Five LinkedIn Actions to Develop Relationships

"I feel like I've known you forever!"

Many lawyers and marketers approach LinkedIn with uncertainty. As a result, they miss the biggest and best advantage LinkedIn offers: to help people feel they know, like, and trust us—even if we've never met. 

Here are five approaches I use regularly to develop relationships and generate business on LinkedIn, without selling. (Sometimes, I do sell. That's a topic for another post.) 

ONE: Post as if you were meeting over coffee.

A post framed with my key audience in mind is like an exchange over coffee. I may ask/answer a question or pose a scenario that excites me. Followers learn how I think and how I like to help, and I regularly try to invite them in, as I do below. Readers engage in comments to deepen the conversation as we would at coffee. 

TWO: Drop comments like you would send personal notes.

A substantive comment on someone else's post is like a "thinking of you" note. It says I see you, I like what you have to say, and I care. It reminds the writer that I am invested in them, I want to engage, and I want to see them succeed. The key word here is, "substantive." 

THREE: Use likes as you would wave in passing.

A like on someone's post is like a wave in the hallway. It shows easy support and acknowledgement while giving them a chance to see me. Liking other people's posts has led to many "I've been meaning to reach out" messages. A like even earned me a new client, once, thanks to intentionality and good timing. (That's a case study for another post!)

FOUR: Tag someone to invite them into conversation.

Tagging someone in a post or comment is like a quick intro at the coffee machine or a way of catching them to say "I think you'll like this." For example, "@Robin Davidson will have excellent thoughts on this, and you'll enjoy meeting her. Let's get her take." 

FIVE: Repost or highlight someone else's work in a new post to share the stage.

Reposting someone else's work with a thoughtful intro, or sharing a new post about them and their work, is a rich gift. It says "I believe in you, and I want to use my platform to help you." The goodwill this generates far outweighs sending a tote bag or branded mug, and it costs nothing.

Steady Rotation

These five are my steady rotation. DMs are also excellent relationship builders, especially when they lead to Zoom calls or IRL meetups. But you know what? I don't use DMs nearly as much as I use these other actions. 

Instead, I use these five to work up to a DM. That approach allows my new LinkedIn acquaintance and me to vet each other before we jump to a meeting. By then, DMs feel less salesy, and the eventual meetings are more likely to be rewarding since we've already identified interests in common. 

Give these five a try and let me know what you think.