If Facebook or Twitter is like a barbeque with friends, then LinkedIn is a cocktail party. In short, LinkedIn is viewed by some as a boring brother of Facebook and Twitter. Sometimes you would like to give it a shake and ask whether it has any idea of what is fun. At least this is the opinion of Jeff Bullas, author of an article published on the Business 2 Community website.
Yet despite all the criticism aimed at LinkedIn, the site may be useful in many ways, if only for the reason that here you will meet interesting and influential people, get some working contacts and simply join the ecosystem of your professional interests. But how to get the desired contacts? Once you have exhausted all your friends, things can stagnate...
Sometimes, however, it is not necessary to seek complex solutions and tactics that would help you achieve the desired effect. And since users of the site who have over five hundred contacts are definitely fewer than those who have not achieved such numbers, it would be appropriate to offer some tips on how to expand your network and build networking on the global level. Here they are:
1. Be active. Daily or at least every other day update your status. It does not matter whether it is a link to an interesting blog, sharing an inspiring presentation from the internet or if you discuss an article on your career or field of interest.
2. Follow influencers and feel free to comment on their statuses or to propose intelligent questions for discussion.
3. Choose the relevant groups that interest you and connect with 3 to 5 of them. Stay active and at least once or twice a week publish yourself or comment on posts.
4. Personalise invitations for connection. If you discover interesting people, it is a shame to waste this. Send them a personalised invitation instead of the default messages.
5. Provide contact information. Publish visibly any contact information in order easily to be contacted by others.
6. Support people you know and rate their skills without expectation of reciprocity.
7. Promote your profile. Include a link in your CV, e-mail signature or on your website.
8. Share updates on Twitter. Thus you increase your publicity through other media.
9. Include links to your blog or website. This can help you build credibility. You can also link to your portfolio of previous work.
10. Fill in information about your person. Biographical information is fine but say a little about your orientation, values, goals and expectations.
These are just a few tips that will help you quickly to gain new contacts in just five to ten minutes a day. Have we forgotten something?
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