Lissa Duty and John Nosal, keynote speakers, presented “LinkedIn: Your Professional Network to Create Connection and Opportunity” at #DFWRocks2014. A few of the highlights of their presentation are listed below.
Using LinkedIn to Create Connections
Don’t just use the generic “I want to connect with you” message on LinkedIn, let people know HOW you know them. “Hey, I love your site about Chihuahas” or “We met at the DFW Rocks Social Media Conference” lets your potential new connection know why you are a valuable connection.
Follow Up With Your Connections
- “Thanks for connecting and I look forward to learning more about you” – This way, people know you aren’t selling.
- Add a short personal blurb about you.
- Start a new paragraph that talks about your work but not in a sales-focused way.
- Closing paragraph – Make sure to thank them & ask to learn more about them. Remind them that you are waiting for a response.
Save this as a template in Word or another platform, then you can just go in and personalize each time you send it.
Make sure you are always on the mind of your connections. Post content. Update your LinkedIn status daily to be sure that you are being seen. Use questions in your updates.
You also need to connect on other people’s updates. Make comments. Build rapport.
Participate in groups and network with people who have similar interests. Post in the groups and grow your connections.
You can search for People, Companies & Groups. If you put a two-word search string in quotes (like “social media”) LinkedIn will search for that specific topic.
You set your boundaries. You can be very stringent about who you connect with or you can be an Open Networker. LinkedIn Open Networkers (those who will connect with people pretty openly) are identified on LinkedIn as “LION”
And if you manage to net yourself some rabid supporters in South Africa (as Dean Lindsay has), you’re probably providing good content on LinkedIn – Rock on!!
You create OFFLINE and ONLINE connections daily. What you do after you create those connections is one of the most important parts!
Lissa Duty and John Nosal are co-authors of Your LinkedIn Professional Network: How to Connect, Optimize, and Implement for Success. You can learn more about leveraging LinkedIn in their recently published book.
