Building a Powerful Network

Take a quick tour of the discussion groups on LinkedIn and you’ll soon see someone announcing that they are accepting all requests to join their network. It is as though they are in a competition to add the most names without regard to value of the contact.

If you’re looking to build a giant list for direct mail or worse yet, spam purposes, then yes, this is one way to build a list. However, in doing so, you are losing one of the most valuable resources of social networking sites – a strong network where you feel comfortable asking for introductions, updating contacts about projects and sharing information that may be of interest. A network filled with complete strangers is just that, a network full of strangers.

So how do you grow your network?
First and foremost, by participating. No, you don’t need to be up close and personal with each and every contact in your network. A short discussion about a shared interest can go a long way. Ask a question in a discussion group, follow up with a thank you for the best answers, and all of a sudden, you’re building relationships you can add to your network.

When you meet people and network in person, ask them if they have a LinkedIn account. If so, send them an invite the next day with follow up note about your meeting. Once in your network, you’ve created an excellent way to stay in touch with your new contact.