How to Network on LinkedIn? [5 Networking Tips of 2021]

LinkedIn is a virtual meeting place for every professional and business whether you want to reach new markets, explore more opportunities, or connect with new talents. The platform has more than 740 million users worldwide, with 177 million of its user base being in North America. The platform is growing as an essential social media tool to network for professionals.

So, How To Network On LinkedIn?

Without wasting the time, let’s find out:

Write Article To Establish Credibility

Writing articles and step-by-step guides on LinkedIn is one of the best ways to establish credibility, and there’s no barrier to entry. Being in a networking environment and addressing your audience adds value to your position. If anyone from the audience is looking for a job or wants to publicize their brand, you can offer them links to related articles and how-to guides.

This leads to connection requests on LinkedIn, and you get new followers. This trick is fruitful every single time.

Always Avoid Red Flags

Whenever you have a visitor on your LinkedIn profile, he will scan your page from top to bottom. A recruiter sees the following things as red flags:

• Is there a profile picture? A missing profile picture makes the recruiter suspicious as to what you are trying to hide.
• There are 740 million registered users on LinkedIn. Not all of them are active. A recruiter wants to make sure that you will see their outreach and will respond to their message. So you must:

1. Have a premium membership icon.
2. Your account should have some activity, such as posting or commenting on a post.

Recruiters avoid reaching out to inactive accounts. There are 40 million people searching for jobs on LinkedIn. So, your profile must be able to attract potential recruiters.

• Make sure you don’t have a sketchy work history. Include a detailed description of the achievements you have had at your previous jobs. Also, be sure to showcase the fact that you don’t switch jobs every now and then. Recruiters don’t hire people who will be gone in a few months.

Expand Your Network

A prevalent mistake most job seekers make is limiting their LinkedIn connections only to people they know. However, you must expand your network to those industry professionals you don’t know personally but are part of the same industry as yours or share the same job title.

The amount of content shared on LinkedIn has increased by 50 percent. So, to connect with new people, simply leave a thoughtful comment on their post or send a message congratulating them on their career achievements. This will be a conversation starter.

By connecting with your new colleagues, not only do you expand your reach but also get employee referral opportunities.

Do LinkedIn Marketing Offline As Well

LinkedIn speeds up the process of connecting a seller and a buyer. The way to do this is to request a meeting. This will:

1. Build a stronger relationship.
2. Both parties will get familiar with each other.
3. Pave the way for further meetings.
4. You will be able to learn more about the areas in which they are interested.
5. You will be able to showcase your expertise and skills to your buyer.

But, you can’t just straight forward ask someone for a meeting. To gain this right, try finding what they are really interested in, leaving a meaningful comment, or show interest in what they are doing.

Follow Up On LinkedIn After A Networking Event

After a networking event, the easiest way to follow up on LinkedIn is to make sure to mention LinkedIn at the networking event.

Ask for permission from the person you want to connect with if you could follow up on LinkedIn. If he says ‘Yes,’ send a follow-up request along with a customized note. In the note, mention the event you met at. Make sure your profile and career story are optimized. You must have a profile picture. Whoever does not remember you by name will recognize you by your profile picture.

Remember, not all connections you make will turn out to be fruitful, but at least you have expanded your network, and now you can share your ideas and build relationships.

Read all about how to connect someone on LinkedIn.

Do’s And Don’ts Of LinkedIn Networking

• Do choose your groups very carefully. Be a part of groups that are most relevant to your interests and share the same professional values.
• To maintain your presence in these groups, post thoughtful responses over time.
• Do get feedback and testimonials posted on your profile.
• Do make your content interesting by including meaningful and eye-catching videos. People must know what you have to offer.
• Expand your network, reach out to others and try to make as many connections as possible.
• Don’t spam. It is common sense, and yet a lot of people still do that. To get your message out, use the update feature.
• Don’t use very complicated language. People lose interest in the content they can’t understand. Keep things simple and understandable.
• Don’t see LinkedIn as a task you must attend to. Dedicate time and effort, and it will surely bring results.

So, now you know all about how to network on LinkedIn.