Brent Pohlman
Linkedin has changed a lot in the last 10 years for me.
- From 2005 – 2011, I thought it was a great job board where people were carefully putting their online resume on display for people to checkout, learn from and record for a possible job change in the future.
- From 2009 – 2012, Linkedin Groups were the place to be. For some people they still are. People could connect with others based on their industry, professional networks and other new markets.
- In the past three years, there was a movement toward more social sharing on Linkedin. People started looking more at personal updates, company updates and article updates. These changes have really made this platform the place to be for networking with different groups of people.
- The Linkedin Blogging Platform has taken Linkedin to another level.
So what does all of this mean…I am not a normal Linkedin User
Meet New People on Linkedin
People ask me why I like to connect with people I don’t even know on Linkedin. To me, it is more about learning from others at different companies, industries and professions. I can learn from anyone if I take the time to stop and listen. I really enjoy connecting with people who are active on Linkedin. People who share updates and take the time to write blog articles. Do most of your close friends and acquaintances blog? Very few people do, so why would I only want to connect with people I know.
Linkedin Groups
Linkedin groups are not my style. I belong to a few groups and share from time to time, but they have become mostly a broadcasting area for people to promote themselves and their own thoughts. I stay connected to “industry groups” so I can receive updates that help me keep in touch with a particular industry.
Linkedin Company Page
Be patient! Keep posting information about the company and promoting its content. You will eventually see results. For me, its been a slow climb. Also, consider following other companies, but again be patient, companies are not quick to post information about their respective companies.
Linkedin Updates
This is where people share good information about themselves and others. This is the place where I spend my time catching up on news and interesting insight. Also, if you leave a comment or receive a comment, Linkedin provides a nice information feed indicating that someone is referencing your update or comment. It is a great place to directly connect with people.
Linkedin Blogging Tool
This is where I can really achieve a bigger following. I typically post articles on my blog site to this area and I add some additional questions to get people to leave comments. I learn a lot from people’s comments. It also helps me gauge what people are interested in.
My Linkedin Advice for You
Spend time on the blogging tool and updates. This is where you will see the biggest return on your time spent on Linkedin. Remember, few people do it. You can be like everyone else or you can have an advantage over your peers. People will ready your articles if you make them personal and speak about your own experiences.
Don’t be afraid to connect with people you do not know. Just remember if you extend an invitation to someone and have not heard back from them for a couple of days, you should consider withdrawing your invitation, (don’t delete). Too many of these type of invitations can be a negative against your profile. From here, you can now start sharing information or commenting on updates because you have that initial connection in place. (This is so backwards compared to anything you will ever read in Linkedin books or articles)
Let me ask you, when you go to a networking event or conference do you know everyone in the room? Do you ever exchange your business card with a stranger? Of course you do! How is that any different when you share your profile. Remember Linkedin is not a job board anymore. It is a social sharing platform.
Spend more time on Linkedin than other social media sites if you are wanting to connect closer with other business professionals.
Picture Source: Pixabay
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