So what's the secret to unlocking your #Linkedin network? With the average connection count at 930 (LinkedIn, 2018), especially with #socialdistancing in place, what's the value of having so many connections? Well, there’s plenty of ways to take advantage of your network—and now is an opportune time to do it. From brand building to informal interviews, watch to discover how to savor your #connections. And be sure to #share and leave a comment on how you best tap into your network.
How to up your Linkedin game. Why your network matters. Professional development. Most effective way to use your network.
- Oh, my goodness. This quarantine, no barbershop thing has got me feeling really African, but I am all the way here for it. Hey, everybody, it's your girl Abrea Armstrong here. The professional young professional here helping you, as always, to get from the cubicle to the C-suite. And I hope that everyone has taken time to use some of those tips and tricks that I mentioned in my last video about making the most at home to do just that, which you're certainly welcome to go back and take some time to visit now after you watch this one. Though, since we've got at least a month or so left of this quarantine, I figure we gotta keep the corona content going.
So today we're gonna talk about how to make the most of your 500 plus connections on LinkedIn even with social distancing in place. So you know, it's a really fair question to ask. Like, why would you want so many connections on LinkedIn? It's not like it's Instagram or YouTube where the number of people you have following you have very explicit and direct correlation in terms of monetizing. That's not so true here. So why is it worth having a large network? And the answer is there is so much value in that. So now I'm gonna tell you three of my favorite ways from making the most of your LinkedIn network.
Number one is what you see me doing here, brand building. Who are you as a professional? Do your professional networks reflect that identity? If not, this is the time to start putting out original posts whether it's long-form articles, or videos like this, or maybe even you just want to follow influencers like Mark Cuban, or organizations like at Huffington Post, or just thought leaders in your respective realm, and start sharing those posts. But the key to that is making sure you use your two to three sentence caption to give your flavor, your bit of salt and pepper into the equation to show your level of expertise.
And LinkedIn is the perfect network to do this, because out of all of them, and here is a secret that LinkedIn does not broadcast enough, it has the best organic reach of any social media platform. So while on platforms like a YouTube or an Instagram, it takes a while for the algorithms to start working in your favor, on LinkedIn the contrary is true. You put out something and it automatically has larger organic reach. And the beauty of that is is that many of these people know you, and so they want to engage with the content that you're putting out there.
Two is the informal interview, an emphasis on the in, because the larger your network is, the more things you have in a variety of organizations. Whether it's just a 30 minute informal interview just so you can learn more about the organization, or if you're doing the big ask of, "Hey, friend. "Can you forward my resume to the hiring manager?" Make sure you're sliding into those in-mails to make that happen. And now could not be a better time to do that, because many people who may not be available are now readily available and they may actually be happy to hear from you. Human interaction! The beauty of that situation is also that many times it can be a win-win. Many organizations have an employee referral bonus. Your connection gets monetarily compensated and you get a brand new opportunity. And it can also work the other way around where you become the person to know. So even just think about the intrinsic sense of satisfaction that you'll get from helping whether it's a mentee or peer, or a recent graduate, helping them get into a pipeline, because you'll know the people to know, and you'll be the person to know.
And lastly, which is my absolute favorite, is that that this platform is great for broadcasting the causes that you believe in. So whether that's an internship, a scholarship, some corporate social responsibility, or maybe a non-profit that you believe in, just because this is a professional platform doesn't mean it has to be a heartless one. Absolutely use this channel to show your sense of authenticity and worldly connections, because social media in general is lacking that. Okay, guys, you got it. So you're going to build that brand, you're going to get that informal interview, and then you're going to tell the world about what you believe in.