Imagine just doing two things daily for 10 minutes would enable you to stay in touch so well with ALL in your network AND nobody gets unwanted email either.   Not only that, it’s so easy and rewarding to your networking.  Read on to learn how LinkedIn makes it so simple and all that’s really required is that you study your LinkedIn home page.

If you really wish to see the power of LinkedIn, commit to this exercise Monday through Friday for four weeks and see what happens.  Visit your LinkedIn home page daily for 10-15 minutes.  I think your observations will make apparent the power of this exercise and LinkedIn in general.  Your success and observations gleaned in this exercise will be a function of the size of your network.  A tiny network rarely provides sufficient activity to reward you with significant insight.  Grow your network.  These benefits also may not be observed depending upon your account settings.  More about that in another post.

Visit your Home Page!

1 – Update your status. Tell your network what you’re working on.  Here are some ideas.

• Keep it work-related and beyond the mundane.
• Tell us about your achievement or challenge today.
• Offer praise for someone who has helped you in some manner or who has recently been recognized for a professional achievement.
• Share a link of interest and offer some context framing it.  Use a URL shortener.
• Ask a question or request help of your network.
• Invite your network to share what they’re working on.   Nudge ‘em!
• DON’T share personal insignificant details (getting a haircut), don’t whine.

2 – Review Network Updates – Today (Yesterday only if you wish to revisit)

• Review Status Updates -  Who is doing what.  Add comment or reply privately to at least one.
  • Account settings are critical here.
• Examine the Recommendations made by and for those in your network.
  • Note who is worth connecting to or learning more about.
  • Note what makes a compelling recommendation, many aren’t.
  • Consider writing a recommendation for someone you are connected to.
• Examine the Groups joined by your connections.  Should you join them?
• Note who has an updated Profile.  Examine a profile.
  • It may help you improve yours
  • You might note a promotion or an honor worth remarking on.
• Who is attending what LinkedIn Events. Perhaps you might wish to attend as well or meet the presenter.
• Observe the Connections Updates of your connections.  You may note people you know or would like to know.

As this is social media it is important that you first read of others’ doings, then be responsive. Stay in touch sending a brief message!  It’s not an email, but a LinkedIn internal message plunked into their LinkedIn Inbox.

Respond to every update?  Certainly not, but you can make a brief remark to many you’ve not seen in a while whose updates are noteworthy.    You’ll learn and become more active modeling others activities.  If it takes more than the suggested time, it’s because you’re engaged and learning.  Quite naturally I believe that you might undertake this exercise twice a day once in the morning and again later in the day.

Carry on!  Update your status.  Tell your network what you’re doing.  Engage them professionally.   Stay in touch letting them know you are paying attention to their updates. Send them a message.   It’s fast and easy visiting the home page.  Make it a daily habit!