Many thought they was no value in LinkedIn because it was not generating buzz like Facebook.
However, LinkedIn has grown quietly to 500 plus million active users with no signs of slowing down.
The recent addition of native video video to their platform gives business owners and jobs seekers more opportunities to build a strong network.
Here are four ways you (as a job seeker or business owner) can build a community on LinkedIn
1. Do Not Send A Generic Invitation
When you send a generic invitation, it comes across as disingenuous because you only want to connect with them only to get new business or get an intro if they are connected to a big name influencer.
What you need to do is send a personalized invitation because the majority are not doing it.
Which leads to number two.
2. Do Your Research
You need to do your research on the person who you are trying to connect with.
Let’s say you are looking for work and you want to connect with a key decision maker.
What you can do is look at their LinkedIn account and see what they accomplished in their careers.
You can also do a google search and see if they have made an appearance on their local media outlets or even major media.
From there, you send a personalized invitation to the key decision maker.
Nine times out of ten they will accept because they saw you went out of your way to know them.
3. Share Other People’s Content.
You might think it is uncool to share your “competition’s” content on LinkedIn because they are vying for the same work position.
If your competition is sharing valuable content that your connections can benefit from, it does not make sense to withhold it from them.
What you are doing is robbing them of a solution that could help them take their careers to the next level.
Marcus Sheridan, who runs River Pools and Spas, wrote a blog post about the top pool builders in the Richmond, Virginia area.
Mr. Sheridan left himself off the list and still got business because of the willingness to recommend the competition.
Zain Asher, anchor at CNN International, shared during her “Trust The Struggle” TED Talk of how she coached her “competition” who was going for the same work position at a television station.
Video courtesy of TED Talks
Zain advised her on what to say during the interview process and how to present herself because she was the first to be interviewed by the executives at that station.
When you share your “competition’s” content, they will eventually become your biggest ally.
4. Use The LinkedIn Publishing Platform Wisely
You should not use the publishing platform just to advertise your latest book or events for your organization because it comes across as distasteful.
The platform should be used to share valuable content that solves a pain point that people are dealing with.
If you are a public relations major in college, you can use the publishing platform to write quality posts about the changing trends happening in the public relations field.
Or chronicle what you are learning during your time in a public relations practicum.
If you are consistent in cranking out quality post by the time you graduate, you will be way ahead of the competition when you are going for any entry level work in public relations because companies are now looking at google to find out more about potential hires.
Also, you can re-purpose your blog posts on the publishing platform to build brand awareness as well.
It takes a while to build your network on LinkedIn.
If you are consistent with all of these tips, you will have the right tribe which will serve you in the long term.
Do you agree or disagree with this post? You can share your comments below.
Four Ways To Build A Community On LinkedIn
By Cheval John
Many thought they was no value in LinkedIn because it was not generating buzz like Facebook.
However, LinkedIn has grown quietly to 500 plus million active users with no signs of slowing down.
The recent addition of native video video to their platform gives business owners and jobs seekers more opportunities to build a strong network.
Here are four ways you (as a job seeker or business owner) can build a community on LinkedIn
1. Do Not Send A Generic Invitation
When you send a generic invitation, it comes across as disingenuous because you only want to connect with them only to get new business or get an intro if they are connected to a big name influencer.
What you need to do is send a personalized invitation because the majority are not doing it.
Which leads to number two.
2. Do Your Research
You need to do your research on the person who you are trying to connect with.
Let’s say you are looking for work and you want to connect with a key decision maker.
What you can do is look at their LinkedIn account and see what they accomplished in their careers.
You can also do a google search and see if they have made an appearance on their local media outlets or even major media.
From there, you send a personalized invitation to the key decision maker.
Nine times out of ten they will accept because they saw you went out of your way to know them.
3. Share Other People’s Content.
You might think it is uncool to share your “competition’s” content on LinkedIn because they are vying for the same work position.
If your competition is sharing valuable content that your connections can benefit from, it does not make sense to withhold it from them.
What you are doing is robbing them of a solution that could help them take their careers to the next level.
Marcus Sheridan, who runs River Pools and Spas, wrote a blog post about the top pool builders in the Richmond, Virginia area.
Mr. Sheridan left himself off the list and still got business because of the willingness to recommend the competition.
Zain Asher, anchor at CNN International, shared during her “Trust The Struggle” TED Talk of how she coached her “competition” who was going for the same work position at a television station.
Video courtesy of TED Talks
Zain advised her on what to say during the interview process and how to present herself because she was the first to be interviewed by the executives at that station.
When you share your “competition’s” content, they will eventually become your biggest ally.
4. Use The LinkedIn Publishing Platform Wisely
You should not use the publishing platform just to advertise your latest book or events for your organization because it comes across as distasteful.
The platform should be used to share valuable content that solves a pain point that people are dealing with.
If you are a public relations major in college, you can use the publishing platform to write quality posts about the changing trends happening in the public relations field.
Or chronicle what you are learning during your time in a public relations practicum.
If you are consistent in cranking out quality post by the time you graduate, you will be way ahead of the competition when you are going for any entry level work in public relations because companies are now looking at google to find out more about potential hires.
Also, you can re-purpose your blog posts on the publishing platform to build brand awareness as well.
It takes a while to build your network on LinkedIn.
If you are consistent with all of these tips, you will have the right tribe which will serve you in the long term.
Do you agree or disagree with this post? You can share your comments below.
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