7 ways to master LinkedIn networking

The first step to successful LinkedIn networking is to get your house in order. It’s no good reaching out to new connections until you’ve ensured that your profile captures you in the best possible light. Why? Because almost immediately after you send that connection request,your profile’s going to get checked out. We’ve all been told not to judge a book by its cover, but unfortunately how they judge your profile could mean the difference between a new connection and one big Ignore.

Start by reviewing your profile and ensuring that your career information is up to date. It also pays to read through the descriptions you previously added to each job. Ask yourself: do these still accurately reflect my previous roles and the overall image I’m trying to project? If the answer’s ‘no’, update it.

While you’re on your profile, you should also:

• Write a profile summary that inspires your audience and succinctly showcases your career, interests and personality
• Seek recommendations from your current connections and colleagues to enhance your credibility
• Check over your professional photo to ensure it gives the right impression

Now that your profile is in top shape, you’re ready to start building your network. But don’t take a scattergun approach to sending out connection requests. Instead, take the time to really think about who you want to connect with. Be sure to look out for those that can enrich your network and could lead to opportunities down the line. You’ll have plenty of people to choose from, given that LinkedIn has over 660 million members, but take care with your choices to build the best network for you.

Next, send your targets a connection request with a personalised message attached. You’re far more likely to get an Accept if you tailor your request to the person you’re sending the request to.

You have just 300 characters to write your personalised message, so make it count. You don’t have to be witty but be honest about why you think connecting is in both of your interests.

LinkedIn is a place for like-minded professionals to connect, and Groups are one place to do it. Find a selection of LinkedIn Groups relevant to your field of expertise to find new connection opportunities with people who are as passionate about your discipline as you are.

It’s also a great way to learn more about your industry and to discover new trends and best practices that your existing network might not know about.

It isn’t enough to simply build your network – successful networking comes when you build lasting relationships with your network, too.

There are many ways to build relationships with your LinkedIn network, but the most effective by far is simple by being – and staying – active.

Commenting on and reacting to posts shows that you’re interested in what your network has to say. Meanwhile, sharing your own updates and commentary on either news or thought leadership content shows that you have something valuable to contribute to the community, and will put you in good stead with your network.

Although LinkedIn Pulse was more popular several years ago, it can still be worth syndicating content through LinkedIn’s article publisher. This is because LinkedIn’s algorithms favour content that keeps users on LinkedIn for longer. As such, try to keep external links to a minimum to increase engagement.

Generally, a good rule of thumb is to try to share relevant content with your network at least once a day. By keeping a regular posting strategy like this, you’ll stay in front of your connections.

Making new connections is great, but nothing compares to really meeting people. Obviously , in-person engagement isn’t on the cards right now, but virtual events and meetings are great alternatives.

Once you’ve nurtured your relationship with your top connections, try to arrange a time for a virtual meeting. Alternatively, if your organisation has any upcoming virtual roundtables or webinars, why not extend the invite to your new connections? It’s a great way of giving them insight into what you can offer them.

At Chief Nation, one of our specialities is our LinkedIn Ambassador programme. We work with our clients to enhance their LinkedIn network and turn those digital networking connections into meetings. It’s an effective way of cementing lasting relationships between our clients and their prospects.