4 Ways To Build, Engage, and Support Your Connections

LinkedIn language is saying... "Let me know if there is anything I can do to support your journey" after a connection request is made, and that's usually where the conversation with a new connection ends.

I believe that some people actually mean it and mean well when they say it, but may not know how to effectively implement these words into action to further assist you; or they make assumptions that you may not want/need their assistance. In my personal experience I know that no matter how 'well' a person may appear to be doing on LinkedIn or online in general (social media is pretty easy to curate our HIGHLIGHTS rather than our HARDSHIPS) we all welcome opportunities to do better. 🤲🏾

But HOW we offer support also matters, you don't want to be THAT PERSON sliding into someone's DMs trying to sell your book, services, webinar, etc to the person who is an EXPERT or ACCOMPLISHED in that domain already. 🥴

If you are not quite sure how or where to get started in engaging and building with your connections:

1. Take a moment to actually review their profile to see what a person actually does/is doing/has done. (LinkedIn has optimized this process by enabling users to highlight 'skills' used in a role, as well as used across organizations, volunteering, education and elsewhere. This is extremely helpful as it allows you to easily scan and understand capabilities or interests).
2. Seek commonalities, after all you made the connection or accepted the connection request for a reason; something about their work or profile resonated with you.

Here are 4 simple yet actionable ways to engage with your connections on LinkedIn, and to actually support their professional journey:

1. If you share an industry or professional community in common

✨️ consider sharing an industry or community specific event, article, book, podcast, or product with them

2. If you learn they are seeking work, although you may not be or know the hiring manager

✨️ share an open role or opportunity with them

✨️ if you do know the hiring manager, facilitate an introduction to their work

3. If you know someone else who may benefit from their work, services, product, or thought-leadership

✨️ facilitate an introduction/connection to someone else

✨️ re-share their work, services, product, thought-leadership 

4. If you share similar or opposing sentiments and perspectives about a topic.

✨️ invite them to share their perspectives by tagging them in a discussion

💡You are capable of making a greater impact and deeper connections simply by becoming interested in others; faster than you could by trying to get or convince others to be interested in you.💛