Ways to Grow Your LinkedIn Connections

#1: Post Status Updates Daily

It’s important to be active on LinkedIn, and that starts with posting status updates every day. Think of your LinkedIn updates the same way as any social media post. Make sure they add value, talk about your business and include a call to action.

When you consistently stay in the feeds of your connections, there’s more opportunity for them to comment, like and share your posts. This interaction gets you introduced to their connections and gives you one more way to grow your network. When people are sharing and commenting on your stuff, it’s social proof that you’re an expert in your field.

#2: Engage With Your Connections’ Updates

Review your wall regularly and share, comment on and like other people’s updates and long-form posts.

 

 

Start relationships with new connections by commenting on their updates. Build an audience by joining the conversation on popular posts in your niche. This interaction lets people know you exist and gives you more visibility. Some of these people are likely to want to know more about you, leading to new connections.

#3: Personalize Connection Requests

Review LinkedIn’s suggested connections at least a few times a week. Make it a goal to find people in your industry or niche and personally connect with them. Try to connect with two or three people each time.
When you send a connection request, personalize it in some way for that person. How did you meet? How do you know him or her? Why do you want to connect? Here’s an example of a simple but personal connection request you can tweak and reuse.

 #4: Add Your LinkedIn URL to Your Email Signature

Your LinkedIn profile works for you in a number of ways: as a resume, a testimonial, social proof, a portfolio of projects and clients and proof of expert value, all in one convenient place. In your email signature, rather than send prospects to your Facebook account (or nowhere at all), send people to your LinkedIn profile.

First, you need to grab your LinkedIn vanity URL, a clickable link that’s easy to recognize and easy to remember. In the Contact Info section of your profile, click the gear icon next to your LinkedIn URL. Then on the next page, look for the Your Public Profile URL section, where you can make changes.

Once you have your vanity URL, add it to your email signature to make it easy for people to connect with you.

 #5: Join and Participate in Groups

Commit to searching for a few new LinkedIn groups to join each month. And then make sure you engage with each group often (daily if you can) by commenting, asking questions and liking other people’s comments.

A group is a great opportunity to do market research, post links to your updates to get more views and engage with others in your niche, as well as those who aren’t. When people see you in groups and interact with you over time, they’ll be more likely to connect. You might even find a new client or business partner through a group.

 

 #6: Add Keywords to Your Profile

To make it easy for people to find you, add keywords to your LinkedIn profile. The three main areas to focus on are your headline and Summary and Experience sections. All of these sections are searchable. Adding keywords will lead to more views and make you more searchable, increasing the potential for new connections.

When filling out these sections, tell stories and be creative, use every character allowed and work in relevant keywords that people will search for. For example, if you run your own business, you might be called president or CEO, but how many people will actually search for those terms? Instead, use keywords that describe what you do, as in the headline below.

 #7: Leverage Local Networking Groups

If you belong to a local networking group, look through your membership directory and send LinkedIn connection requests to individual members. Even if you don’t remember meeting someone in person, use your shared real-world connection to personalize your connection request and start to get to know that person online.

For example, you could say something like “We’re both members of (local group name), and I would love to connect here, too.” Then head to your next networking meeting newly armed with great networking info.

Search for local group members in LinkedIn groups. You may find them there, too.

#8: Post Content to LinkedIn’s Publishing Platform

LinkedIn has a publishing platform that makes it easy to publish attractive posts, look like an expert (three posts are displayed with images at the top of your profile page) and showcase more of what you know and do in a professional format