Success Using LinkedIn will only occur if you are Focused and Purposeful using this business tool.
Anything else will just create noise, wasted time and energy and no meaningful results. I really have no desire for anything less than success.
When I got serious about being Focused and Purposeful using LinkedIn, I also discovered what I now refer to as my LinkedIn 3-legged Stool best practices.
Ask an architect about the power of a three legged it stool. It’s the simplest way to hold up anything. However, in order for it to work, all three legs must be similar in every way.
- Each Leg must be the same length
- Each leg must be equal in strength
- Each leg must be equally centered over the core of the seat it supports
- Each leg must be able to support the other legs
We’ve all heard the business analogies about success and the three legged stool. This analogy applies to LinkedIn as well.
The three legs (steps) of Success Using LinkedIn are:
Present, Connect and Engage
Let me break it down for you:
Present – Your LinkedIn Profile must be Clear, Concise and Focused on Who you are today. Present yourself as the professional and authority you are in the industry you operate in. The better your LinkedIn Profile presents you to the viewers, the more likely you’ll create Success Using LinkedIn. This takes lots of work and a constant review of your LinkedIn Profile to insure you are presenting yourself properly.
Connect – You must be consistently growing your LinkedIn Network in order to create Success Using LinkedIn. This leg of the stool requires lots of work as well. Success will not occur if you just accept every invite to connect or if you send out broadcast Spam invites to everyone in your email contact list. Real success occurs when you are focused and purposeful at accepting relevant invites to connect and when you are deliberate at sending invites to the people you know and meet.
Engage – This is the leg of the stool that most people forget about or put the least amount of energy into. And this is why most people never discover Success Using LinkedIn.
Engaging on LinkedIn is what enables your network to truly discover who you are, what you do and how you could help them. Engaging on LinkedIn involves contributing and collaborating with and on relevant content that shows your network the area(s) of life, career and business that you are interested in and all about. Be specific and focused when you Engage on LinkedIn and Success using LinkedIn is far more possible.
Each of these LinkedIn activities, Present, Connect & Engage must also support each other.
- Your LinkedIn Profile should include information and content that can help your network.
- Your Connections can be a great source of content you can use when engaging on LinkedIn.
- And, when you Engage, consider Giving content that you showcase on your LinkedIn Profile, from Companies you follow and within the Groups you join.
Just as when building a powerful 3-legged stool, find ways to tie all three legs of the LinkedIn stool together.
Success Using LinkedIn requires time and effort
Every day I get value from what I do on LinkedIn. It has helped me to find new ideas and philosophies that has helped me grow my business. LinkedIn is a great source of leads and business opportunities for me. LinkedIn is the #1 source of referrals and messages from individuals and businesses who need my help. Every day I prove that you can create Success Using LinkedIn, if you are willing to have focus and be purposeful at building the three legs of the a strong LinkedIn stool.