7 Ways to Grab LinkedIn by the Horns

This is a repost of an article that I wrote on LinkedIn Publisher. If you would like to see and share the original article, click HERE.

Are you ready to give LinkedIn a big ol’ bear hug? Hop in the driver’s seat of the LinkedIn Limited SE? Grab LinkedIn by the horns? No matter which idiom you’d like to use, now is the time to make an impact on this social network.

LinkedIn needs our voices. It shouldn’t just be a place for big name influencers, the Ariana Huffingtons and Gary Vaynerchuks of the world. They have great content, but you know who else has meaningful, inspirational experiences to share? You!

LinkedIn now has 530 million users. That’s over half a BILLION users. With that many folks, we should be telling our stories and amplifying the experiences of our connections in aims of spreading them across the world. That is what social media is all about, especially on a site with a mission to “connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.”

A month ago, I made a point of becoming more active on LinkedIn. I posted pictures of myself at work, shared interesting articles from friends, and made nearly 100 new connections with old friends and new contacts.

I’ve noticed a huge difference in the kind of engagement that I get on the platform. And I’m not just talking vanity metrics (though I LOVE getting likes). These are meaningful conversations with people online about new projects and shared experiences. Investing your time in LinkedIn allows you to strengthen your professional relationships, breaking down barriers of distance and industry.

Investing your time in LinkedIn allows you to strengthen your professional relationships, breaking down barriers of distance and industry.

I had such a positive experience immersing myself in this platform that I’ve decided to share the seven tasks that provided me with the most impact on LinkedIn. These will teach you exactly how to grab LinkedIn right by the horns! Best part is, you can accomplish most of these on a Sunday afternoon.

1. Make an effort to post on LinkedIn at least twice a week. A topical industry article. A picture of your office setup. Thoughts on leadership lessons you’ve learned from owning a goldfish. Whatever you post, get your voice out there! If you have forgetful tendencies, consider scheduling your posts with an app like Hootsuite.
2. Follow 10+ new people who are putting out quality content. These folks can be Mark Cuban or Jack Fitzpatrick (loving my shameless plug). This will give you all of the inspiration you need to keep pushing on that LinkedIn grind.
3. Connect with 30+ folks from “People you may know.” This was a major eye opener for me. There are so many people out there on LinkedIn (Should I say it again? Over half a BILLION), and you likely know more that you think. Spend 20 minutes or so combing through. See who is out there. Find out what they are up to.
4. “Add a note” every time you invite someone to connect. It doesn’t have to be the most creative note, it just has to be one. Millennials, if you can introduce yourself on Tinder/Bumble, you can do this. Doing this opens up a message thread where you two can chit chat, allowing you to find that next collaboration even quicker.
5. Grab coffee with one connection you’ve lost touch with. Remember Alfred from your third grade music class. You know, the one who you saw in the “People you may know”section? He builds handcrafted birdhouses now. If you didn’t even know that he liked birds, you should probably grab a cup of coffee and catch up. You never know about what creative collaborations could sprout from a coffee chat!
6. Connect with four current coworkers. I always hear people saying, “I’m not spending any time on LinkedIn because I am not on a job search.” But the thing is, LinkedIn isn’t just built for finding jobs, it is a space that allows connections already in your circle to flourish. For your coworkers, it provides context on past experiences and other interests, building upon that common ground.
7. Go through your business card stack once a month. It’s okay folks, we all have one. For me, it was my top desk drawer, filled to the brim with miscellaneous business cards. Did you hit it off with someone at a networking event last month. You may need to add a nice note reminding them where you met, but connect with them anyway. Nurture that professional circle!

Setting these types of goals allow for genuine engagement with your connections, the foundational base of your network. It is honestly a beautiful thing. If you keep pushing out job leads, personal anecdotes, and industry tips to your network, you will get them back in return. It’s a big beautiful circle of sharing.

If you want LinkedIn to do more for you, you’ve got to put in the time. Together we can make such a rich and robust community that helps us all build meaningful connections, find work when we need it, and continue learning more and more.

On that note, let’s keep this conversation going. Share your LinkedIn tips in the comments!