Expanding Your Network With LinkedIn

Several months ago, I wrote a blog post giving tips on how to expand your network using social media. Specifically, I talked about how to expand to another area, as I was moving from Denver to Atlanta and needed to make new contacts.

Twitter and Facebook were useful, but I gained the most…and best…new contacts through LinkedIn. I performed an advanced search, looking for contacts within 10 miles of a specific Zip Code (where I thought I’d be moving to) in the Atlanta area.

The first people listed were those I was already connected with, as well as 2^nd and 3^rd degree connections. Obviously, those were important for me to reach out to and I did.

However, the search results then definitely seemed random, in no particular order. In fact, it’s not random at all. The search brought up people who are the most active on LinkedIn as well as had the most complete profiles. It’s LinkedIn’s goal to connect people with others who use the site often rather than suggesting connections with someone who never logs in.

So, I knew that by sending a request to connect to these people, I stood a pretty good chance of them accepting. I didn’t care “who” I was connecting with, nor did I care what they did or who they worked for; I was simply interested in expanding my network. I personalized each request, stating that I was moving to Atlanta and expanding my network. Within two days (yup, just two days), every person connected. Many even sent responses, asking how they could help.

Once I’d moved, I reached out to these people again, letting them know that I was now living in Atlanta and asking to meet with them. I offered to treat them to iced coffee (it’s hot here!), telling them that I wanted to know more about them, what they do and how I could help them. Not once did I say what I did. I knew that conversation would come, but these meetings were about them, not about me.

Again, everyone responded, taking me up on my offer. I’ve been overwhelmed with the results of these meetings. Everyone was extremely nice and helpful, providing information about living and working in Atlanta. More importantly, virtually all of them introduced me to contacts they felt would be valuable…and they have been. My network is rapidly expanding.

With just a bit of work, I’ve been able to connect with over a hundred new business contacts in a short amount of time. Whether you’re moving…or just expanding your local network…it pays to spend time on LinkedIn.

What tips do you have for expanding your online network? Post them below!