Never Ask “Add Me To Your Network” in a LinkedIn Group Discussion
Posted by Jorge Olson in LinkedIn Groups
Group Discussions on LinkedIn.com are some of the most important strategies you can use on the internet. You have access to 30 million high end executives all in one place. With groups you can communicate and interact with hundreds of thousands of them at the same time.
Why would you want to waste your opportunity to make a first impression with “please add me to your network?” Is that the best you can do? Is that the most value you can add to the network? I know! You want to add thousands of people to your network and don’t know what to do and this looked like a quick and easy way to add a few more contacts.
Don’t do it! It only shows you are not a seasoned networker and looks amateur.
Remember you can participate in 50 total groups on LinkedIn.com. You can join 50 in total or choose to start your own. If you start your own you can start a total of 10 groups.
This means your discussion posts will have a lot of visibility and go to many people. LinkedIn mails discussion to group members daily or weekly. Imagine if you have 50 groups with an average membership of 10,000 people. Your discussion could go to 500,000 people… WOW!
So what can you do on group discussions to add more people to your network? The answer is: “Be Unselfish”. Think of what others would like to hear, to read or to learn about. If you are unselfish and think of others in your post you will always get great response. Write something of value. Write an article, a story, a joke or something that will help others in some way. At the bottom of your great post invite people to join your network. One good post can add hundreds of people to your network, not to mention spark a discussion that might get attention and plenty of responses and give you even more attention as an expert in your field.
Don’t forget to sign up for our LinkedIn For Marketing Newsletter to get free videos, audios and strategy once per week.
Comments Directly from LinkedIn…
It’s amazing that I came across this post. Being new to Linked In, I too wanted to begin making professional and reputable contacts, but my sixth sense was telling me that sending out invites to the unknown masses was not the best way to go. I am in the beggining stages of researching and preparing to begin my consulting career and this has just confirmed that I am going to continue to work hard at gaining reliable contacts!
# # #
Mia,
LinkedIn is a great way to find consulting clients as you can establish yourself as an expert in your industry.
Jorge Olson
# # #
Thanks for the bit of advice Jorge. I actually handpick the people I linked to and never understood why people just want to add names to their list.
# # #
Terri,
You are welcome. Yes, you can choose linkedIn to be a private networking experience or an open one. It is all up to you. I have an open experience with close to 7,000 members as I’m an author and marketing consultant. I need as many people to see my message as I can.
I think the trick is what to do with your connections. Many people just add and add with no plan. With a plan you will get a lot from your connections and you will bring a lot to them. For example, you are a Natural Health Consultant and could have a “natural health group” on linkedin with 500, or even 5,000 members reading your posts, newsletters, views, and networking around your thoughts on Natural Health.
It is what I call “unselfish promotion”. You can read more in the book “The Unselfish Guide to Self Promotion”. You can find it at Amazon.com.
Jorge Olson
# # #
Hi Jorge,
I wish you can have ability to post this to just about any group on linked-in out there. Actually – LinkedIn can suggest some code-of-conduct, which will be truly beneficial for all, and perhaps help reduce spam and great great noise that is brought in by “shallow engagement strategies” people use most often on LinkedIn. I hope this is still learning period for everyone, and in time people will learn to use LinkedIn potentials in the right way.
Great post, now you have to place it everywhere! : )
Best regards
Dragon Stiglic
# # #
Great post Jorge, since I am also new and am still feeling my way around.
How do I go about starting a group?
# # #
Excellent comment. It is new path for networking. It is important to share with the network our thoughts. Adding people to our network has become or turn to be important activity for the network.
Thank you for your proposal. I apologize adding you to mu network and than reading your comment.
# # #
Thank you for saying that. I have been curious about Linked In Open Networkers, why they do it and how they handle so many people.
I am amazed by how often people write me and I write back and ask them to refresh my memory about how we met- and they say something like “Oh, we haven’t met…I just sent a request out to everyone in my e-mail account.”
# # #
Dale,
Oh yes, I know exactly what you mean. This is why it’s important to have some automation in the network. I use software to help me collect, manage and keep in touch with people. It is usually very inexpensive to buy and set up. LinkedIn is also a great tool to complement your efforts, but not substitute them. I have an extensive list in linkedin of 10,000 people and another list of another 10,000 people in my own, separate database with newsletters attached to them.
Jorge Olson
# # #
Content is king. Asking to “add me to your network” in a group discussion is like interrupting the conversation without saying “excuse me”, and then contributing zilch to the conversation.
# # #
I agree with you, Jorge, and I would add one more guideline: Please, know the person you are inviting. It isn’t complimentary to invite someone when that person knows you simply scanned down a list and invited everyone on it. That’s quite a turn-off.
# # #
Good one Jorge. Until you have a relationship, you’re still a marketer
# # #
Agree, totally, with Chris, Jim, and Richard. Since joining LinkedIn, I’ve always tried for quality contacts over quantity. I’ve politely declined invitations from potential connections with ‘over 500 connections’ because I don’t want my e-mail box filled with non-value-added information about the next bunch of connections they’ve made. I don’t have time to filter through them. Great post Jorge.
