Tag: LinkedIn training

The Best Leaders Are the Best Followers

LinkedIn, as the world´s most expansive, and largest online professional network, has currently a limitation for its professional users: Any professional can currently reach a maximum direct, 1st contact level of 30.000 professionals. How do I know this? Well, I do know this because I spent an X amount of hours expanding, and growing my personal network through a number of means, until I reached the limit of 30.000 direct, 1st level contacts on LinkedIn. Back then, in 2013, having 30.000 contacts was not yet so common globally – some individuals, from a variety of industries (mainly HR/headhunting/recruiting), had made the efforts and actually achieved their goal to reach the maximum potential of direct LinkedIn contacts. Today, the number of professionals globally with a 30K LinkedIn contact network is no longer rare, but what does it actually take to 1) build such a large network on LinkedIn and 2) what are the benefits?

Building a large network on LinkedIn, and reaching the current maximum amount of 30.000 contacts on this professional site, and the benefits from a large LinkedIn network:  

Requires a lot of dedication to online networking, together with hard work.

A huge professional network alone is no guarantee for business, or for professional success. Yet, the advantages are far more important than the disadvantages, with one of the advantages being that you in fact always are six degrees from separation to any professional/individual in the world. The larger your LinkedIn network, the easier it is for you to get in touch with people who do matter. But, after all, EVERY single individual in your network does matter, regardless of their current professional role, situation, or title. Always remember to treat people fairly, and with respect.

– LinkedIn has become like a huge, global “phone book”, making it easy for people to get in touch with, and reach professionals, that used to be out of their reach (thanks to a number of reasons).

Despite of its shallow aspects in terms of growing large networks, and the lack of “real” F2F communication, LinkedIn has so much to offer for its active users. A large network alone is no guarantee for increased business, entrepreneurial, or job seeking and finding success, but yet a targeted activity for any business/non-profit professional can bring much value to those who in fact do take the time and effort to invest in the correct activities, depending upon the goals. For a personal/business consultation upon these, always feel free to get in touch with me.

–  Official LinkedIn Influencers are leaders, business owners, and experts in their field of industry around our globe who have been officially selected and contacted by LinkedIn, and who have accepted the request from LinkedIn to become an official Influencer. At the time being, it is not possible to send LinkedIn an application to request becoming an official Influencer on LinkedIn. If LinkedIn determines that you are a suitable candidate for such a “position”, they will most certainly contact you. As a LinkedIn Influencer, you must fulfill their criteria for the “nomination”.

– Publishing on LinkedIn.

Since LinkedIn now has enabled public publishing for every user, the amount of published posts (and, active writers) has grown rapidly, giving business professionals around the world an additional possibility of a) growing their professional network and b) growing their amount of following on LinkedIn. Every single post you publish on LinkedIn, either on behalf of your private business as an entrepreneur, or as an employee for an organization, is content marketing, enabling you to grow your audience in line with your business activity. Your posts getting featured on one of the official LinkedIn Pulse Channels is another way of growing your following because, individuals and professionals who do enjoy reading your posts, will most likely either send you a direct contact request or, click the follow button and start following you on LinkedIn.