Would you like to create deeper LinkedIn relationships with people? Wondering how the people in your LinkedIn network can encourage purposeful conversations?
In this article, you will find three tips via connection requests and feed posts to spark conversation on LinkedIn.
- Compose requests for Conversational LinkedIn Connection
It can be helpful to follow them first before sending them a connection request if you want to connect with someone on LinkedIn with no prior meeting or conversation.
Following someone on LinkedIn allows you to see their posts and articles without being linked to them on your home page. It’s just a one-way relationship; in their feeds or notifications, they won’t see your posts or activities.
It can be a helpful way to gather insights about a person and their company first, so when you approach them to connect on LinkedIn, you have something to mention. With a positive comment, a personalized invitation and perhaps highlighting a common interest will capture their attention and make a great first impression. This helps you to stand out from the impersonal, generic messages of “I want to join your network.”
Do not click on the blue Connect button if you are viewing someone’s LinkedIn profile and want to follow them. Instead at the top of their profile, click the More icon and select Follow from the drop-down menu. They will receive a follow-up notice, but they are not required to take any action.
When you send someone on LinkedIn a connection request, personalizing it with a short message will make it more likely that they will respond, Ben Givon emphasizes. And it is easier to initiate a conversation if you include a question, because you have prompted the recipient to respond.
Click on the blue Connect button on the person’s profile and then click Add a Note to personalize your message on the desktop version of LinkedIn.
- Include questions to invite dialogue in LinkedIn Posts
The conversation can stop for a while after your initial connection with someone on LinkedIn, especially if there are no immediate opportunities. However the contact from a good first impression will not be lost. This is when it is important to show up regularly by appearing with content in the LinkedIn feed.
Publishing content in response to what’s happening in your industry and the world around you is the perfect starting point for posting on LinkedIn or any other social media site. Business professionals want to learn new ideas and find alternative points of view, so let them know what you are working on what activities you are attending, and share motivational material (such as a new TED Talk).
Asking a question and then hanging around to connect with feedback and messages to keep the conversation going is the most powerful way to ignite conversation from a LinkedIn post according to Ben Givon.
When you ask a question, by sharing their thoughts and experiences with you, you encourage your network to get involved. People know that questions need answers, so after reading your post, it is clear what action they should take. They’ll keep scrolling if you don’t ask a question to engage readers. Verify that your questions are open-ended. Conversation will not be stimulated by closed questions which require a simple yes or no answer.
- Tag key people or businesses on LinkedIn to ask for their insight.
You can mention individuals and businesses inside the text as well as tag people in photos or videos when you post content on LinkedIn. That person will receive email and app notifications of the reference when you tag someone in a post.
In your LinkedIn content, tagging key people is a great way to draw attention and connect people with your message, such as the speaker at an event you enjoyed or the author of the article you posted. Make sure, however, that you are judicious in using this tactic. Label individuals only when they are likely to have a real interest in entering the debate.
You can continue the discussion inside the thread or take it to a private message if the person that you tagged comments on your post. Type @ and then start typing your name to list individuals or businesses inside a LinkedIn text message. You can see a list of prospective individuals that you may mention. Click the name of the individual or company you would like to list and then continue typing your post.
Conclusion
Comments and shares on LinkedIn posts are great conversation starters, but you need to build your posts into purposeful discussions and concentrate on achieving results in order to get the best results for your business, as Ben Givon points out.
Important LinkedIn discussions help you create connections that will potentially help you achieve your next chance, whether it’s a new career, customer, partnership, or an opportunity to talk at an event in the industry.
Larger conversations may evolve from small exchanges of messages. Try to step into someone’s LinkedIn messages with more informative and personalized replies, from publicly available likes and comments. You need to search for the triggers and act quickly on them when they’re new enough to elicit a positive response from your feedback. Nurturing the LinkedIn links will then lead to telephone calls and meetings via online conversations. To establish the awareness, like and trust factor on which business relationships depend, nothing beats a face-to-face conversation.
