Get More Connections on LinkedIn (Basic & Advanced)

Matt Astifan -

By design, Linkedin is meant for users to connect with people they know. However, many users feel it’s better to use Linkedin as an open network to make new connections. And why not? You can get more connections on Linkedin very easily! After all, it’s the largest online business network in the world, with a wealth of qualified prospects just waiting to be found.

Despite the intent of the Linkedin developers, you can still use it to massively grow your network.

Let’s go over some basic and advanced tricks and tips to leverage Linkedin, so you can make more connections and grow your network.

Basic: Import your email lists

You may or may not know the people on your email lists, but you can easily reach out to them on LinkedIn.

Get more connections on Linkedin by importing your address book directly from your email server. Simply and efficiently, you can add up to 3000 people before you hit the Linkedin connection limit. If your list is larger than this, weed out contacts who aren’t within your target audience.

For a smaller list of emails that aren’t within your address book, you can also add email addresses manually.

Help others connect with you

Linkedin matches the emails from your imported list to the emails entered in people’s profiles. Assume other people are also importing email lists and adding all of your email addresses to your account so you can be found.

To get more connections on LinkedIn it is sometimes required to supply an email address of the person you want to connect with. Therefore, to help interested people connect with you, consider making all your emails available in your public profile to be used in this case.

Advanced: The “secret” to adding connections on LinkedIn like a Boss

What if I told you that you could reach out to your target customer directly on Linkedin?

Well, it’s your lucky day!

You don’t need to rely on your ideal prospect to reach out to you. While on your quest to get more connections on Linkedin, you can find and connect with potential clients yourself!

By selecting “search for people with filters” within the search bar options, you can search for a target job title within your 2nd or 3rd+ degree connections.

When you find someone who you’d like to connect with, reach out with a note asking for their help with a message that goes something like this:

“Hi, (name) I’m a results-based Social Media Director in training from (city). I want to work with people in [Industry name] and I was wondering if you could help me out. What’s your biggest challenge or frustration with Social Media these days?”

Ensure you customize the message with their name to make it more personal and avoid getting flagged for SPAM.

Conclusion

Linkedin may have been designed as a place where existing connections go to die, but you can join the Linkedin open network movement and expand your network dramatically.

Start basic and get more connections on LinkedIn like a boss. These tactics will allow you to expand your network of business relationships and prospects, helping you make more money, or just become more well-known in your industry.

I’m curious: have YOU had business relationships that started on LinkedIn? Let me know in the comments below.

For more information, check out the following guides: