Many people have asked me – what’s the point of sharing and schmoozing on LinkedIn? This question led me to create my first webinar: “Sharing and Schmoozing on LinkedIn.”

It’s available, free, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BVwP4tXK4o

Check it out, and while you’re there, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.

This post covers some reasons people don’t share and schmooze on LinkedIn and the value of doing it. In case you haven’t heard of the word “schmooze,” it is Yiddish and comes from the root (also Yiddish) “schmuesn” which means “to chat.”

Jewish immigrants brought this word to the US where it has been “adopted” into English. Synonyms for schmooze are talk, converse, mingle, mix, hobnob, or network.

Another way to describe what I mean by “sharing” on LinkedIn is the term content creation. Every time we post anything to a social site, we are creating content.

In LinkedIn, the two main ways that people create content are:

  • Updates, which are short snippets of information (usually no more than 2-3 sentences.)
  • Articles, which are longer amounts of content, are typically least 200 words. My articles are usually 500-600 words. Think of articles are being like a blog post, just like this one.

 

Why People Don’t Share on LinkedIn

  • They don’t see the value in sharing.
  • Some people didn’t realize it was even an option.
  • Others simply don’t know what to say.
  • Many people, having seen the way people post on Facebook or Twitter, think they must post often and don’t want to make a commitment to doing it regularly.

 

Value of Sharing on LinkedIn

  • Builds professional credibility.
  • Demonstrates expertise in your field.
  • Keeps you top-of-mind with your LinkedIn connections.
  • People who share rank higher on Internet searches

Most of us can easily come up with a tip or two related to our field that we can share in a LinkedIn update. Or perhaps we are planning to attend, or have just returned from, an interesting event. That’s another good topic to post about. They don’t have to be long – a sentence or three – and they don’t have to have any schedule or number per week or month.

 

Why People Don’t Schmooze on LinkedIn

  • They aren’t sure what to say.
  • They are concerned they will be perceived as pushy.
  • It isn’t clear who they could schmooze with.
  • They don’t know how to schmooze on LinkedIn.

Value of Schmoozing on LinkedIn

  • Reinforces your relationship
  • Keeps you in touch with people you don’t see often (or never see) in person
  • Makes seeing people in the real world a richer experience because you’ve gotten to know them better online.

Trust me, if you reach out to your LinkedIn connections in a friendly, genuine manner, they will appreciate hearing from you.

 

How About You?

What has been your experience with sharing and schmoozing on LinkedIn? Are you more comfortable with one than the other? What tips would you give to people who want to step up their LinkedIn sharing and schmoozing?

 

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those ages 45 and older, to become more comfortable using social media, especially Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter.

She works with business owners, business development professionals, leaders of nonprofit organizations, job seekers, consultants, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.