Those who join LinkedIn do so with a certain goal in mind. Often, the goal is to establish and expand your professional network, retain contacts in one place, expand businesses, obtain employment, and sometimes stay current with the industry. When it comes to networking and job applications, LinkedIn in some ways has the power to make or break you. LinkedIn, the world’s largest online professional network, had over 875 million members from 58 million registered companies worldwide as of December 2022. This vast ecosystem provides an incredible opportunity for networking, making it crucial to know how to effectively leverage LinkedIn to maximize your presence on the platform and network on the same.
To quickly create and maintain a strong network, on Linkedin you need to thoroughly investigate LinkedIn’s variety of resources. But, features are always evolving, thus your actions must change. Perhaps some good ideas have a very high likelihood of becoming bothersome to other users.
LinkedIn Networking – Dos
These are 8 dos to help you stay relevant and popular among LinkedIn users.
1. Do Optimize Your Linkedin Profile
To make strong networks on Linkedin, you need to optimize your Linkedin profile. Start by using a professional profile picture and creating a compelling headline. Write a concise and engaging summary that showcases your experience, skills, and career goals. List your current and past work experience, highlighting your achievements and quantifying your results.
Request recommendations from former colleagues, managers, or clients to showcase your skills and work ethic. Keep your profile up-to-date by adding new skills, experiences, or certifications. Use relevant keywords throughout your profile to help recruiters or potential connections find you. By following these tips, you can optimize your LinkedIn profile and showcase your professional brand.
Do Optimize Your Linkedin Profile
2. Do Reply to Linkedin Connections Promptly
LinkedIn is an additional way to communicate to add to your pipeline, similar to how it’s appropriate to react to emails, phone conversations, and even text messages within 24 hours. Make careful to reply to connection messages within a couple of days. Replying promptly to LinkedIn connections is important for building and maintaining relationships. When someone reaches out to you on LinkedIn, whether it’s a connection request or a message, it’s essential to respond in a timely manner.
Prompt replies show that you’re responsive, professional, and interested in building a relationship. Plus, it’s a great way to show respect for the other person’s time and effort. By responding promptly, you can build stronger connections, increase your visibility, and create new opportunities for your career or business.
Do Reply to Connections Promptly
3. Do Sign Up for Linkedin Groups
At LinkedIn, groups are the means of accomplishing tasks. They help you establish a reputation and broaden your networking opportunities. Linkedin Groups enable you to spread your work more effectively and specifically if you’re also developing content for LinkedIn. To find groups that match your interests, use the search feature and look for keywords that professionals in your field commonly use.
These groups can be related to your industry or alumni networks. Being a member of a group allows you to engage in various conversations by sharing articles, documents, videos, text updates, and commenting on other members’ posts. It’s an excellent way to contribute and start meaningful conversations.
People can learn more about you and your company by participating in groups. Participate in as many groups as you can, but bear in mind that to gain from them and be viewed as a valued connection, you must participate actively. To locate groups that can assist you in achieving your professional and business objectives, consider your talents, hobbies, and area of expertise.
Do Join Linkedin Groups
4. Do Personalize the Invitations you Send Out
You can include a personalized message to your invitation request on LinkedIn to let the other person know why they should be added to your network. The majority of LinkedIn users are often kind and responsive. However, keep in mind that you should make a good first impression with the connection first before requesting a job referral. Start by texting your contacts to have an informative talk about their professional development.
Do Personalize the Invitations you Send Out
5. Do Post Frequently
One of the best methods to continue to be visible on the LinkedIn channel is to frequently make status updates. Provide relevant, enlightening stuff that will be of interest to your LinkedIn friends or talk about what’s happening in your business or sector. Also, sharing material that will increase your likelihood of being included in LinkedIn Today’s daily digest, which will increase your profile’s visibility on the platform.
Do Post Frequently
6. Do Include a Professional Headshot
Individuals select all kinds of offensive photos to include on their LinkedIn profiles. Always keep in mind that LinkedIn is a formal business network, and your profile picture must reflect that. Never include a second person or your pet in the picture. Not even a selfie as it’s considered unprofessional.
The circle in which your profile photo is displayed should draw attention to your head, your eyes, and your smile. Your face should be in the photo, and you should preferably be smiling.
Do Include a Professional Headshot
7. Do Send Welcome Greetings Messages
Send a unique welcome message to anybody who agrees to join your network after they have accepted your invitation. This is a critical distinction between adding extra connections to your network and developing genuine relationships; similar to how you’d invite somebody into your house, you should do the same with your LinkedIn network.
