“Networking means the act of exchanging information with people who can help you professionally.”

          – Michele Jennae

Networking is an essential professional skill. In simple terms, if you want your career to go places, you must know about every possible opportunity. And to know about every possible opportunity, one must network in and outside their immediate circle. LinkedIn is a powerful platform for networking. Whether you are trying to grow your reach, explore opportunities or recruit talent, LinkedIn is an ideal platform. You can explore a number of opportunities and resources through this platform, helping you build and manage a powerful network. 

Many people use LinkedIn to share ideas, information and engage in meaningful conversations with people in their network. With LinkedIn, the possibilities of networking can be endless. However, with the times changing, there are a few specific steps one needs to take for better networking. 

 

Below we have shared a list of Do’s and Don’ts you must follow while networking on LinkedIn:   

Do’s:

– Do go through the profile before reaching out: 

  • Before reaching out to someone on LinkedIn, go through their profile and do a little research on them.Understand the tone of their profile and posts, if it is formal or informal.
  • Knowing the tone can help you decide what tone you should use while interacting with them. 

– Do treat your profile as a professional brochure:  

  • Always put a suitable, appropriate profile picture in your profile.
  • Keep your profile updated with all the educational and professional information. 

– Do craft personal messages while reaching out to a connection: 

  • Show that you are thoughtful and worthy while reaching out to a connection or a resourceful person.
  • People will admire your effort of going a step ahead by crafting a tailored message in place of sending a common “Join my network on LinkedIn” message.

– Do ask for permission before sending links of articles or products:

  • If your goal is to find customers on LinkedIn for your product or service, ask for permission before sending any links. 
  • Asking permission can not only get you agreement on sharing, but also makes you look more professional and experienced.

– Do join LinkedIn Groups to know what’s happening in your industry 

  • LinkedIn Groups provide a place for professionals in the same industry or with similar interests to share their insights and experiences, ask for guidance, and build valuable connections.

– Do post content regularly: 

Posting content regularly makes you look more professional and improves your credibility and engagements. 

Interested prospects can see how active and engaging you are.

Don’ts: 

– Don’t keep asking the connections that you don’t really know to promote you: 

  • Do not keep asking a connection to vouch for you if you don’t know them well.

– Don’t be afraid to follow up: 

  • Alway follow up with your connection if you do not get an immediate response.  
  • Checking back shows your interest and further lets them know that you’ve asked for their feedback, which helps to establish a relationship beneficial for both parties.

– Don’t spam your connections with irrelevant messages: 

  • Make sure any message you send to a connection is relevant to them or their field of work.
  • Your connection may report it as spam if it is not relevant to them, which may damage your credibility.

– Don’t treat LinkedIn as a chore:

  • Do not treat LinkedIn as a daily chore that you have to carry out every day.
  • Use it to network, post your views and share information.

 

Need help with LinkedIn marketing? 

If you wish to reach your ideal customers on the world’s largest professional network and need help, contact us. We are an award-winning digital marketing agency, that can help you with LinkedIn marketing. Whether your goal is to build brand awareness, generate leads, or drive website traffic, we can help you drive results.