# # #
Yes, great discussion. The key to developing a powerful network is having something to share and learning from someone who is will to share. I focus on always remaining a student and be involved.
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”
Henry Ford
# # #
Great discussion!
I think LinkedIn would be greatly enhanced if they added two additional sections (in addition to the Discussions section) in the Groups area:
1) A job posting section. This would be used to post positions available or people seeking positions to make their availability known.
2) Open network requests. This would allow those who only want to make network requests to do so without cluttering up the discussions area.
If these areas were made available, then the Discussions area could be reserved for what it was intended: information sharing.
# # #
Thank you for taking the time to write what I’ve been thinking since I started subscribing to group digests! I’ve actually opted out of several groups because they were so saturated with these kind of posts. Would you say one of the other no-no’s include subject lines seeping with gimmickry: “WOW – YOU TOO CAN BE A MILLIONAIRE IN ONLY 40 DAYS!!!!” If you are using all caps, and/or multiple exclamation points, time to reevaluate the effectiveness of your post.
When I read those, I think that person wants something from me… and the natural tendency is to run from blatant marketing. We get hit up enough. It’s not even marketing – it’s more like a telemarketer that is just calling for the sake of being obnoxious, and doesn’t even have something to sell.
Thanks again – great post Jorge.
Cheryl Hendrick
www.brandnavigation.com
# # #
Great comment Cheryl,
Yes, all caps MILLIONAIRE posts look more like spam email. I hope group administrators take the time to remove those quickly and worn the person posting. This would stop these actions quickly as they’ll figure out it’s a waste of their time.
This is why we need our group administrators to be active in posting, managing and answering posts. If they don’t have time they can always invite several participants to be administrators and help a little bit at a time.
By the way Cheryl, good job at signing the post with your name and website. More than 200 people have left comments for this post and less than 10 remember to sign them and place their website.
# # #
The value of linked in is connected to the general value of networking. What may not be beneficial for you may be beneficial for someone you know. You helping them out gives you greater value in the eyes of both parties.
# # #
I’m in agreement as well. This isn’t supposed to be the suit-and-tie version of MySpace. If I don’t accept an invitation to become a contact – well, no offense meant, but I only connect with people who I actually know or have worked with. If that means that my connections will never hit triple-digits, so be it. But in my mind, it’s not the quantity of connections we have here, it’s the quality of them. If I happen to strike a working relationship with someone as a result of LinkedIn, then I have no problems adding them to my list. (And, with the groups I’m in, there is a lot of cross-pollination where I’m seeing the same postings in two or more groups. I’m speaking only for me here, but if I post something, I try to select the group where I’ll get the best response.)
We’re all here to get our names out there, our work recognized and to possibly find that dream career. If it doesn’t happen that way for me, then at least I know I’ve re-connected with a few people from my past, and I can be proud of the work I’ve done outside of LinkedIn.
# # #
Christopher,
What a great comment. I’m glad you don’t agree 100% with me, that way we can both learn and advance the discussion.
Jorge Olson
# # #
G00d point for discussion. When forum is for DISCUSSION it should have proper discussion only. But, I feel, one of the reason might be, on the network site the person’s name is appeared in bold with number of connections in bracket like 346, 500+ etc. As the time passes it need to be evolved i.e.the ways of networking in the forum, otherwise there is no point on having a network forum of 30 million high end executives. The important thing about person’s network is how well connected members are in the network, not only the how many members are in the network. For example, on e-bay the seller is represented with not only number of deals or sales but also with %age and analysis of its positive/negative responses.
Moreover, the forum is utilised by members in different ways like some members are using it to develop the database depending on their requirements and some are using for to know what happening in their particular field of interest etc. But, I am agree with that it need to be changed or improved or evolved. Any comments?
# # #
Once in a while, I will request a ‘join my network’ based on someone’s discussion points (usually after I’ve seen them post several salient remarks). My motivation is that I may want to do business with them down the line so I’d like to have them in my ‘electronic’ memory.
# # #
my favorite I have ever received was one saying, “please don’t click that you don’t know me, just ignore if you don’t want to connect.”
But I DON’T know you…. and I have no idea WHY you want to connect to me, other than adding another number….and you are going to bother to add to a stock message why not add something important?
# # #
I concur as well. I made a mistake by adding a couple of random connections, who promptly spammed me with useless BS. I uninvited them immediately. Personally, I’m still undecided on the value of LinkedIn beyond staying in touch with collegues.
# # #
I agree with you Jorge. Glad you said it. I am still wondering why people want to have as many connections as possible. They would seem random and meaningless.
However, with all due respect, I think you give LinkedIn a little too much credit. I don’t believe that LI’s full database is active (I know they’re not). Also, At some point there will be diminishing returns. We can’t read tens of thousands of posts and emails, and that is or will be what we will receive now or in the near future. And I am not sure discussion are “the most important strategies on the net” I think there are better ways to network, like identifying synergy,
I agree with clever discussions, however, in my opininon, I believe people ought to say what they do, so you can determiine what synergy you have and what trails you can blaze together.
