The Professional Way To Connect With LinkedIn

If you're serious about building your professional network, then you already know the enormous value of LinkedIn.

With virtually every influential contact you could ever want to make, mapped out and with up to date profile information, LinkedIn has become the default connection tool for business professionals.

In my first guest blog for Kent B2B, I’m going to introduce two ways to connect with business contacts using LinkedIn that ensure acceptance and prevent those embarrassing knock backs.

Use LinkedIn Groups to Build Influential Connections

Converting your valuable connected group-only connections to 1st degree connections.

We’re spoilt in Kent with some active LinkedIn groups for taking part in some engaging conversations. KentB2B has its own discussion group. Being part of a group provides opportunities to identify influential people who can connect you to the people you want to do business with. And often, directly with the people you want to do business with.

So while you may be tempted to simply connect directly with a Group member, don’t.

We've all done it: You see someone that will be a valuable member of your network and click "Connect." You tell LinkedIn how you know them and fire off the invitation, without changing the default boilerplate, “I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.”

You wouldn’t do it like that in a face to face situation.

Being part of a Group affords you a special privilege, the ability to InMail someone you aren’t connected with. If you’re unfamiliar with InMail, it is the LinkedIn email system for users to communicate with each other. This is normally reserved for your 1^st degree connections unless you use the premium service. Being part of a group enables you to InMail other group members.

Before going straight for the invitation, send a personalised message using InMail. Your contact wants to know why they should connect with you on a personal level. Send them an InMail to explain why you think it is in their interest to connect with you. Then follow up with the connection request.

Now, you may already be well versed with connections and know that you can put this personalised message in the connection request. By all means add another message there too. But in my experience, few people know how to read the connection request. It’s something LinkedIn seems to have neglected to make easy to access.

Sign post your connection request and you’ll avoid being ignored.

Use LinkedIn To Maintain Your Valuable Connections

Converting your new contacts into 1^st degree connections.

We have a vibrant business networking scene in Kent. The Invicta Chamber have some great events to make new contacts. Not least the Kent B2B events themselves.

I primarily think of networking events as an opportunity to meet people who can refer me. I don’t expect to leave with leads, but I do anticipate having a handful of new contacts that can generate introductions to people who will value my services.

Don’t get me wrong; I never say no to a lead.

Networking usually generates a pocketful of business cards for me. Business cards don’t have the richness of data that a LinkedIn profile holds. So converting a business card into a LinkedIn contact is a profitable use of time. No matter how busy I may be.

We can learn more about the new contact from LinkedIn and most importantly, to see their connections. So as in our Group scenario, don’t reach for the connect button just yet.

Send an email to your new contact. Thank them for taking the time to speak with you and share their card. Refer to something in your conversation that will aid their memory of you and then say ever so politely, “I noticed on LinkedIn that we have some contacts in common. It would be great to connect there to ensure we don’t lose touch.”

Then when you receive their reply, send a LinkedIn connection.

LinkedIn is a powerful tool to maintain our contacts and get introduced to new ones. It doesn’t do the job for us. Making connections is personal activity and not to be left to boilerplate messages.

Follow these steps and you’ll increase the effectiveness and the richness of your LinkedIn experience.

Simon Ryan is the Managing Director of the multi-award winning digital marketing firm, Social Advisors. He is a Kent Digital Envoy and a regular speaker on social media.

You can follow him on Twitter @simonjryan