Reach Out How to Connect with Someone on LinkedIn

Reach Out How to Connect with Someone on LinkedIn Reach Out How to Connect with Someone on LinkedIn Youve been told you need to be on LinkedIn. You created your account, wrote a killer LinkedIn profile, and optimized it for recruiters, but thats only the start. Only about half of LinkedIn users have logged on in the past month and countless accounts are empty, outdated, and abandoned. To get the most out of LinkedIn, you must reach out to and connect with your colleagues and industry peers.Adding quality LinkedIn connections improves your job prospects whether youre actively searching or simply keeping an open mind to career opportunities. For example, expanding your network will increase the number of first-, second, and third-degree connections between you, recruiters, and hiring managers, which helps you rank higher in LinkedIn Recruiter Search results.How to connect with someone on LinkedInConnecting with someone on LinkedIn is a two-way process. You must send an invitation to co nnect then wait for your contact to accept or ignore your invitation. Once youre connected, you gain access to their complete profile, network, and ability to message them directly. Here are some different ways to connectWhen setting up a new account Your first opportunity to connect to people on LinkedIn is when you first set up your account. If you link up your emaille account, LinkedIn will suggest people to connect with.Keep in mind that when you select people from this list, you will not have an opportunity to add a personal musiknote to your invitation. When you click the plus sign, your contact will receive a generic Id like to join your LinkedIn network message. More on that below.When browsing network suggestions or search resultsUnder the My Network tab, you can review any incoming invitations you might have. Below that are suggestions based on your existing network, associated companies, and interests. Clicking Connect in this section will not allow you to send a personal note with your invitation. If youd like to send a personalized message when you reach out, click into their profile and follow the instructions below.The same logic applies when you search for people on LinkedIn. Clicking Connect will instantly send an invitation with the default note.When viewing someones profileWhen viewing another LinkedIn users profile there will typically be a blue Connect button at the top with their personenname and other details. Some LinkedIn users have customizable profiles and have moved this button to a menu. Click More to reveal a way to connect.When using a desktop web browser, clicking Connect on someones profile will give you the option to add a personal note with your invitation. When using the mobile app, tapping Connect will always automatically send a default invitation. More on how to customize your mobile LinkedIn invitations below.More about how to utilize personal notes below.Should you add a personal note when you connect on LinkedIn?Yes, b ut its not always necessary. When someone considers your LinkedIn invitation, they need to know the followingDo I know you?If so, how do I know you?If not, why should I know you?If I shouldnt, why do you want to know me?In many cases, a personalized note isnt necessary to answer these questions. Your name and LinkedIn headline will often provide a full answer for your co-workers, high-touch business contacts, or industry peers. If it doesnt, write a mora descriptive LinkedIn headline and/or clarify those questions with a personal note. How to write a LinkedIn connection requestIf youre going to write a personal note, write something useful. Dont bother sending a note that is a rewording of LinkedIns default Id like to join your LinkedIn network. For example, Hi Jon, I thought it would be a good idea if we connect isnt an effective connection request.Take advantage of the 300 characters available in your invitation note. Answer the questions above as best as you can and try to connec t some dots by bringing up things like Shared connections and how you know themI noticed that were both connected to Jerri Smith. I managed Jerri at ABC CorpIm glad we were able to meet and chat at XYZ Conferences happy hour last ThursdayHow and why you found their profileI was searching for digital marketers in the Seattle area becauseWe are both members of the LinkedIn Group Digital Marketing SeattleYour comment on Jerri Smiths post about integrity in marketing got me thinkingThe specific reason youre reaching outI just moved to Seattle from Los Angeles last month and am arranging a meetup of like-minded marketersHow your professional goals align or intersectOur companies seem to share a mission of building great tools for jobseekersIm hoping we can learn from each other as digital marketers working in Seattle techSimilar education or past work experienceI saw that you graduated from WSU in 2013. I am currently a senior thereI noticed that were on a similar path, having gone from Oregons J school into content marketing What you admire about their work or LinkedIn brandYour advice on LinkedIn is always actionable and has helped me to become a better marketerI love the way youre able to market your companys products without ever feeling spammyThe video series you produced for XYZ Corps Facebook page made me laugh so hard I criedCombining as many of these as possible in 300 characters will ensure that your LinkedIn invitation to connect is personalized and pertinent.How to add a LinkedIn connection request on the mobile appTapping Connect on the LinkedIn mobile app will always result in an instant connection request without a note, even on individual profile pages. This comes as a surprise to users accustomed to the way LinkedIn behaves on desktop, where users have an opportunity to append a note after clicking Connect. The mobile app makes it a little trickier to send a personalized message. Oops. Sent without a noteTo send a personal note with your invitation to connect on LinkedIn, dont click Connect. Instead, tap into the persons profile, tap the More menu, then tap Personalize invite. How to cancel a LinkedIn invitationYou can retract a LinkedIn invitation to connect by navigating to the My Network tab in your top navigation bar, clicking Manage all on the top right in the Invitations section, then clicking Sent.If youre logged in, you can jump straight to your unaccepted invitations by going here https//www.linkedin.com/mynetwork/invitation-manager/sent/Check out Jobscans LinkedIn Optimization tool to get even more out of LinkedIn and take your career to the next level.