Making 1-to-1 connections on LinkedIn
There have been times I’ve been tempted to quit LinkedIn.
(i mean, who hasn’t…)
There’s a reason it can be very unrewarding.
When I first started, I’d post for months and not get a lot of traction.
But I quickly realized it was because I was treating LinkedIn like a retail job.
You know, write the posts, publish the posts, clock out as soon as they shoot out into cyberspace.
And, just like a 7/11 manager frowning at a pimply teenager, LinkedIn was not impressed with me.
When you create content on LinkedIn, you can’t just publish and leave.
They want you to be on their platform, engaging with other people.
Before, during, and after you post your content.
Doing one to many (posting a video) is only half the battle. You’ve also got to build up those one-
to-one connections, just like you would in real life.
Otherwise, you’re looking a little silly. Just a b2b founder in cyberspace expecting to get referrals from connections you’ve never interacted with.
You have to comment on people’s stuff, send people emails, and get a lot better at cold DMing.
(scary stuff, i know)
Even though I am the video guy on LinkedIn, I’ve never said video is the only answer.
It’s not.
Posting content alone will never win you success on LinkedIn.
You’ve got to reach out to people, answer questions, and show some genuine curiosity for the people in your network.
The cool thing is you’ll make some great friends along the way. I know I have.
About Justin
Justin is a marketing nerd. His gateway drug was in middle school when he and his buddies would make up brand names and draw logos for fun. He graduated with a B.A. in Graphic Design from UW Eau Claire. He then cut his teeth leading the marketing for a $4 million non-profit, moving them into the digital age with new channels and systems. He joined a $60M healthcare manufacturer as marketing team of 1, helping grow them to $90M in three years. Justin became a full-time marketing entrepreneur in 2018. He now enables founders to grow their pipeline and thought leadership through social media videos. Follow him on Linkedin here.
