Top 10 Ways to Get More Connections on LinkedIn

With some 660 million members across more than 200 countries worldwide, LinkedIn is certainly a social media force to be reckoned with. Needless to say, the benefits it unlocks throughout the business world are many.

The platform paves the way for lead generation, opening doors to lots of potential clients as well as fellow business leaders to ensure you can strengthen your own business model from every angle. LinkedIn is also a route to better exposure in your target market and beyond. It helps you to consolidate yourself as an industry expert to not just showcase the products or services your business is known for but build a higher level of credibility to gain that all-important trust.

A presence on LinkedIn makes sense for so many reasons, yet using the platform to its advantages and reaping all the rewards mentioned above comes down to how you utilise it.

With good, old fashioned networking at its core, building connections is a sure fire way to maximise the use of LinkedIn for your business. Whether you’re new to LinkedIn or you’ve hit a roadblock growing your network, you’ll want to read our top tips for gaining more connections fast…

1. Do away with those generic requests

Making the first move and adding connections yourself is a great way to forge ahead with the building of your network. But before you hit ‘connect’ and send that generic connection request, think again.

Personalisation is the key to successful marketing, whatever channel you’re using, and remembering this will serve you well when gaining acceptance from other LinkedIn members. Add a personal note to every connection request you make. If you’ve met this professional in person, say it. If you’d like to work with them for the first time due to mutual business interests, communicate that in your connection request as well.

By personalising your connection request to the individual that’ll be receiving it, you can stand out from the crowd of generic requests that are made every single day and make the chances of them hitting ‘accept’ even more likely.

2. Touch base with everyday associates

It’s surprising how many people you meet or come into contact with during your everyday. Use these face-to-face contacts to grow your connections online, whether this means adding a fellow commuter that you struck up a conversation with, touching base with the owner of the coffee shop you visit for your daily caffeine fix, or sending a connection request to your personal trainer.

Every connection counts, and who knows, the expertise of these everyday contacts may just come in handy later down the line!

3. Use your existing contacts to build further

One simple way to get more connections is to use your existing contacts from your current email addresses to find LinkedIn members you already know. Simply use the ‘add connections’ feature and select your email service provider to find potential connections at the click of a button.

4. Widen your network by joining a group…

LinkedIn Groups are one of the many perks of being a member of this particular social media platform. By joining and participating in groups that are relevant to your business or your interests, you can expand your network, boost your knowledge, and even meet new people that will eventually become connections.

There are millions of LinkedIn Groups to choose from, so you’re certain to find an online community that complements your professional and even personal ambitions.

5. …or better yet, create one!

In addition to joining groups that are relevant to you and your business, you could create a LinkedIn Group to engage with your audience or wider market, and build your network and those all-important connections.

It is important to bear in mind that not every group is successful. When creating your group, choose a topic that peaks the interest of your customers and/or market. There should ideally be a natural connection between your business and the group to ensure the group doesn’t become your own dedicated sales channel, but a supportive community for its members.

Take the time to create and grow your group. A more complete group profile will attract more members and increased engagement. Creating and managing a LinkedIn group isn’t for the fainthearted however. A successful group relies on regular discussions and active engagement to stay relevant and interesting.

6. Dedicate time to boosting your presence

LinkedIn isn’t a platform that you should just check into from time to time to boost your social media presence. Those serious about building their LinkedIn network should use it daily to attract new connections and keep existing ones.

With daily use, you can make regular connection requests, engage in conversations, share news and updates, and participate in groups to keep your name firmly out there.

7. Complete your profile – not forgetting keywords

A complete profile is a must on LinkedIn. Without all the necessary information about your professional experience, qualifications, business etc., how can any member decide whether they want to connect with you?

Complete your LinkedIn profile, being sure to update it whenever you gain a new skill or experience. You should also add keywords to your profile to ensure it can be found easily through not just LinkedIn but off-site search engines like Google and Bing. Include these keywords and their variations in your title, description and skill endorsement section for maximum impact.

8. Mix up your use of content

They say variety is the spice of life, so keep your LinkedIn presence just as varied and interesting to consolidate your professional status and attract more connections. Videos, long form content, image heavy posts, and republished articles are all great additions to your LinkedIn feed, and your connections (both new and existing) will appreciate them too!

9. Post regularly and at the right time

Maintaining an active presence is integral to social media success on any platform, and the same rule applies on LinkedIn. But with LinkedIn, it’s not just what you post but when you post that makes a big difference to your engagement levels.

Just before or just after standard working hours is the best time to post on LinkedIn. You should stick to weekdays too to enjoy better engagement with your existing connections. By taking the time to post to and engage with your fellow members, you’ll be a continuous presence that will keep attracting new connections.

10. Promote your LinkedIn presence to a wider audience

As a business, you’re likely to have a presence on a number of social media platforms. Use this to your advantage by promoting your LinkedIn profile to a wider social media audience. By cross promoting across all your social media profiles via a status update or a link in your bio, you can encourage potential connections to come to you.

We’d also recommend adding your LinkedIn profile URL and links to other social profiles in your email signature.

Let us help you make the most of LinkedIn with our social media management services. We’ll listen, engage and build those key relationships on your behalf. Get in touch with us today to find out more about how we can assist you.