How can you build your professional network on LinkedIn effectively?
Maximise your LinkedIn network with CompLeadly! From target audience analysis to automated invitations and InMails, optimise your contacts.
You want to grow your professional network, but you are unsure which LinkedIn features can help you most? In the business world, a strong network is invaluable. But what is the best way to use LinkedIn to keep expanding that network? Here, you will learn how to get the most out of LinkedIn's different features.
What is a professional network?
A professional network is essentially a collection of contacts you have in your business environment. LinkedIn limits you to 30,000 direct connections. So you have plenty of room to grow.
The power of invitations
An important step in building your network is using the invitation feature. You can send connection requests to LinkedIn members and ask them to become part of your network. Once your invitation is accepted, that person becomes a direct connection in your LinkedIn network. You may need to provide an email address to send the invitation.
Benefits:CompLeadly automates the process of sending invitations and following up, so you have more time for high-quality interactions. The team also helps you write outreach messages to increase the chances of your connection requests being accepted.
Direct and private: InMail messages
InMail messages are private messages that allow you to contact LinkedIn members who are not direct connections while protecting the recipient's privacy. InMail is a paid feature and particularly useful for Premium or Sales Navigator customers.
With Sales Navigator, however, you receive 50 InMails free each month.
With CompLeadly, you can also send over 8,000 (eight thousand!) InMails.
It can send automated InMail messages using individually tailored content, which significantly increases the likelihood of a positive reply.
Follow instead of connecting?
You can also simply follow someone without creating a direct connection. When you follow someone, you can see that person's posts and articles on their LinkedIn profile without being directly connected. This is a less invasive way to keep an eye on someone and learn about their professional activities.
CompLeadly allows you to automatically follow up to 2,500 profiles per week that may be relevant to you, and keeps these contacts warm through regular interactions.
The benefits of following are clear: following on LinkedIn increases your visibility and sparks curiosity, generating more profile visits.
LinkedIn notifies the person you follow and sends them an email, which often leads them to visit your optimised profile and follow your call to action.
The contact can follow you back, which increases your reach, and allows you to write messages for special occasions (congratulations feature).
By following, you build a pool for direct communication and follow-ups.
Conclusion
The key to an effective professional network on LinkedIn is using all available features strategically and purposefully. Whether through invitations, InMails or following profiles, all these features help you expand your contacts and optimise your network.