A client recently asked me a familiar question: How do I get more business out of my LinkedIn connections? He had been steadily growing his network—over 500 connections and counting—but hadn’t yet seen results in the form of referrals, conversations, or clients.

After reviewing his profile and activity, one thing became very clear: he was connected, but not engaged.

Engagement is the heartbeat of LinkedIn. It’s how you stay visible, start conversations, and build meaningful relationships that lead to opportunities. With that in mind, here are some practical ways to engage with your LinkedIn connections.

One of the best ways to stay in touch with your local LinkedIn connections is to meet in person with your them. For me, these face-to-face visits warm my heart. I still remember what a wonderful time I had with my friend and LinkedIn connection Alexandra O’Connell when we met to celebrate the publication her book “Lean Into Your Yuck!” See us in the photo at the top of this blog post. Along with being an author, Alexandra is a book editor and writing coach.

Show Up With Consistent Content

Most professionals often don’t post enough to stay top-of-mind. Posting just once or twice a week—consistently—is enough to build visibility.

In your posts focus on content that educates, encourages, or adds value:

  • Tips relevant to your industry
  • Quick lessons learned
  • Behind-the-scenes insights
  • Success stories or client scenarios (without revealing confidential information)
  • Short videos or images created in tools like Canva

Avoid overly promotional posts. LinkedIn’s algorithm—and your audience—reward content that helps others.

When someone comments on your post, always respond. A simple “Thanks for the insight, Jenna—great point!” keeps the conversation going and strengthens the relationship.

You can track overall reach and top-performing content through the Analytics section on your profile.

 

Engage Generously With Others’ Content

One of the fastest—and most overlooked—ways to expand your visibility is to interact with what your connections share.

Warm, human engagement still wins:

  • React to  posts from clients, colleagues, and referral partners. I typically use the options of celebrate, love, and insightful.
  • Leave thoughtful comments that add perspective.
  • Share posts to your own feed (with a short sentence or two providing context)

If you tag the original creator using @ + their name, LinkedIn notifies them—and you further deepen the relationship.

Send a Few Personalized Messages Each Week

Not sales messages—relationship messages.

Set a goal of reaching out to at least two or three people weekly. Before sending a message:

  • Visit their profile
  • Look at their Activity tab
  • Notice job changes, posts, or celebrations

Then send a short, personable note such as:

“I saw your post about the XYZ conference—loved the part about simplifying workflows. Would love to catch up sometime soon.”

These small touchpoints create real conversations.

Use LinkedIn’s Notifications as Your Schmoozing Hub

Depending on how you set up your notifications settings, you can be notified about:

  • People who engaged with your posts or articles by commenting or reposting
  • Milestones and celebrations of your connections, such as work anniversaries or new positions
  • People who viewed your profile

A quick “Congrats on your new role—wishing you success!” can put you back on someone’s radar at exactly the right time.

Mix in Real-World Connections

LinkedIn works best when it leads to real conversations. If you haven’t interacted with someone in a while, reach out and say:

“It’s been a while—want to catch up for 30 minutes next week?” Then add the link to your scheduling tool.

Especially in today’s world, short virtual coffee chats can keep relationships warm. As stated above, when possible, meet in person with your local LinkedIn connections. For me, these face-to-face visits are my favorite way to reconnect.

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel, LinkedIn trainer.Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 55 and up, become more effective social media users, especially LinkedIn and Facebook. She works with business owners, business development professionals, business consultants, job seekers, and others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.