How to strategically build your LinkedIn network

LinkedIn connections are key to making LinkedIn networks work. Some people have a great LinkedIn profile but have no connections. Others have a bad LinkedIn profile but plenty of connections. The key is to have connections with a great profile.

Four tips to help build your LinkedIn network

1. Set goals of how many connections you want to reach. Setting a goal will make you work harder. Set reasonable goals, 25 the first week, then race yourself to 100. Keep going but keep quality.
2. Use all the resources. Gather your address books, look at other social networks, let LinkedIn suggest people for you. You will build faster and you will not struggle as hard.
3. As you connect, check out who your new connections are connected to, many times if you have things in common with one person, you will find more people in their connections that you may have forgotten.
4. Don’t worry about whether they can help you with your goals at this point. You want quality connections but you don’t want to over-analyze.

Value your LinkedIn network

1. Don’t be afraid of LinkedIn or dismiss its value. Even if you have no reason to use LinkedIn today, it doesn’t mean that it won’t come in handy at a later date.
2. Be active. You will find more people to connect with as you use it. If you only use LinkedIn once a year, your LinkedIn network will grow very slowly and you will fail to gain value.

If you are willing to invest some time in growing your LinkedIn network, you will find that it becomes more fun and you will discover people you never realized or rediscover people you have forgotten.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net