Immediately grow your LinkedIn Contacts

LinkedIn (as the name suggests) is all about making connections and forging links with others. As a professional network it is unrivalled, and with over half a billion users in more than 190 countries, it’s both the place to be and a platform that can be whatever you want it to be for your brand. Whether you want business partners all over the globe, or a thriving niche group in your local area, LinkedIn can cater for all needs.

But all users have something in common – they want to grow their network.

Here are 5 ways to grow your LinkedIn contacts…

1. Personalise your connection requests

It’s all too easy to just click on the ‘connect’ tab as you scroll down the list of people you may know that LinkedIn helpfully provides. This is a mistake, however. Doing so sends out an automated, generic request. It’s far better to spend a bit of time writing a note (LinkedIn prompts you to do this) that is then added to your connection request.

2. Set monthly targets

If you don’t have a purpose and set yourself goals, there’s always a chance that what you are doing becomes aimless. This applies to many things in life and social media is no exception.  Setting a growth target each month will keep you focused on growing your LinkedIn contacts. Obviously, you need to be realistic and ensure that the targets you set are manageable.

3. Regular posting  

This is an obvious point, but its importance should not be underestimated. When you post an update, if one of your connections likes or shares your content – or comments – it adds to the conversation, and it also means that their connections will see your post in their own feeds. It’s not a given, but this often means that they will send an invitation to connect.

Put it this way, if you don’t post you can guarantee that you won’t get any invitations of this type. Regular posting is your opportunity to add value to your network. Assuming your content is relevant and useful then additional opportunities – such as making more connections – should naturally follow.

4. Engage with your network

A common mistake that people make on social media is to think it’s all about them. If you are selling, it should all be about your prospects, not you. On LinkedIn, it should all about your network. Engaging with your connections not only shows that you are interested in what others have to say, it also puts your profile in front of more people. A simple ‘like’, quick comment, or asking a question is great for engagement and gives you more exposure at the same time.

5. Cross-promote

There’s nothing wrong with a bit of cross-promotion every now and again. There’s nothing wrong promoting your LinkedIn profile by adding a link to a tweet or Facebook status update, for example. Your profile link can easily be added to your email signature too.