Linkedin Connections are confusing for a lot of people. Who should I connect with? Should I connect with people who request a connection with me? It would be easy to connect with everyone BUT this is not necessarily your best option (unless they can add value to your network.) If you connect with just everyone it may be difficult, if not impossible, to keep track of everyone who you have connected with. You will miss out on potentially valuable information in your news feed as it’s clogged up with inferior quality content.
When I think about who I want to make connections with on LinkedIn I usually break down potential connections into one of four network quadrants – each different but equally important.
Information sources – When I talk about information sources I am usually talking about people in my Industry. People who are doing the same or similar things as me. They’re usually in different niches or localities but not always (there’s enough customers in the world for everyone.) I also connect with people in different industries – it pays to keep track of what’s going on in the world and where technology is heading. You need to ensure that you are continuously keeping yourself educated.
Sources of support – Everyone needs support. I am not suggesting you look to Linkedin or other platforms for emotional support as this is best served by family and friends, but Linkedin could be a great avenue for connecting with potential mentors and advisors – those that you would go to if you if you had a question and wanted some unbiased advice or clarification.
Those who would become perfect customers – It’s important to identify your ideal customer. Who would benefit most from your Product or Service? Who do you want to work with? Here are some things that you should think about when defining your perfect customer – you should create a customer avatar. Things to consider in your Customer Avatar include – Goals & Values, where they go for information, demographic information (age, location, earning capacity, industry etc), what challenges they face and what objections they might have to buying your products or services – understanding who you want to sell to affects everything about your interaction – including any articles you might write and information you might share on Linkedin. You may have more than one Avatar.
Those who would become referral sources – It’s also worthwhile connecting on Linkedin with potential referral sources – those that can refer you business. It’s important though that you understand that the power of reciprocity. People won’t just refer to you but they may if you’ve referred business to them.
So I have shared with you some information on who you should consider connecting with but it’s important to remember that “connecting” is not enough. You need to interact with those you connect with. You need to foster and develop your relationships with these people that you have connected with.