Recently a client of mine asked me how to get more business out of his connections on LinkedIn. He has been systematically connecting with potential clients and referral partners and is pleased to have over 500 connections, however, he has yet to close a deal or get a referral through any of his connections.

After reviewing his profile and activity on LinkedIn, I made several recommendations. I thought I would share these recommendations with my blog readers, as one or more of them may resonate with you.

 

Tips for Engaging with LinkedIn Connections

• Make regular status updates. Many LinkedIn users don’t take the time to post regularly on LinkedIn. My recommendation is to post at least two or three times a week. The best kinds of posts are ones that provide some information or inspiration rather than those which promote your company or ask for business. If someone comments on your post, be sure to respond, thanking the commenter for their observation and then commenting on what was said. You can see how many connections have viewed, liked, and/or commented on your status reports by clicking on the Who’s Viewed Your Updates section on the right side of your Home page.

 

• Share posts that your connections have posted. A quick way to see the latest shared items by your connections is to filter your newsfeed into just Shares. You do this by clicking on Shares under the All Updates button. Thank the connection who shared this post by “tagging” them. Just start typing their name and when the box with their name and photo appears, click on that box.

 

• Each week, send direct messages to at least four or five connections. Before you write your message, go to the “View Recent Updates” option in personal profile of the person you want to message. Click on the little arrow to the right of the Send a Message button to you can see what kinds of things they have been posting and other recent activity. In your message, you can then comment on their activity and suggest connecting by phone or in person.

 

• Join LinkedIn groups that your connections belong to and become an active participant in those groups. Take a bit of time and review the discussions to see the kinds of topics being raised. Add your comment to discussions where you have something to contribute that is not sales or promotional in nature. If you see a potential client or referral partner make a comment or start a discussion, you can add your thoughts or simply like their comment.

 

• “Schmooze” with your connections. At least two or three times a week, click on the Profile filter of your newsfeed. Find this by clicking the All Updates button. This allows you to see recent changes in the profiles of your connections, such as a new photo or position, work anniversary, skill added to a profile, etc. The quickest and easiest thing to do is simply click on “like” for any of these changes. Better yet, write a short comment, such as a note of congratulations for a work anniversary or new job, a note of encouragement regarding a new skill, etc.

 

 

How About You?

How do you engage with your connections on LinkedIn?

 

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 50 and up, to become more effective using social media, especially Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter. She works with business owners, nonprofit organizations, retired people, consultants, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.