The LinkedIn Update. You’ve seen it hit your news feed or inbox. And, you may have even sent one yourself. Most get few (or no) results and this happens for a number of reasons. In this blog post I’m going to show you why, as well as share HOW to get results with yours: AKA “get hired.”
Below is a typical (and actual) update that I receive. Look at it, read it and then re-join me below as we dissect it…
There are a number of mis-fires here, but I’ll touch on the major ones…
Not “On Message”
This generic email is basically a resume. As he reaches out to connections who don’t know him well, he needs to frame two things VERY, VERY CLEARLY in his message: who he wants me to contact and why. Neither are answered with clarity and, given the fact that we don’t know each other well, I’d recommend he help define those first before making a call to action. Otherwise, I end up doing nothing…which is exactly what happened.
Disconnect with his Audience
I see a lot of advice telling you that a broadcast email to all your connections has no value. I totally disagree, but with the caveat that one-size-doesn’t-fit-all. Going back to the “on message” point, the intended request is for me to forward his information to contacts of mine. Simple enough, but I cannot answer the “why” question. He would be better served sharing information that will both let me get to know him, how he is different and add value to his intended audience (i.e. Me or those to whom I’m connected).
Not Strengthening His Relationships
This is the sum of everything above. The adage, “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” has never held truer than with Social Media. His broadcast took seconds to send, but accomplished nothing with me (his intended audience).
So, you’re saying…”Got it, Kevin. This doesn’t work. Message received.”
What does work?
Listen to this short conversation with Alexis Grant who found an opportunity through LinkedIn. Below, I’ll explain why this worked and how you can replicate it in your search.
Here’s what Alexis did right and how you can get similar results:
She knows WHY she is connecting with people WHEN she connects with them
That doesn’t mean you need to remember why you connected with everyone all the time, but you need to have a standard. For me, I’ll only connect with people who give me a little something in their invitation (read an article, recommended by a peer, watched a webinar, etc.). It doesn’t have to be a list of criteria, but you need to have something.
Look for the “one off’s”
As you nurture a relationships with your connections, you don’t always have to aim for the bullseye. In Alexis’ case, she was at an event that wasn’t exactly what she does. Through this, she made a connection that eventually netted her a job.
Know your brand and how you differentiate
Going back to the LinkedIn email at the top – how is this guy any different from the sea of thousands out there looking for a sales or marketing role? To that point, can you even tell me what he is specifically good at? In short – no. Because there is no brand…no identification of what problem he solves…no explanation of why him versus any other sales or marketing guy. If you cannot define this for others, they aren’t going to be able to see where you fit.
Prepare your audience
When Alexis let her connections know she was available, they already knew WHY they should consider hiring her and for WHAT. This is the evolution of #3 from knowing your brand to brand recognition and awareness. This is easier than it may seem, but it requires knowing what you do well, who you do it for and why it’s important (if not critical) for them.
Image: Flickr
