You’ve probably heard that posting multiple times a day and making tons of connection requests are among the best ways to build your LinkedIn network.
Wrong. And wrong.
Enough With the “Look At Me! Look At Me!” Approach
High volume posting has a “Look at me! Look at me!” quality that social media users (especially business users) find increasingly annoying.
LinkedIn users (your would-be prospects) don’t want more content. They want more meaningful connections.
Think of it Like Dating
When it comes to connection requests, it’s best to think of your approach like dating. When you meet someone casually and ask for their number on the spot, they might give it to you, but probably not.
Meanwhile, your chances are much higher if you build some context and try to make a connection prior to asking for the digits.
Get to Know Your Prospects
It works the same way on LinkedIn. Instead of leading with a connection request, follow your prospect for a while. Get to know their interests, get a feel for them as a person, and build a profile.
When you “know” them (as well as you can know someone you never actually met or conversed with), start making comments on their posts.
And no hollow “Great post!” or “Thanks for the insights” type throwaway comments need apply here.
Make it Personal (Not Just Personalized)
Meaningful responses with your own unique take on the subject only, please.
After making a dozen legit comments over a two to three-week period, building some context, and at least making the prospect aware of your existence, you have a reasonable basis to make a connection request.
Now, there’s an art to an effective connection request, too. Meanwhile, that’s a post for another day.
But by laying out the groundwork outlined above, you become a known quantity that your intended prospect is far less likely to ignore when your connection request lands in their InMail inbox.
Give it a shot, and share your results. I’m all ears.
In the meantime, need help marketing your business?
Let’s chat: 310.466.7893 | ryan@ryananys.com
