkwardly meeting someone at events, coffee dates, and expensive lunches, networking through LinkedIn opens the doors for QA sessions via your inbox or phone. Networking through LinkedIn opens the doors for QA sessions via your inbox or phone. Ashley WatkinsThese informational interviews are once-in-a-lifetime chances to gather insider information straight from the source. What you uncover could ultimately be the difference between your next job and a dodged bullet. When youre unsure of what to say to a fhigkeit connection, find a common interest or say congrats on their new article. Theyll be more inclined to entertain your inquiries and youll feel less cringe-y about reaching out to complete strangers.Austin BelcakThe biggest misconception about LinkedIn networking is that quantity is better than quality. I see a lot of people connecting with as many people as they can, but a connection with no other context is n othing more than a button click. Without a relationship, that connection likely isnt going to lead to the results you want.Instead, I recommend people hone in on a handful of people who can really make an impact on their goals.When you have your people, go deep on engagement.Try to get to their posts early with a reaction.Dont just leave a bland comment like, love these tips Take the time to read through their post and then write something that adds value to the discussion.Use their posts and profile to get an idea of their message, their goals, and their initiatives. Then find ways to add value there. Introduce them to someone who can help, share a resource (article, podcast, video, etc.) thats relevant to what theyre talking about. Show that youre paying attention and are willing to take action to help.Thats going to set you apart from the crowd and help you forge a relationship with that person. As the value you give grows, so does the likelihood of that person reciprocating.Are there any profile red flags people should address that could be hindering their LinkedIn networking efforts?Donna SveiWhen I look at a LinkedIn profile, my eye moves from the top to the bottom of the page. From a recruiting perspective, I consider the following to be red flags Has the person shared a profile photo? If not, I wonder what they dont want me to know.Next, I look for signs that they will see my outreach if I send them a message or InMail. If I dont see at least one of the following A green dot denoting that theyre currently on the siteA premium membership iconActivity such as posting or commenting on post. then I assume the person doesnt visit LinkedIn very often. This lack of activity makes me reluctant to try to engage with them.A sketchy work history. When I recruited I always knew how long a new hire would have to stay with my client to make an impact. I would then look at potential candidates most recent 10-year employment history and divide 10 by the number of empl oyers on their LinkedIn profiles. That gave me an average tenure per job for each person. If someones average tenure was less than my clients number, it was unlikely I would contact the person. The only thing that would mitigate this would be a description of compelling achievements in each job.So, be active enough on LinkedIn to inspire recruiters to make the effort to contact you, make an impact in your jobs, and share that information on your LinkedIn profile. Read more LinkedIn Profile Writing Guide by JobscanWhat are some ways someone could offer value to their growing LinkedIn network?Melanie L. Denny LinkedIn allows us all the unique opportunity to showcase our expertise and provide value to other professionals all over the globe. As LinkedIn users continually expand their reach, here are a few simple ways they can offer value to their growing network.Share meaningful articles, resources, or relevant industry content while offering a unique perspective and asking for others i nput.Write testimonials, give endorsements, and provide recommendations based on some real interaction of course.Initiate a phone call, lunch meeting, or coffee appointment with the purpose of building an authentic relationship through learning more about their current priorities.Offer encouraging words, compliment them, or answer questions through commenting on others posts.Publish helpful articles with practical advice that others can implement in their own lives.Take the initiative to introduce new connections to others in their industry or recommend groups they may be interested in based on their interests.Create and moderate a LinkedIn group that focuses on solving a specific problem.Ashi SinghalIf your LinkedIn network is the engine of your professional growth, value is its fuel.Value comes from your experiences, knowledge, expertise, skills, and stories of successes and failures.The more you share your stories, the more people will connect with them. Ultimately itll help you to expand your network.Applying these tips on LinkedIn will skyrocket your value offeringsUse different kinds of content to share your stories. Monotony kills the value proposition. Use text, images, gifs, videos, audiograms, PDFs, infographics to share your experiences and knowledge through your LinkedIn posts and articles.Drop your thoughtful comments on others content to offer value. By dropping 5 comments a day on different posts, you can easily add value in 5 different topics. It also helps you to build your visibility on LinkedIn.Reach out to people through messages. It seems difficult to initiate conversations with strangers. But these conversations are the soul of networking. These conversation help you to exchange insights with different people from different industries and backgrounds.Use LinkedIn groups to share value in a particular niche. Create a LinkedIn group and invite people to join the group who may find it beneficial. Then begin insightful conversations everyday. LinkedIn groups provide the best way to offer value focused in one specific domain.Whichever way you choose to engage with your network, just Be you while adding value.Dont try to copy anyone. Your uniqueness is your value proposition. Itll make your network trust you. And that trust is everything which youll ever need to grow on LinkedIn.Use these tips in your day to day LinkedIn activities. Over a period of time if youre consistent enough, youll observe staggering results.Dont try to copy anyone. Your uniqueness is your value proposition.Ashi Singhal