#LinkedIn is all about making connections.
Grow Your Connections on LinkedIn
You want your network to include not just the people you know personally but also the people you wish you knew. LinkedIn is a massive social platform with more than 500 million members, of which 260 million log in at least once a month. However, the most impressive stat is its more than 100 million users who unfailingly log in every day.
LinkedIn is the undisputed leader when it comes to professional networking. Its popularity and massive user base, however, can intimidate users. After all, it may seem overwhelming that you have to compete with so many profiles if you want to stand out.
Here are some proven ways to grow your LinkedIn connections:
Personalize Your Connection Requests
Nothing turns potential connections off than a connection request that was obviously ‘sent to all’. Sending them a generic message will just push them toward ignoring your invite. Your invite will likely be your first point of professional contact so make it count. Use your invite to make them feel special. And how do you do that? Personalize the connection request.
Do some research about the person you plan to invite so you can write a compelling invitation. Here are some examples of personalized invites:
- Nice to meet you while traveling to New York last week. Let’s stay in touch.
- I’ve seen your posts and noticed some of your work. I really appreciate your perspectives and would love to connect.
Follow Up
Don’t just focus on the online side of things. Turn offline connections into LinkedIn connections. Met someone at a trade show? Add him on LinkedIn. Got introduced to someone at a charity event? Add her on LinkedIn. Is there a coffee shop you frequently visit? Add its owner on LinkedIn. The list goes on. Basically, if there’s someone you know in real life, he/she should be on your LinkedIn network.
Set Monthly Growth Goals
It’s pretty discouraging to aim for 1,000 connections when you currently only have 50. Divide your new goal into milestones, for the sake of your own sanity. Let’s say you want 950 more connections within the next three months, it’ll be better to aim for at least 350 new connections every month, let’s say.
By doing so, your performance will be easier to measure and identify potential areas for improvement.
Post Regularly
Post often but make sure your posts have actual value. Don’t devalue your profile by posting just for the sake of posting. Whenever someone likes or shares your post, it appears on their newsfeed. So if let’s say, someone with 1,000 connections shares your post, you’re essentially getting free advertisement to those 1,000 people.
As long as you post valuables on a continuous basis, each post will be an additional opportunity for engagement.
Use #Images
Images make posts more engaging in an exponential way. In fact, recent studies show that adding 1 single image to a long text wall will increase its number of views by an 11-fold average. Doing so will add variety to your posts, too. You are not just posting links anymore, you are uploading and sharing images as well.
Engage with Existing Connections
Leave ‘likes’ and ‘comments’ on posts made by your current connections. They might start liking and commenting on your posts too which is a win-win situation. You’ll be helping each other gain exposure from each other’s connections.
Promote Your LinkedIn URL on Other Social Channels
Use the other social media platforms you are using to promote your LinkedIn. You must have at least a few followers on #Facebook, #YouTube, #Instagram, etc. Use them to promote your LinkedIn every once in a while. You never know when some of your connections on other channels might make for great LinkedIn connections.
Leverage Keywords in Your Profile
Strategically use keywords in your LinkedIn Profile. For each section, you’re given only a limited number of words so make each count. To maximize your exposure, use common variations in your job title, skills, and duties. For example, if you are a content writer, you can use the keywords below:
Research and Publish Articles
Don’t be content with just sharing articles written by others. Publish your own original articles too. Posting native content (long-form posts) on a regular basis is one of the best ways you can establish yourself as an expert in your industry. Another great thing about this is that your entire network will get notified each time you publish your own original article.
Conclusion
Just like search engine optimization (SEO), it takes constant effort to optimize your LinkedIn profile. Use these 9 tips to continually expand your network of professionals. Build a strategy based on them. Execute the strategy properly and you will slowly but surely get connections.
And that’s how you grow your LinkedIn connections without spending a dime. But if you want to achieve rapid LinkedIn growth without doing any of the hard work, check out LinkedIn Growth by Awesomarky. LinkedIn Growth is the most reliable service out there on LinkedIn Growth. We don’t use bots, just legit techniques. We guarantee that each new connection will be authentic and active.