Here is to Great results!
Steven Gerald
# # #
Great point. I must say, whenever I see anyone with that request I immediately discount them.
When I’m trying to connect with people I don’t know on LI, I want to know the person (people) in between us that I’m asking to make the connection. If it’s a bunch of people I blindly connected with, what’s the point and the value? While I’ve got a lot of connections, I know the vast majority. There are some “functional” adds like recruiters who are valuable. Then a few others but I try and keep them to a minimum.
Chris Taylor
# # #
Excellent suggestion. Linkedin group has so much reach, that one should focus on building relevant contacts throughs discussions.
# # #
You will not believe, i got shouted in one of the forums at linkedin for raising this issue. networking for the sake of networking just doesnt make sense is what i tried to explain and the next thing is a barrage of mails and messages asking me to keep my trap shut. I am glad, there are others who feel like me.
# # #
Hi Jorge,
I concur! When I received emails from the groups, I would like to read about informative knowledge share information and not a time waster on who wants an invite to expand their network. A solution to this issue is for the groups to add another tab for this purpose (i.e. Discussions, Members). Then, the members whose focus is to expand their network can do so in a professional manner.
Thank you for the thoughtful Insight,
Tina Lewis-Clem
# # #
Jorge: Great advice as usual. I am quite puzzled by many groups that I belong to. Very few people actually participate in discussions. I belong to some groups that have more than 40,000 people but yet the majority of decent posts (not junk like “add me now”) are lucky to get even one response. This to me is sad as the talent level in the profiles of most groups is awesome. I would encourage all members to add wisdom and different opinions even if contrary whenever possible.
It is also not clear to me why many people actually want the connections. I have more than 5000 connections but I can count on both hands the number of people that have used my network to “add value: and/or to build a strong relationship. You are one of them.
I would add to your post that there is always a great opportunity to write a custom invite rather than using the generic invitation. Not a sales pitch such as buy my widget but a geniune descriptoin of your talents, how you might be able to help me (What is in it for me?) and how I may be able to help you (What is in it for you?). I would estimate that 99 percent of invites that I receive are just generic.
Last but not least I have a question of interest for your expertise about invites. If you run out of invites, can one request more and what are the current limits?
I am willingly to help anyone where I can with my network. Tell me specifically what you need and I open the door(s) if I can. Even if I can’t help at the moment I keep a list of requests in case I see something of interest in the future.
Have a terrific day.
# # #
Read MoreI Did Not Get the Value of LinkedIn? Do You Get It?
Posted by Jorge Olson in My LinkedIn
Like many people, I was not quick to join LinkedIn. As a matter of fact one of my friends invited me and it took me 2 months to accept his invitation and join. I was thinking: “Not another time wasting social network”.When I finally joined the network I added people from my outlook and found that several of them where already on the network, a total of 30. I thought, “Cool, I know some people here” so I added them to my network on LinkedIn. After that I joined 4 different groups that where of interest to me including one on venture capital, one on marketing, another for book authors and the last one on keynote speaking.
Now I was on LinkedIn and had my 30 connections, my 4 groups and I thought I was done. Then I asked myself: “What next?” I already know the 30 people I added to the network I don’t need them to contact them. So what’s the value of this? What’s the difference between this and Facebook, or MySpace, or Hi5? What’s the buzz on LinkedIn?
For months I did nothing, thinking this was a place to socialize with people you already know. One day I was looking on Google the keywords “Venture Capital” as I was advising one of my customers get some funding. I then visited LinkedIn and logged in. Then I did a search on Venture Capital once more. Wow, 50,000 + came up. Quickly I noticed that these where not just company names, I was getting the name and many times email and phone number of actual people, with photo, title, interests, hobbies, all what you would wish for.
The downside of my Venture Capital search is that none of them where connected to me directly so I could not contact them as in LinkedIn it is considered Spam. Nevertheless I started to understand the value of this network. Imagine if of these 50,000 I could have a few hundred connected to me directly. I could call them and ask for advice. I could email them and see if they are interested in my project or ask them to point me in the right direction. Now the task was connecting to them.
I did have some connections at a 3rd level. This means that I know someone that knows someone that knew lot’s of people in Venture Capital. This one person was my friend Gustavo. Gustavo is a programmer and one of his customers is a Venture Capitalists. That one person connected me with 300 people at a third level. If I really wanted to speak with one of those 300 people I could ask Gustavo for an introduction through his customer; but that was not my idea, I did not want just one connection, I wanted hundreds, or thousands.
I played more with the software and did more targeted searches by clicking on “Advanced Search”. I searched by zip code to see the closest contacts to me and therefore the ones I could contact in person. I also searched for keywords like “beverage” and “consumer goods” as the company I was working with was a beverage company. For every search I got great contacts. I thought this could turn out to be my very own private rolodex.
Don’t forget to sign up for our LinkedIn For Marketing Newsletter to get free videos, audios and strategy once per week.
# # #
Read MoreSubscribe to the Blog
SUBSCRIBE TO BLOG IN RSS
40,115 RSS Subscribers
3,600 Newsletter Subscribers