Simple Ideas for Getting the Most out of LinkedIn Conversations

LinkedIn has recently provided two small yet useful new features that will assist you in engaging your network, staying top of mind, and become more thoughtful resources to your network.

I understand it can sometimes be difficult to keep the spotlight out, especially when you work so hard at building your business, services, and offerings, but like anything else- the more you practice, the better you become until it is simply the way in which you function on a regular basis.

Invest in your network and they will invest in you. Take a few moments out of the day, and pay it forward with your most precious commodity. Your time. Pay attention to the little things like your network’s personal achievements, special days like birthdays and anniversaries, the hard work they put into that post they published on LinkedIn Publisher. Celebrate these little things with them. You will find that these things aren’t so little to them.

There are 2 small changes that LinkedIn has implemented recently that can help us with “the small stuff” by becoming more social and opening the dialogue. No valuable connection or business deal or partnership has ever been made without opening the dialogue.

One change is obvious, however most likely looked over. The other change is less obvious.

Let’s start with the obvious. Perhaps you have noticed that there is a new icon in your LinkedIn inbox. It’s a lightbulb, which you can see in the top left of the screen shot. This is your messaging home. These are suggestions LinkedIn is sending your way to open the dialogue and start a conversation. Don’t dismiss it. Leverage it. These are birthdays and anniversaries and new jobs. These are important milestones for your network. Perhaps small to you but who knows what types of challenges they have overcome to meet these milestones. Take a moment and reach out. LinkedIn has (as far back as I can remember) always provided us with the opportunity to reach out to our networks regarding these milestones, but it wasn’t as obvious before the lightbulb icon came along.

The next less obvious change is the ability to quote and share directly from someone else’s post on LinkedIn Publisher. Here’s an example from Bobbie’s blog on LinkedIn Publisher, “What Are Your Connections Up to? Opportunity is Knocking…”. Simply open up the post, highlight a sentence that strikes you, and you will see a share button (the arrow) populate on the right. You can now share this with your LinkedIn and Twitter networks.

The author that you are quoting will receive a notification that you have engaged in their post, your network is now the potential recipient of some quality information, and you are paying it forward by bringing visibility to the author’s work.

These are excellent, quick ways to stay top of mind with your network, engage in the small moments, and pay it forward.

I’d love to hear your feedback on how you have leveraged these new capabilities, and whether you believe it is worth the investment of your time.

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Remember:

  • Be the first to give to your new business relationships
  • Always pay it forward
  • Network with purpose.
  • Good luck and good networking! Remember… It’s All About Leverage.