Answer:
1. Stop focusing on the numbers
Whilst having a half empty LinkedIn profile and just 3 connections is pretty pointless, if you are overly concerned about how many connections you have – then you simply don’t ‘get it.’
LinkedIn is a platform/tool to manage relationships and your network. And like any network, it’s about the quality not the quantity.
So instead of looking at ‘how many’ people you’re connected to, your focus should instead be on ‘who’ you’re connected to and the quality of those relationships.
2. Focus on WHO you’re connected
The real value of LinkedIn is the ability to source contacts (and be sourced by others such as recruiters, hiring companies, potential clients) using the 6 degree of separation principle. And so the real value of your network is not in how many people you’re connected to – but who the people you are connected are – and in turn the quality of their networks.
Lets imagine you had 30 LinkedIn connections and you’re friend had 130 connections whilst you both searched for a new job within the banking sector. So that’s more than 4 times the size of your network.
But if your 30 contacts included 10 well known financial services recruiters (with strong LinkedIn networks) and 20 key industry contacts (again with strong LinkedIn connections), your 30 connections could well yield more of the right kind of opportunities and connections than your friend who has 130 contacts in all sorts of other industries.
3. Focus on the QUALITY of your relationships
But having these 30 connections is no good if you haven’t the relationships with those individuals. So instead of focusing purely on the numbers or ‘who you know’, focus on cultivating and strengthening those relationships.
How do you do that? Go back and read yesterday’s post about being generous.
4. Ensure you’re connected to all of your warm contacts on LinkedIn
This sounds really obvious. But I regularly come across people who I know fairly well but am not connected to on LinkedIn. So rather than going in search of ‘new contacts’ – ensure your connected to people you already know.
Friends, colleagues, ex-colleagues, suppliers, clients, strategic partners, fellow members of professional associations, old university contacts etc
Am I completely off the mark with these answers? Feel free to share your thoughts, comments and suggestions in the box below.
This is part of a 7 part series of LinkedIn questions – look out for tomorrow’s question:
“How well do I need to know someone before inviting them to connect with me?”
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By the way, if you’re currently job searching and want to know how to use LinkedIn to find your next job, you may want to take a look at my instantly downloadable audio programme: “7 Ways To Find Your Next Job Using LinkedIn.”
I’ll talk and walk you through some simple yet effective ways to speed up your job search using LinkedIn. For further details, click here now.