Please be my friend!
There are a few things I want to say about LinkedIn and certain people’s approach to using it.
Recently, respected SEO Rishi Lakhani wrote a blog post on the matter. In it, he states that he is:
“genuinely tired of getting linked in requests from people I don’t know or have never spoken to.”
I’ve never met Rishi, but I have seen him speak a couple of times at SEO events. I also follow him on Twitter and we are connected on LinkedIn, so he obviously doesn’t see me as too much of a nuisance.
Anyway, I think Rishi talks a lot of sense when it comes to SEO, I’m just not so sure about his attitude towards LinkedIn.
How I use LinkedIn
Anyone who is connected with me will know that I use it an awful lot. I connect with as many people as possible and most of the time these are people that I have never met.
My ‘strategy’ (I’m loath to use the word) is as follows:
1) Connect with people who are likely to post information that is relevant and useful to me (Rishi falls under this category) – As a result, my updates section offers a wealth of valuable insight into what is happening in online marketing.
2) Connect with people who may be interested in using Copify – If I think you might be interested in using us, I will drop you a friendly message with my contact details. I won’t be pushy (it’s not my style) and I certainly won’t bombard you with phonecalls or emails.
In an average week I might attempt to connect with around 100 people. I don’t, as Rishi suggests I should, reach out to all of these people individually with a tweet or a customised message. If I did, however, it would go something like this:
“Hi, I’m connecting because I’m interested in what you have to say, and maybe to see if you might be interested in using Copify.”
I don’t do this because A) I don’t have time, and B) It’s implied.
Networking
Don’t want to network in a professional sense? Here’s an idea, don’t hang out on a professional networking site. Do us a favour and stick to Twitter and Facebook instead.
LinkedIn bills itself as a professional social networking site. In my eyes, that makes it like a virtual business networking event. In the real world, these events are designed specifically for people to meet people they haven’t met before, so why should LinkedIn be any different?
Incidentally, I don’t actually attend that many networking events for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I have really sweaty palms, so I avoid subjecting people to handshakes (really, I’m not kidding!) Secondly, I find that little useful ever comes of them. This is actually one of those rare occasions that I agree with esteemed copywriter Tom Albrighton.
So for me, LinkedIn is the perfect way to network with people I have never met. I fully intend to carry on using it for that very purpose.
Don’t want to be my friend?
No hard feelings, just say no. It’s dead easy, It only takes about 5 nanoseconds to click the reject button. I won’t be offended (much), but I probably won’t be in a hurry to link to your blog, retweet you, or maybe even refer you to someone I know either.
Accept me, reject me, whatever, but don’t make a big song and dance about it.
“2) Connect with people who may be interested in using Copify – If I think you might be interested in using us, I will drop you a friendly message with my contact details. I won’t be pushy (it’s not my style) and I certainly won’t bombard you with phonecalls or emails.”
If you left me a message like that – about WHY you want to connect – then I would
My point is dead contact without a single reason to connect? Thats what annoys me.
A) I don’t have time,
It doesnt take much time to copy and paste
“Hi, I’m connecting because I’m interested in what you have to say, and maybe to see if you might be interested in using Copify.”
and B) It’s implied
So Copify would suit that niche.
I am not sure an SEO Agency or PPC agency connecting with me would be “implied” If I saw a request form a company I have heard off, but never worked with, I would still be tempted to connect
A blind request on Linked in is like throwing your business card in a room full of people, hoping ONE or TWO of them will pick them up.
But thats just a personal opinion. And i like to whine anyway
“but I probably won’t be in a hurry to link to your blog, retweet you, or maybe even refer you to someone I know either.”
So the quality of someone’s output is less important to you than if he wants to play with you in kindergarten? Mature.
A topic that has been bugging a lot of people of late I think. And I agree with the ‘connecting’ point.
How is sending a ‘connect’ request on LinkedIn but being too lazy to even write a personal message explaining why you want to connect actually ‘connecting’ in any way? It baffles me.
If I want to connect with you, I’d at least bother to say who I am and why. Otherwise, it’s just spamming.
I just used the word connect 5 times in one comment. I’m clearly desperate to connect after all.
Your post made me smile… I spoke to a lady recently who utilises Facebook and wants to grow her business through this platform, however, she doesn’t want to befriend anyone she doesn’t know. After staring at her for a short time with a bewildered smile, she had a light bulb moment.
)
An excellent post and yes I would like some details on Copify pls (and I would welcome a connection on any of the sm platforms)
Jules
The problem is that Linkedin doesn’t want you to use its service in that way, they are pretty insistent about it and can put restrictions on your account if they notice this is how you use it.
To be clear i completely agree with using the platform to build contacts etc that are relevant to you and your business. However, i personally try to make sure i dont just send the generic invite text, i still do sometimes but i try not to if i can help it.
Oh and Barry my take on that quote you mention is that Martin believes having someone within your network (whichever it is) is more likely to lead to referrals etc than that person just being someone you have heard of once or twice. I dont think it was about being mature or not, its just a fact.