Want to Build Meaningful Connections?

Have you ever felt the anticipation after adding a new friend, as you wonder what to say to take your newfound friendship to the next level? This feeling gets even more intense on LinkedIn, as you rack your brains to build something meaningful with someone in a professional capacity. What do you start by saying, and where do you go from there?

Making friends should not be this hard, and the same goes for professional connections on LinkedIn. The first thing to realize is that being accepted is just the first step in your journey to convert that connection into a genuine relationship. You want them to engage with your post and endorse you professionally, which is going to require some effort in networking. What steps should you take to bridge the gap even across the internet?

Start by personalising your first message. As with every new friendship, the first message is critical. Remember that you are on a social media platform, and your connection will have an inbox full of introductions to look through. Think of your inbox. How do you choose which messages to look at or reply to? We tend to ignore the generic ones, such as “Great Profile!”. If they cannot find the effort to send messages that speak to you personally, would they be a value-added connection? Instead, personalize your messages by looking for something generic in their profile. Make sure it is something you genuinely found interesting, because tone can be hard to fake. An example could be to reference one of their posts, and ask how they got the inspiration for it. The question lets them know that you are genuinely interested, and that opens the door for future conversations as well.

Make sure you continue the conversation. The chances are that if done right, opening with a personalised message would have led you to an actual conversation. Everyone appreciates compliments, and since your message references their work, chances are they will send you a favorable reply. This could range from a simple thank you message, to more in-depth sharing. Follow up on the conversation, and consider sharing some articles you believe will interest them. By doing so, you display an understanding of the subject matter that should impress them. By sharing something that you have read, you also gain an opportunity to further the discussion, continuing to build a meaningful and professional relationship. If you have written any articles of your own, don’t hesitate to share those as well!

Next, try to find common grounds. There are only that many articles you can share before your new connection starts mistaking you for a news app. To take your conversation to another level, you need to find some similarities between both of you, before your stream of articles run out. This is a crucial step to establish yourself as a personal friend rather than just an active LinkedIn connection. The similarities would allow conversations to flow more naturally, such as reminiscing about your alma mater together. Bringing a personal aspect to that connection strengthens the relationship with your newfound friend.

The above steps should bring you into their friend circle, and you will be able to communicate on personal terms. However, if you have tried reaching out in several ways and was repeatedly ignored, remember to stay respectable. It is easy to tell when their replies show that they are just not interested. There are millions of people on LinkedIn, find someone who you can genuinely build a meaningful connection with, rather than forcing it.