Now that you have your stunning profile complete and ready to go, it is time to put it to work for you. What is the right size for you to have a meaningful network? Like I often say, the answer will be different for each of us depending on our industry, profession, and personal brand. So just how do you grow your network? Whatever the right size is, below is a methodical way to continually grow your network without needing to spam anonymous users.

Warning: this is an effective system, do not implement this practice before you have your profile set up to your basic satisfaction. Most people will only check you out once andyour first impression needs to count! Do not turn people away with a ‘Don’t Hire Me’ profile.

start by LETTING THE SYSTEM DO THE WORK

That’s right, the easiest and fastest way to add connections is to let the system do the work for you. Simply select your email system, follow the instructions and let LinkedIn upload the data automatically.

A couple things to note when you do this. Though many of us get caught up in the speed of technology, we do need to slow down a bit to do it right.

• There will be a point were you will see a list of your contacts as above and you have the option to check a box to invite them. Be sure to uncheck any that you may not want to connect with or who may not appreciate an invite.
• You also have the option to personalize your note by checking the box above before you send your invitation, which is always appreciated.

next HUNT & PECK

Time to do a little investigating to find anyone you may not have had loaded in your electronic contacts. There are a couple ways to do this.

• First, pull out that stack of good old fashioned business cards. Sort any that you are already connected with or who you have already invited through your electronic contacts and start an ‘invited or connected’ pile. Then start typing in the rest of the names one by one in the search bar. As you find a contact, invite them to connect. If you do not find one, add them to a ‘not found’ pile.
• Second, look up each of the companies that you have either worked for or worked closely with. Click on the company profile on LinkedIn and view the ‘people who work here’ section. Then invite anyone that you know. This is also a great time to click the ‘follow’ button for these companies.
• Third, look through the contacts of each of your new connections and look for people you know. This is also listed below as one of the three things to do after you make a new connection.

As a quick tip, you can also use the search bar for key words as well as names. Be sure to use the filters to the left to limit the search results. Using the filter will narrow your view to more meaningful results saving you time. I use the filter often to show only second degree connections or connections in a certain location. Simply check the box you would like to have listed to narrow your results. Also, the top section of the filter will allow you to choose to view results of companies, people, or jobs, among other options.

now KEEP IT GOING

  This is the easy part and in the long run the most beneficial. By the time you get to this point, you are no longer playing catch up, looking through your contacts or typing in names from a stack of business cards. Each time you meet someone new in your industry, look them up on LinkedIn and invite them to connect. This includes people you meet at conferences, over the phone or in one-on-one meetings. You are now a connecting machine!

don’t forget to FOLLOW UP

Now that you have a new connection, what do you do with them? After looking through their profile to get to know them a little better, there are three things to do right away, the rest should come naturally.

• First, be sure to ‘connect’ with your new connection. And by connect I mean more than just clicking the ‘accept’ button. Whether you initiated the request or you simply accepted an invite, take the lead with an initial note. These do not need to be long or committal but should be somewhat personalized. Mine are something along the lines of: ‘Thank you for the connection request’; followed by ‘something personal’; ending with, ‘if I can ever be of service please feel free to reach out.’
• Second, look through every one of their connections and send an invite to the people that you know, have worked with, or have a meaningful reason to connect with. I also include recruiters in this list just in case I need the exposure some day.
• Third, update their contact information. You can add personal notes or contact info that is not listed in their public profile. This can come in handy for connections you do not know as well where you may need a reminder as to your interactions with them. For a quick tutorial on using this feature click here.

action TIME

Now it is time for you to get growing your network. One last tip to keep in mind: do not try to connect with everyone on day one. This will allow you time to work through the process above and also allow for you to continue making improvements to your profile as you get great ideas from viewing your new connections’ profiles! Besides, another benefit from pacing yourself is that your profile activity will be spread over more days, allowing for continued exposure to your personal brand!

Thank you for continuing to take this journey with me. If you found these tips helpful please let me know by ‘liking’ and ‘sharing’. And as always I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.

Andy Vargo is a motivational speaker, life coach and comedian who challenges you to ‘Own Your Awkward’. He is the author of the Awkward Journal series, host of the podcast, Own Your Awkward, and shares thoughts and ideas in his blog and video series available at awkwardcareer.com.

Originally published on LinkedIn April 8, 2015