As a B2B business owner, making meaningful connections in real life is important, but doing so on social media platforms like LinkedIn is paramount to your business growth.

It might sound like a reach, but networking on LinkedIn can increase your visibility as a brand, lead to connections with prospective partners, and allow you to engage with like-minded individuals who share your views.

As a LinkedIn advertising agency, our clients only have a little time to spare, so we know what it takes to network on LinkedIn effectively without wasting time. Read on to find out how to do so, what its benefits are, and what common mistakes you should avoid…

5 steps to help you network on LinkedIn

Interested in expanding your network on LinkedIn? Don’t fret, we can help you get started with the five following steps:

Step 1: Establish your goals

The first step to networking on LinkedIn is to ensure you have established what goals you want to achieve from doing so. To help you, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Am I looking to increase my own visibility – or my brand’s?
  • What sort of positions will the individuals I want to connect with work in?
  • How can I measure the effectiveness of my goals?

Asking yourself the above questions will help you better understand who you would benefit from connecting with and how you plan to interact with them. For example, if you’re looking to increase brand visibility, consider connecting with other business owners in the same industry. If they share or engage with your content, it may help you acquire more customers and clientele.

Step 2: Optimise your profile

Next, ensure you’ve optimised your profile as much as you can. In other words, ensure it’s a good reflection of yourself and represents you and your business accurately.

Take time to check your profile picture is up-to-date, and that your headline includes your position and location. This can help when it comes to SEO, and make you easier to find on search engines, whilst also adding credibility to your account. Ultimately, improving your profile on LinkedIn can go a long way. 

Step 3: Make a list

Now you’ve set your goals and optimised your LinkedIn profile, spend some time researching the sort of industry figures you want to connect with. Who these people are will depend on the goals you’ve set for yourself.

For example, if you’re aiming to build a customer base/clientele and you’re a B2B business, it’s best to make connections with business owners who could benefit from your products/services. If you’d like to build relationships with suppliers, look at sales managers within the businesses you want to work with.

Step 4: Personalise your message requests

Sought-after business owners and other working professionals likely get a large number of LinkedIn message requests every day, so it’s important you make yours stand out.

To do so, ensure you address the individual by their first name, and recognise their position within a business. Be polite, and avoid acting overfamiliar with the person as it can be off-putting. If they reply informally, match their tone – otherwise, keep it professional.

Check out our blog on how to send an InMail message on LinkedIn for more information. 

Step 5: Share valuable insights

Try to keep consistent with your LinkedIn content marketing. Organise a schedule so you maintain an active presence within your network. Ensure the content you post offers a unique perspective, is meaningful, and doesn’t just replicate what others have said previously.

If you provide valuable insights to your connections, they’ll engage with your posts more and recognise you as an experienced individual with helpful expertise. As a result, this might make them more inclined to work with you in the future.

What are the benefits of LinkedIn networking?

Networking on LinkedIn should be a priority for many business owners looking to expand upon their existing brand. Doing so can provide benefits, such as:

Increases brand awareness

One benefit of networking on LinkedIn is that it can increase the awareness of your brand. Put simply, the more connections you have, the bigger your network is. So more people will view the content you share, which will lead to higher rates of engagement. As a result, your business will have increased visibility.

Establish authority

Another benefit of LinkedIn networking is that it can help you position your brand as a thought leader in your industry. With a wider audience, sharing knowledge on the platform consistently can help you build credibility – and increase the chance of those you’ve connected with reaching out to take advantage of your services.

Boost sales and clientele

With more engagement, visibility, and recognition from your connections, your business will become more established in your industry and reach even more prospects than before. As a result, you might see sales increase or even a boost in your client acquisition.

What to avoid when LinkedIn networking

Whilst you now know how to better network on LinkedIn, it’s important you understand what actions you should avoid to prevent you from seeming off-putting to prospective connections. For example, ensure you avoid:

Over familiarity

One thing you should avoid when networking on LinkedIn is acting overfamiliar with your connection. It can seem tempting to come across as friendly and personable, but it can result in the connection being put off speaking to you.

Ensure you maintain a professional approach at first (especially if you have no rapport with them) and match their tone. If they’re using emojis and abbreviations, don’t be afraid to do the same. But, if they are formal in their conversation, try to replicate this.

Spamming contacts

Try to avoid spamming contacts with messages when LinkedIn networking. It might be a tempting option when you aren’t getting responses, but doing so can jeopardise the relationships you want to build as you will come across as pushy.

Instead, limit yourself to one message and one follow-up message per connection. Sometimes, a connection may have sincerely forgotten to reply – following up one time will help to remind them. Otherwise, it’s best to cut your losses instead of coming across as annoying.

Failure to research

Failing to research the individual you want to connect with is also something you should avoid when networking on LinkedIn. Think about it this way – when you message someone on LinkedIn, they’re taking time out of their day to read what you have to say, so it’s important you engage with them immediately.

Ensure you are aware of the work they do and the position they hold. For example, make note of any results they have achieved in their business/role that you admire and include it in your message. It can go a long way in capturing the attention of the individual you’re trying to connect with and standing out from the crowd.

Expand your network with help from LinkedIn’s marketing experts, StraightIn

Expanding your LinkedIn network is more valuable than you think. Not only can it position you in front of prospective clientele or business partners, but it can also open you up to new insights and ideas that you might not have been privy to.

Making the time to expand your network can feel like a chore in itself. So make it easy for you and your business by outsourcing your LinkedIn marketing and advertising to the experts at StraightIn. We listen to your unique business aims and produce a tailored strategy that works towards them sooner rather than later.

 Our services include Outreach Marketing, LinkedIn Advertising, Content Marketing, and Personal Branding. Get in touch with us today to find out more about how we can help you. Call 0161 518 4740, or email grow@straight-in.co.uk.

Networking on LinkedIn: FAQs

How do I ask for a referral on LinkedIn?

To ask for a referral from someone on LinkedIn, ensure you have first connected with the person on the platform. If you haven’t, maybe reconsider requesting a referral until you’ve established a significant rapport with them.

If you are connected with them on LinkedIn, try to ask for your referral via a direct message. Start with a polite introduction and explain why you’re reaching out. Highlight your positive experience with them and explain how a referral from them could help you further build your clientele. End the message by thanking the individual for their time and express your appreciation.

How can I start a conversation with someone I have just connected with on LinkedIn?

To start a conversation with a new connection on LinkedIn, reach out to them shortly after they have accepted your request and thank them for doing so. Next, properly introduce yourself and briefly highlight what you do and why you’ve chosen to connect with them.

If you want them to engage with you, try asking open-ended questions that encourage them to reply. If they don’t, attempt to follow up with them maybe a few days later – but don’t bombard them with messages. This can make you seem off-putting and disrespectful towards their professional boundaries.