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10 Simple Tips to Double Your LinkedIn Connections

LinkedIn is the boring brother of Facebook and Twitter.

Sometimes you feel like shaking him and asking if if he knows what it’s like to have a little bit of fun. Comparisons continue to be made including the ones between Facebook and Linkedin. One I have heard that sums it up well is, “Facebook is like hanging out at a barbeque with friends while LinkedIn is the cocktail party“.

Compared to Twitter, the social media rock star that attracts the media spotlight and streams across the bottom of the television, LinkedIn is a bit buttoned up. It’s suit and tie versus jeans and t-shirt. Sometimes you feel like you should be prodding it with a stick.

But despite the comparisons, the jokes and the snide remarks, LinkedIn is not to be underestimated. It can connect you to powerful influencers, provide a focused ecosystem to share your content and be a B2B marketers best friend.

These numbers put some context on the importance and scale of the LinkedIn community.

187 million monthly unique users
3 million LinkedIn business pages
2.1 million Linkedin groups

So what are some simple tips to be more effective on LinkedIn and make use of its global network of movers and shakers?

10 tips to double your LinkedIn connections

Sometimes the simplest tactics are forgotten that can make a big difference over time. With the majority of users having less than 500 connections these tips will provide the guidelines to take it beyond the 1,000 barrier.

Update your status daily. This could include posting your latest blog post, sharing an interesting Slideshare presentation or an article that is of value to your industry and niche
Participate in (or start) a LinkedIn group discussion weekly
Follow influencers and ask or answer questions on their posts
Join relevant LinkedIn groups and focus on 3-5 of these and stay active on each one
Send one new invite daily and personalize it. Don’t use the standard default invite request
Prominently display your contact information so you make it easy for people to contact you
Endorse people you know for their skills with no expectation of reciprocation
Promote your LinkedIn profile. Include it on your card, place it in your email signature and on your website/blog
Tweet your LinkedIn updates to Twitter.
Include links to your blog and website in your LinkedIn profile. This will help you build credibility by displaying your full online presence.

For more tips check out the Infographic below.

Infographic Source: Whoishostingthis.com

What about you?

How are you using LinkedIn? Are you a Linkedin power user? What is your best story about the effectiveness of LinkedIn?

Look forward to your insights in the comments below.

This article was originally published by Jeff Bullas

Published: April 1, 2014
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Jeff Bullas

Jeff Bullas is a consultant, blogger, strategist, and speaker. He works with companies and executives to optimize their online personal and corporate brands through the use of social media channels. Author of the Amazon best-selling book Blogging the Smart Way—How to Create and Market a Killer Blog with Social Media (Jeff Bullas, 2012), Jeff's own blog is included in AdAge.com's Power 150 ranking as a top 50 marketing blog.