Making Solid Connections on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the biggest social media opportunity for businesses, entrepreneurs, and job seekers. This is due to its large user base of people focused on improving their professional lives. But, like most social media platforms, connections on Linkedin can be shallow. Everyone wants the coveted 500+ connections next to their name even if they only regularly chat with a handful of those connections.

As a result, Linkedin has become yet another online social club with no real-life impact. But LinkedIn wasn’t created for shallow connections and doesn’t have to be  a social club. There are ways to make mutually beneficial connections that will help you along your career path. In this blog post, we’ll be sharing with you 7 ways you can make meaningful connections on LinkedIn.

#1 Post an article

A surefire way to make meaningful connections on LinkedIn is to post something meaningful. This should be something that pertains to your industry and something you’re passionate about. Posting an article encourages engagements and shows recruiters and hiring managers that your passion is real.

If writing isn’t your forte, write a rough draft and have a writer friend review it. Or download software like Grammarly to ensure your post is error-free.

Make sure your article is timely, short, infused with hashtags for a broader reach, and posted at the optimal time. According to the balance, articles posted on Tuesdays between 11AM-12AM garner the most clicks and shares.

#2 Leave a comment

Another way to make meaningful connections on LinkedIn is to leave a comment on someone else’s post. And by this I don’t mean leaving a lazy thumbs up or one-worded response like “Awesome”! These things have their place, obviously, but if you’re looking to make deeper connections on LinkedIn leave a meaningful response.

Asking a question is a great way to encourage a discussion and began to nurture that connection.

#3 Upload a video

If you’re on the shyer side, this may be a bit nerve-wracking, but posting a video is a fantastic way to make meaningful connections on LinkedIn. For starters, people are most likely to watch a video than read something, and secondly, people get to see your personality.

Skill and experience are important, but personality and character can make or break your career. So, don’t be shy. Like with writing an article, find a topic you’re both passionate and knowledgeable, set up your camera or phone, and hit record.

#4 Repost

Reposting a company or individual’s post is a common way to increase engagement and make connections. But there is a right way and wrong way to do it. The wrong way to repost is to simply repost without any comment or insight from you. This is lazy.

The right way to repost is to find a post that truly stuck out to you and to explain why you’re reposting in your post. This shows the original author that you took the time to analyze what he or she said and didn’t just blindly repost something that you found mildly inspirational.

#5 Reconnect with old colleagues

You’d be surprised at how many people you actually know. This is especially true if you went to college or have been in the workforce for any number of years. Make a list of all the college peers or former workmates you knew in the past and start reconnecting with those people. Avoid using the generic LinkedIn connection request message. Personalize it. If it’s been a while, say so in the message and remind them of how you know them.

#6 Take advantage of the “People You May Know” and “Alumni” Feature

LinkedIn’s People You May Know feature employs a savvy algorithm, which searches for people you’re connected to, in various ways, and displays them all in a convenient fashion. It’ll also show you how you’re connected to that person.

The “Alumni” search feature on LinkedIn is also quite powerful, as you can not only narrow your search by high school or college, but by your geographical location as well. So, make sure to plug in the high school(s) and/or college(s) you attended to expand your results.

LinkedIn is constantly evolving and adding new features. Stay on top of those changes and be sure to take advantage of them.

#7 Be real

Last but not least, to make genuine connections on LinkedIn, you need to be genuine yourself. It’s easy to see what other people are doing and try to emulate it, but it’ll come across as flat. Be yourself. Showcase your unique personality in everything that you post. This will attract the kinds of connections you’re looking for.

In conclusion

If you want to build a strong network on LinkedIn, you have to be present on LinkedIn. You can’t post once a month and expect new career paths to magically open up for you. LinkedIn was created to open doors of opportunity. So, follow these tips and watch those doors open for you!

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Tags: career opportunities, connections on Linkedin, Grammarly, LinkedIn, Social Media

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