7 Steps To Power Up Your LinkedIn Networking

LinkedIn isn’t 'just' a job board. It’s a networking power tool! Using LinkedIn to follow up with your face-to-face connections turns a manual screwdriver into an electronic drill. It's both powerful and manageable. 

Statistics say people need to see your name seven times before they remember you. So if you belong to a monthly networking group, it'll take seven months for someone to do business with you. Do you have seven months to nurture your leads?

Connecting on LinkedIn takes that seven months and drops it down to a month. Or weeks. Here are the steps:

First step: meet at a networking group. Make sure you grab their business card. 

Second step: send a LinkedIn connection request – immediately following your first meeting. Make it simple but personalized: “Dear So and So, Nice to meet you at the Acme Networking group. Please add me to your LinkedIn network. Thanks!” 

Third step: send a thank you for connecting message via LinkedIn – within 24 hours of connecting. Again, simple: “Dear So and So, thanks for accepting my connection request. I look forward to learning more about your business.” 

Fourth step: send an article relevant to them via LinkedIn messaging – within 72 hours of thank you. It can be a general article about your industry OR an article relevant to their industry. Again a simple note: “Dear So and So, Saw this article and thought of you. Hope it’s useful. Have a great day!” 

We are now about four days out and they’ve already seen your name four times. And you are establishing yourself as personable, reachable and helpful.

Fifth step: post an update or write your own article and share to your LinkedIn network – within the first week. This is more generalized but it’s not threatening and highlights your online network. 

Sixth step: post another update and/or article. Posting regularly and consistently attaches your name to your industry in the minds of your network. Post twice weekly minimum on LinkedIn to maximize your impact.  

Seventh step: send another relevant article via LinkedIn messaging – two-three weeks from initial contact. Same idea as the fourth step - share an article about your industry or theirs. Depending on whether they are a ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ prospect, this would be a great time to ask for a one-on-one meeting. 

Within three weeks they have seen your name seven times! Big difference from seven months. And you’ve positioned yourself as both helpful and informative. Someone they can rely on. 

Take your offline networking online and power up your sales funnel with LinkedIn. I’d love to hear any other tips you use to boost your networking power - online or off. Please share them below.