The Do’s & Don’ts of Networking on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is one of the most powerful social media platforms for finding work, as a freelancer or even finding clients for your business, yet many people aren’t sure quite how to use it properly. We’ve put together this list to help you get the most out of LinkedIn.

DON’T: Post your selfies

One of the most popular complaints on LinkedIn is that it’s becoming more and more like Facebook and some of their connections are posting selfies 2-3 times a week. First, you shouldn’t have a selfie as your profile picture anyway, you should get a professional headshot done. Second, LinkedIn is a professional network and although you may be gorgeous, it’s not the time and place. Here’s how to look great in your profile picture. 

DO: Post useful and valuable content

LinkedIn is a great way to get relevant eyeballs on your content. You should post useful content that is relevant to your audience and shows off your expertise. If you’re looking for clients, this is a great way for them to see how good your work is and some social proof.

DON’T: Fill your feed with meme’s, word searches etc

This is again where LinkedIn is becoming more and more like Facebook, people are taking meme’s way too far. Although it does generate a lot of engagement, stick to business/industry themed posts (the odd meme is okay – provide it’s relevant and appropriate)

DO: Create infographics

Infographics are some of the most shared pieces of content as they are easily digestible nuggets of information. Whether you have statistics or a list, you can make an infographic. If you aren’t the best graphic designer, Canva has some awesome templates.

DON’T: Post and not engage

There’s no point posting out your content and not engaging with your community. Comment on other people’s posts or like them (ONLY if you do genuinely like it) and they will be more willing to reciprocate. When somebody likes a post on LinkedIn, that post is then shared on their connections news feed. So even just getting one like on your content can let hundreds of others see it.

DO: Join and be active in groups

There are lots of groups on LinkedIn that are helpful and useful, no matter what industry they’re in. Join them and join in with the conversation. Some groups even have an introduction post for you to comment on. I usually recommend posting a blog or infographic once a day in groups – depending on how active the group is. If you see above, I have joined groups with what I am interested in; UK business, Kent business, Digital Marketing, Entrepreneur groups and more. Try joining local business groups and interacting

DON’T: Add everyone who appears in your suggestions

There’s no point adding everyone who appears in your suggestions as they’re often not completely relevant, they’re just one of your 2nd connections. Sift through them, but even if you don’t want to add them don’t click “I don’t know” but click the little “X” to ignore it. This is because if somebody were to be marked as “I don’t know” multiple times, LinkedIn will ban them for being a spammer.

DO: Personalise your connection invitations

What’s the point of connecting with somebody if you’re not going to talk to them? When you add someone you should always write a personalised message to grab their attention and spark conversation. As you may know, you require somebody’s email address to connect on LinkedIn, however if you click on “friend” you will not be asked.

DON’T: Endorse like a maniac

Somebody who endorses people constantly on LinkedIn looks like they’re fishing for endorsements themselves. This is not a good look, and even though some people will endorse you back you should only do it if you KNOW that these people are good at those skills.

DO: Ask for recommendations

The recommendations feature is highly underutilised, however, it is very powerful. Ask people you have previously worked with for a recommendation, potential clients love to see testimonials before they work with someone. If you’re looking for a new job, this is also a great feature to show off your talent. If you have your university professors or previous teachers on LinkedIn, these are also great people who can write you a recommendation.

DON’T: Pester people asking for a recommendation

If somebody doesn’t want to recommend you, don’t keep pestering them until you do. It’s rude and unprofessional, and can often turn a relationship sour. Make sure you know the people you are asking well.

DO: Respond promptly to messages

Whenever you get a message on LinkedIn you should always try and reply quickly, usually within a day. This is especially the case when it’s a potential client. If you don’t spend a lot of time on LinkedIn, download the app so you will receive push notifications  on receipt of a message.

DON’T: Use chat speak

Using chat speak looks very unprofessional, although the odd lol here and there wouldn’t hurt. Don’t use silly abbreviations when posting updates or sending messages and make sure you use spell check. A lot of people when they message others on LinkedIn lay out the first few messages like an email, take a cue from the person you a messaging as to how you should phrase things. Never EVER start a conversation with ” I see you viewed my profile ”

 DO: Make conversation with your connections

Keep in contact with your connections by sending them a message every now and then, even thank them for sharing a great piece of content. You want your audience to feel valued, not forgotten.

DON’T: Flirt with your connections

LinkedIn is not a dating website and you more than likely will get called out if you try chatting someone up. Yes, they may be good looking and CEO of a huge company, but that is no excuse. LinkedIn is a professional network and many people will get named and shamed. DON’T DO IT.

DO: Turn off your notifications for profile changes

Your connections don’t want to know that you’ve changed a part of your profile, especially when it’s a spelling mistake. This is also handy for when you are searching for a new job and you don’t want your current employer to know. If you are changing jobs then by all means, share that but for minor changes, it will just annoy your connections.

DON’T: Ignore the email address you signed up with

The email address that is associated with your LinkedIn account can often be used as a different form of communication so make sure you check that email inbox regularly and keep up to date.

DO: Reach out to influencers

LinkedIn is one of the easiest ways for you to reach out to influencers to do a guest post on your blog or maybe even to pick their brain. Remember, don’t just ask, give first!

DON’T: Connect with people more than  twice

If somebody didn’t want to connect with you the first time, and again the second time, what makes you think the third will be any different? Don’t pester people to connect.

DO: Connect with those at your dream company

Want to work for a certain company? Type the name like “Fruitworks Coworking” and then you see the option of employees at.. Connect with those that you can and send them a message to introduce yourself.

DON’T: Send invites via search

Always make sure you send an invite by clicking on someone’s profile. First, it shows that you’re not just connecting willy nilly and second, you are not able to personalise the invitation when you do it through search.

DO: Connect with potential clients after meeting

If you meet somebody at an event or you have a meeting, make sure you connect with them. Usually, I try to connect within ten minutes of seeing them so I don’t forget their name and they don’t forget mine.

DON’T: Send invites to contacts NOT on LinkedIn

If they don’t have it by now, they probably don’t want it. And LinkedIn seems to send the invite multiple times which makes you look like the spammer. Not good!

DON’T: Swear

As I finished writing this, I clicked onto my LinkedIn feed and saw someone being slated for swearing (albeit excessively) on his LinkedIn profile, ironically whilst looking for a job! Keep your language clean and professional.

If you have anything to add, or can think of anything I have missed then please let me know in the comments!