By Melanie Lee, Dawn Mullarney and Chantel Soumis
Here are the best ways to leverage this social network to your advantage.
How to Become a Voice of Influence
Did you know that less than 1% of profiles on LinkedIn actually create and share content? Sharing wisdom on LinkedIn through various content formats can significantly enhance your professional influence and generate incredible opportunities. Here’s how:
- Articles: Writing informative articles can establish you as a thought leader. Search engines highly favor LinkedIn articles, pushing them to the top of listings and increasing your visibility.
- Videos: Engaging and informative videos can capture attention quickly. Use them to share insights, demonstrate expertise or showcase success stories.
- Images: Eye-catching images can drive engagement. Use them to make your content more shareable.
- Documents: Sharing valuable documents like whitepapers, case studies or reports can provide deep insights and practical knowledge to your audience.
- Newsletters: Regular newsletters can keep your audience informed and engaged with your latest insights, industry news, and updates.
- Events: Hosting or promoting events on LinkedIn can connect with your audience in real time, fostering deeper relationships and collaboration opportunities.
– Chantel Soumis
How to Grow Your LinkedIn Network
Growing your LinkedIn network effectively involves more than just sending connection requests. Here are some strategies to make meaningful connections:
- Join relevant groups: Participate in discussions within industry-specific groups. Share insights, ask questions and connect with active members.
- Attend online events: Join webinars, virtual meetups and industry conferences. Engage with attendees before, during and after the event by sharing takeaways and continuing the conversation.
- Personalize connection requests: Always include a personalized note when sending connection requests. Mention common interests, mutual connections or recent discussions to build rapport.
- Share valuable content: Post articles, insights and updates related to your industry. Engage with comments and feedback to foster deeper connections.
- Leverage existing connections: Ask current connections for introductions to people you’d like to meet. A warm introduction can significantly increase the likelihood of acceptance.
– Dawn Mullarney
How to Take Connections Offline
Moving offline allows you to meet the person behind their profile, fostering a genuine relationship that can lead to deeper connection. There are several ways to do this:
- Meet for coffee: One-on-one interaction in a relaxed setting enables deeper conversations and more personal bonds.
- Attend in-person events: Build trust and credibility by attending events, introducing yourself to new people.
- Guest podcast: Share your expertise with a wider audience and connect with podcast hosts and their listeners.
- Host an event: Create a platform for others to come to you, facilitating organic networking and collaboration opportunities.
- Join professional organizations: Meet like-minded professionals through local professional groups.
- Attend meetups: Engage in interest-based gatherings to connect with people in an informal setting.
- Volunteer: Build relationships through shared values and passions while benefiting the community.
– Melanie Lee