Do Send Welcome Greetings Messages
8. Do Comment on Your Network’s Posts
Commenting on your network’s posts is an excellent way to engage with your connections, build relationships, and expand your professional network. By leaving thoughtful and relevant comments on their posts, you can demonstrate your interest in their work and expertise, while also contributing to the ongoing conversation.
How commenting can increase your Linkedin networking? Well, commenting on your network’s posts can help establish you as a thought leader in your industry. By sharing your insights and perspectives, you can demonstrate your expertise and build your reputation as a knowledgeable and insightful professional.
Moreover, commenting on your network’s posts can also help you stay top-of-mind with your connections. By regularly engaging with their content, you can ensure that they remember you and are more likely to think of you when opportunities arise. Taking the time to comment on your network’s posts is a simple but effective way to build your professional network, establish your expertise, and stay top-of-mind with your connections.
Do Comment on Your Network’s Posts
LinkedIn Networking – Don’ts
These are 8 don’ts that you can consider for better networking on LinkedIn.
1. Do Not Treat LinkedIn Like Tinder
Don’t just add individuals solely due to their appearance. Don’t add someone just because you think they’re attractive or because you’re interested in a relationship other than a professional one. Treat LinkedIn as a professional networking site instead of a dating website. Maintain professional decorum with your LinkedIn connections.
Never begin a communication with “Hello Darling,” provide unrelated compliments or arguments, or begin any other message with a strong personal note. You won’t just get ignored; you’ll also get flagged as a spammer and probably get a bad reputation.
2. Do Not Make Your Profile Private
Although privacy options are provided for your security, keep in mind that this is a social network and you should interact with others. Avoid the error of attempting to safeguard and manage your LinkedIn profile like your other social media. It is an online professional platform. As a result, make sure your name and profile are public and that your contact list, activity feed, and name are all accessible to connections and other people too.
3. Do Not Be a Narcissist and Make Everything About Yourself
Add value whenever you start a conversation or share a link. Give others the chance to comment on your post. Never try to make other people’s opinions seem negative. Always try to keep the debate on the post in a pleasant way. Just remember to refrain from engaging in conflict with others over their differing opinions of your post. Nobody is impressed by overt self-promotion.
4. Do Not Criticize or Make Negative Remarks about Others
Each person indeed has a unique perspective on the world and a variety of opinions. So refrain from criticizing or making unfavorable remarks about others. We frequently witness people getting into argumentative arguments or disparaging their rivals, which only helps to alienate a lot of people. Never be disrespectful in your remarks; always be positive.
5. Do Not Ask Strangers For Recommendations
Focus first on establishing a rapport with your new contacts. Express your enthusiasm for their most recent work by sending them a personal message. Support a few of their skills, and they’ll support a few of yours if they decide to do so later. Asking for recommendations without creating a rapport first seems irrelevant and will make you look fake.
6. Do Not Advertise Yourself
Make sure you first and foremost add value while providing content, responding to messages, or participating in discussions. The main flaw on LinkedIn is believing that others are interested in what you have to say. They are solely interested in solving their issues or learning important information about market trends and customer requests. There’s always a method to benefit your connections while yet managing to advertise your goods or services.
7. Do Not Have An Inactive Profile
After spending months creating valuable connections with respectable individuals on LinkedIn, the very last thing you would like to do is suddenly vanish from the platform. It’s sufficient to add fresh information to your newsfeed once a week to keep your name in people’s minds. Moreover, make sure to regularly update your profile. Other people who are attempting to connect with you may become more interested if you add recent professional accomplishments, initiatives, and volunteer activities you are engaged in.
8. Do Not Criticize Your Employer or Coworkers
Never criticize your employer or coworkers in front of others. Other professionals using LinkedIn to expand their networks with like-minded professionals are immediately put off by such criticism. Also, those who make recruiting decisions, such as recruiters, won’t want to get in touch with someone who complains in such a formal setting.
How NOT to Network on LinkedIn
Conclusion
For companies and individuals wishing to grow their professional networks and develop their careers, LinkedIn is a powerful resource. It provides a variety of amenities and services to aid in relationship-building and professional networking. You can advance your networking efforts by adhering to the dos and don’ts listed in this article, such as customizing your connection requests, improving the quality of your profile, participating in other people’s material, and using LinkedIn groups.
Must Read – How to Make a Great LinkedIn Profile: 12 Easy Steps
