3 sincere ways to connect with LinkedIn connections

People often reach out to me for advice around networking and LinkedIn.  There are different strategies for interal networking (within your organization) and external networking.  I believe LinkedIn is a great tool for external networking.  It is a visual that shows you your network and quickly enables you to see facts and updates.  It's important to recognize that just because you are connected to someone does not mean that they are part of your network.  Your network is the people who would pick up the phone and make a phone call on your behalf (that's my definition).  If you're connected to someone who wouldn't do that, then you need to build the relationship.

Here are three sincere ways you can connect or reconnect with your connections:

1) Share an article or video that is relevant to them.  Perhaps you just saw a TED talk on a topic that you think would be interesting to them.  You can send them a link with a quick note that you saw this talk and thought they may find it interesting.  This is a way of serving them.

2) Offer to introduce them to someone.  Spend a few minutes each week thinking about who might benefit from knowing someone in your network.  Reach out to both parties and offer an introduction.  It's important to keep this generic until both parties agree.  For example, you want to say something like "I have someone in my network who is in the same industry as you.  I think they may be a great contact for you.  Would you be open to an introduction?"  Consider introductions for people who are located in the same city, work for the same company, work in the same industry, or perform a similar function in different industries.

3) Check in.  Let them know you were just thinking of them.  Ask them how they are doing and give them a brief update on your life.

I know that LinkedIn informs you if someone has changed jobs, celebrated a milestone, or is having a birthday. This can also be a good time to reach out. Try to avoid using the shortcut and instead send them a personalized note.  Because so many people reach out for those events, I typically don't find them to be as meaningful a connection.

Start with setting a goal to reach out to 5 people a week.  It will probably take less than 15 minutes.  You'll be surprised how easy it is in 15 minutes a week to maintain a fairly large network.  Remember the goal is to make a meaningful connection and the easiest way to do that is to serve your network.