Supercharge Your Career with LinkedIn:?Winning Tactics to Attract Attention and Grow Your Connections Organically

Introduction

In the world of executive job seeking, networking is the golden key that unlocks the door to new opportunities and meaningful professional connections. It is a proven – and powerful – method to expand your professional, and sometimes personal, success. Sure, it may seem daunting at first, but once you dive in, you’ll discover how this one activity can propel you towards career success faster than ever before. At The Barrett Group, we leverage this activity during a job search, offering results-oriented strategies and robust life to it, birthing the term “building social capital”.

It helps to know there is a right and a wrong way to approach to networking - See Julie Norwell’s article “How To Face The Dread Of Networking (And What the Heck is Social Capital?) ”. Having a shift in mindset from the term “networking” to the term “building social capital” can transform how this activity is undertaken and the success of the outcomes. Norwell offers a? thorough explanation of social capital and shares that? “it is easiest if you think of your network of contacts as social capital. Social capital is the value of your social relationships and the potential they offer as a resource to you. It is also the potential you offer to them. Social capital is the greatest – and most underutilized – personal asset of most people.”

When job searching in today’s market, there is one tool you shouldn’t be without. LinkedIn stands tall as the planet’s premier professional networking platform. Having a command of the techniques can attract significantly more prospective LinkedIn connections to your profile.?

Here are some best practices that will help you stand out and reel in valuable connections.?

Make Your Connection Request Shine

Personalized messages, not generic ones, are the secret sauce to connection requests. Include a brief message in which you mention a shared interest or a recent achievement and explain the mutual benefits of connecting. This personal touch demonstrates your genuine interest in building a meaningful connection and increases the chance of your request being accepted.?

If your best efforts to make a connection are overlooked, declined or otherwise fall flat, you may be striking the wrong chord somehow. In that case, it might be worth checking out the tidbits offered by Peter Irish Irish, CEO of The Barrett Group , in his blog post “LinkedIn Turnoffs You Should Avoid .”

Golden Nugget: Always visit the profile of the person you want to connect with before sending a connection request so you can do a bit of research on the person and craft a personalized message accordingly.

Maximize Your Profile’s “Connection” Potential

Your LinkedIn profile is your virtual billboard. It needs to be a compelling snapshot of your professional self. First, ensure it’s complete and add a professional headshot. Then keep it polished, updated, and representative of your achievements and aspirations. Add relevant hashtags, a compelling headline, a catchy summary, and a detailed work experience section to bolster your industry credibility. Lastly, be active. Interact with posts that reflect your mastery or interests so that people see you as a subject matter expert.?

For more details on how to optimize your profile, LinkedIn offers some useful information here .

Position Yourself as a Thought Leader

Sharing insightful content and industry-relevant articles can spotlight you as a thought leader and attract attention from other professionals in your field. Write articles that showcase your expertise or provide solutions to common challenges. Engage with others’ content because they may be more inclined to engage with yours, too. Back and forth exchanges are a great way to foster connections.?

To build your brand, ensure that the majority of the content you create aligns with your hashtags and the areas in which you want to command authority. The more value you add, the more your reputation as a thought leader will soar. Visitors to your profile will be much more likely to accept your connection request, as a result.

Harness the Power of LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn Groups are largely untapped wells for building social capital. You can find a group for almost any interest, both public (i.e. any LinkedIn member can join) and private (an administrator must grant you permission to join).?

Join those that are relevant to your industry or interests and participate actively. Share advice, resources, and build relationships with like-minded professionals. Connection requests are easier when you have a group in common. By connecting with group members, you already demonstrate that you have a similar interest. You can build a relationship that may start with just this similar interest. You never know what you can do to help someone in the group, or how they can help? you! If you’re not sure how to get started, here are some best practices from LinkedIn for engaging with members of a LinkedIn group.

Boost Credibility with Recommendations and Endorsements

Recommendations and endorsements are almost the LinkedIn equivalent to a trust stamp on your profile. Request them from colleagues, supervisors, or business partners who can vouch for your skills and expertise. Remember that reciprocity is key. Endorse others in your LinkedIn network to reinforce professional relationships. When requesting a LinkedIn Recommendation, it may be helpful for you to help the person who you are engaging to help you. Give them an idea of what you may want them to write about you - e.g.: When you both worked on project X it produced Y results for the organization.? Make it easy for them to endorse you.

Dive Into LinkedIn Networking Events

LinkedIn’s virtual networking events and webinars are ripe networking opportunities. Participate actively and follow up with attendees. Better yet, organize your own events to establish yourself as a proactive connector and provider of value to your network. This all helps in building social capital.?

Networking Is Not My Thing!

Building social capital on LinkedIn is like learning to swim. You can’t do it until you get into the water. (As self-help author Susan Jeffers, Ph.D. puts it, “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.”) Start by connecting with existing contacts (friends, family, and co-workers), let them know what you are up to – don’t assume they already know – and offer your expertise to them and anyone they know. Then let the ripple effect take over. You will be amazed by the outcomes.??

As you build your social capital, remind yourself of Abraham Maslow’s quote, “One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.” Choose growth!

Here are two examples of making LinkedIn connections:?

Example 1 (2nd degree connection -? contact connection request)

“Hi John, I hope this finds you well. I was doing some research on sustainability and your name came up. I reached out to a mutual contact of ours while doing some research on sustainability and your name came up as well. I am hoping? that you may be able to provide insight on something that I’d like to implement in our company so I’m reaching out. I’d be happy for the connection and if you aren’t the best resource, I'd welcome a referral.”??

Example 2 (Cold contact)?

“Hi John, I saw your post on the group “Digital Marketing” that we are both members of and appreciated your insight. In this industry, you never know where paths may lead, so I thought I’d reach out to make a connection on LinkedIn. Kindly accept my connection request and let me know if there is anything that I can possibly help you with.”?

Note that both examples seem welcoming, add value, and offer appeal in their own way.

Golden Nugget – When you make a connection, remember to thank them. Let them know that you are available to help as you can. Ask them to extend the offer to anyone in their network (assuming, of course, that you are willing to follow through on the offer).

Make Time For It - Schedule It

Just like learning to play a musical instrument or even completing a course, an effective strategy for ensuring that it gets done is to schedule time for it!? Carve out the time on your calendar (on both your mobile device and computer) and use the strategies shared, within.?

The time you dedicate to growing your network? will depend on your current schedule. Your LinkedIn connection schedule can vary - from one hour per day, to an hour twice per week (on a Monday and a Thursday for instance). Test it! Examine the responses you get. Do they come in on a specific day or time? Depending on your audited results, you may want to adjust the days and times you send your requests and or responses.

Golden Nuggets – Always remember to say “thank you”. A simple “thank you for the connection”, may be all that is necessary to show gratitude for someone adding you to their LinkedIn network.?

When building social capital, respond promptly. People typically do not like to wait. You are likely to be less of a priority if you are delayed in responding to someone after they have made the effort to reach you. ?

Tying It All together

Building solid social capital via your LinkedIn network is a journey. By implementing the tactics outlined above, you can turn that journey into rewarding experiences and transform your professional life.?

And what happens as you build your social capital? You nurture it, of course! Remember, growing a LinkedIn network is just one step in building social capital. Building and maintaining meaningful relationships can elevate your career and your life.

Not sure how to do that in a way that is authentic (i.e., that doesn’t feel like you’re asking for help)? That’s a skill you can hone with good training, as covered in Step 2 , “Personal Branding and Campaign Development,” of The Barrett Group Program.?

Ready to seize control of your career’s trajectory? Let’s talk! Submit your resume here for a consultation . It’s time to supercharge your career!