How to grow your network with target contacts on Linkedin
Save time on your networking routine with this 5-minutes guide
Linkedin is ideal for the lead hunt and business networking. Of course, it’s only true, if you know how to find the right contacts and how to approach them without scaring them away.
In this short guide, I want to present the simple routine that will help a founder grow daily on the platform.
Approach both leads and fans
There are two types of contacts you need to focus on on Linkedin: potential leads/customers and people who are eager to learn and interact with you (your potential tribe or fans).
First contacts may stay silent on your feed, but they bring the money. The second group engages regularly, but may not become customers at all.
Don’t focus on just one of them. You need both types of contacts to grow your business on Linkedin.
Outline ideal personas
You must know your ideal customer as soon as you start marketing your product or service online, but if you’re not sure yet, it’s a great place to finally look for it.
To create this ideal persona answer these questions:
- Who is this person?
- What’s his/her problem your product can help to solve?
- What are their interests?
- Age?
- Income?
- Demographics?
- What they’re talking about on Linkedin?
- What keyword can describe this persona?
Repeat the same process for the second persona (your potential devoted follower from a tribe).
Now you are all set to look for your ideal target audience!
Master the Linkedin search
The people are here waiting for you on Linkedin. You just need to find them. And the Linkedin search can help you with it.
Start by typing in the keyword that you can apply to your ideal customer. For example, “founder”. Then click on the “All filters” tab to access the advanced search option.
You’re looking for 2nd and 3d connections. If you have people you want to borrow an audience from — add their profiles too to look for their connections specifically.
The same goes for some creator followers that you want to hack for the audience.
Play with other filter options. Add industries, topics people talk about, languages, countries, and so on.
That’s it! This completely free feature provides you with an extensive flow of new contacts! Just don’t mindlessly press “connect” on all the profiles you’ve found! You need to become acquainted with a person first to build the initial connection and trust.
Follow and comment on big accounts
Before connecting with some big accounts, follow them and study their pages. If people are sharing some content, start replying to it. Visit the page in a week or so to get attention, only then press “Connect” and add a custom message about why you’re reaching out.
DM the people you’ve found
Tell these people what you love about their accounts, and what messages you can relate to, or thank them for providing some insights.
Never sell in the first DM. Build a connection with a conversation instead.
For smaller accounts, you can skip the weekly stalking and just write one comment and hit connect. Still, even here I advise you to create custom DMs for each outreach you make.
Filter your connections regularly
Of course, there is no way to be sure that each of the people you are connected with, will ultimately fall into leads or tribe categories. It’s ok to be wrong. If you see that this contact isn’t bringing anything valuable to you or your business, or if it posts something completely irrelevant to your interests and industry on the feed, — disconnect this person.
You need to filter your connections and curate your feed at least once a month to keep it efficient.
Repeat the routine by adding 4–6 people daily.
Of course, if you’re an active founder sharing the product’s journey online, people will reach out to you too. But before you have a very big community and your product becomes a hit on Linkedin, you should add new contacts to both of your audiences yourself too.
It’s not taking a lot of time to add 4–6 people a day, but the routine helps you to attract more and more peers and customers.
The ideal audience hunt checklist
- Outline the persona of an ideal customer
- Outline the persona of a devoted fan
- Play with Linkedin Advanced Search to find 4–6 people per day
- Engage with accounts you found, before reaching out to them
- Connect with personalized DMs only
- Never sell in the first DM
- Filter your connections regularly
- Repeat the routine daily
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