Leveraging LinkedIn: It's much more than just numbers

This month's Tech Tip is by Nancy Loderick, Dish Editor and VP, Network Partnerships, at DowntownWomensClub.com.  This article originally ran in the Downtown Women's Club November Dish e-newsletter. (click here to register for free).

Having a diverse network is a great idea. The more people you know, the greater your chances of uncovering that great new opportunity or business deal. That being said, networking is not just about numbers. LinkedIn, one of my favorite online business tools, makes it quite easy to connect with a lot of people. But, just because it’s easy, doesn’t mean you should do it. Admittedly, it’s hard not to get wrapped up in seeing how many contacts you can find. (For those of you not familiar with LinkedIn, please take a look at our DWC LinkedIn Guide.)

My 8 tips for making the most of LinkedIn, or any other online business network, are:

1. Have a valid reason for making a connection.  Is the contact in your industry; is the contact in an industry or company where you'd like to work, etc.?  On LinkedIn, you can actually get penalized for sending out too many invitations where people reply, "Don't know this person."  After five such responses, your account gets locked and you can't send out any more invitations until you've asked LinkedIn Customer Service to unlock your account. This can take several weeks.
2. Make it personal.  With a contact request, include a brief introduction and also a brief explanation of why you'd like to connect.  Don't use the canned LinkedIn templates, they're way too impersonal.
3. Think quality over quantity.  A few close, very helpful connections are much better than many connections who you barely know.  Focus, too, on only one or two online networking sites.
4. Be creative with your contacts and think outside your industry.  A contact is not just for business deals.  For example, I have an interior designer, personal organizer and a fashion consultant in my network.  It's great to have this information in one place and also makes it easy for me to provide suggestions on such service providers.  After all, networking is just as much about giving as it is about asking.
5. Give as well as take.  Having a diverse network makes it easier to help others.  A lot of requests I get have nothing to do with my business.
6. Stay in touch with your connections.  Send interesting articles, send a quick note to say hello.  Don't think of your contacts just when you need something.
7. Join a LinkedIn Group.  As a paid DWC Subscriber ($49.99/year), you automatically become part of our DWC LinkedIn Group.  Being part of a group such as this allows you to contact any other member within that group, even if you don't know their email address.  Be mindful  here too, just because someone is in the same group as you, doesn't mean you need to be connected to them.
8. Make it real.  Yes, online networking is fun and it's easy.  But, there is still nothing like a face-to-face meeting.  For local contacts, try to arrange a quick cup of coffee periodically, or arrange to meet at a conference you may both be attending.

My Tech Tip Message for this month is to make the most of online networking; as long as you're smart and focused about it, you'll get some great results.

Nancy Loderick

More tips from Nancy and others on LinkedIn can be found in the new book, The Savvy Gal's Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?) - available on Amazon or free with a Downtown Women's Club paid subscription.

Comments

[Renay Picard]

Nancy, these are great suggestions! Taking advantage of LinkedIn can really lead to valuable opportunities but you need to have a plan in order to successfully build and make the most of your online network.

For entrepreneurs, sales professionals and everyone who is seeking new referrals, LinkedIn can really propel sales activity. I welcome all DWC members to attend our upcoming event, "Use Linked In to Generate Real Revenue," that will take place on December 13 at the Westin Waltham. It's a great opportunity to learn specific tactics to really take advantage of the tools available on LinkedIn.

Cheers!
Renay Picard
Basho Strategies

[Nancy Loderick]

Hi Renay, Thanks for the info about your LinkedIn event. LinkedIn is so versatile and fun to use, isn't it?

[Crissy Herron Gipson (IndieBizChicks.com)]

Great info!