The internet has made network marketing easier than ever, especially via social media platforms like LinkedIn. Have you been trying to do network marketing for your online business and wonder who should you connect with on LinkedIn?
On social media it’s not uncommon to connect with complete strangers.
What choice do you really have?
You may not know anyone online from real life, especially when it comes to online business, so you have no choice but to connect and network with strangers.
As time goes on…you will build business relationships and maybe even more personal relationships with people and that will help grow your reach.
Plan Your Strategy
There is nothing wrong with being eager to make connections on LinkedIn, but make sure that you give a lot of thought and consideration to your online business goals as you connect with people.
You have to realize that you’re not connecting with computers…these are real people, just like yourself, behind those keyboards and screens.
Networking on social media, like LinkedIn, is a little different from networking in person.
Typically when you are trying to network in person, someone introduces you to the connection, which gives you some credibility.
Unfortunately, sometimes you don’t have that advantage online, at least until you’ve already established other online connections.
Here are some tips on using LinkedIn specifically for this purpose.
Quality over Quantity
The first tip is not to just connect willy-nilly with everyone who asks.
Check out their profile first.
Determine what the potential benefits are to you and your online business before agreeing to connect with them.
Even on LinkedIn there will be people who just want to connect with you for scamming purposes, so you need to be selective.
Read as much as you can about the person, check out their connections, and agree only if you can see some good benefit to it.
Turning down people is an important part of building quality connections.
If you are trying to build your online business via network marketing, just remember that quality over quantity rules.
There is no point in making connections with people just for the sake of making connections.
Connect with People You Know
If you can, the first people to connect with on LinkedIn are those that you know, like and trust already.
These are the people who can help introduce you to people that you need to connect with, for your online business.
If you’ve worked with them before, or truly know their ethics – all the better.
These are the people that you can align yourself with…which helps ensure that other people know that you are also trustworthy and knowledgeable.
You are often known in real life by the people you associate yourself with.
It is no different in the online business world.
So, be careful who you associate with because it can affect your reputation and your online business.
For instance, let’s say you see someone on LinkedIn who’s a popular internet marketer.
Be sure that they are well known for being ethical and knowledgeable.
Just because their name has been out there for a while does not mean that they are someone you want to associate with, especially if they have a history of scamming other people.
A quick internet search of that person can often bring up any major issues that have popped up over the years.
I once thought a certain affiliate marketer seemed like a great person because everyone knew them and they had a lot of followers.
They knew how to market and how to build huge downlines in just about anything they promoted.
But, they seemed to have an attitude towards others that were not rich and successful, so I decided to do a little digging…
It turned out they had a reputation for program hopping.
They would build a huge downline and therefore a huge income and then when the next online business launched, they would jump ship and convince everyone to join them in the next one.
They were the only one that made any significant money and eventually developed a reputation for being untrustworthy and arrogant.
I’m glad that I never linked my name to theirs.
Connect with People You Respect Online
This falls in line with connecting with people you know, like and trust.
After you have followed someone on other social media platforms, purchased their products, enjoyed their blog, and have assessed whether or not it would be beneficial to make the connection, it’s time to move forward.
Once you know who they are, then it is perfectly safe to connect with them – even if you have not met them in person.
Again, always follow-up with any red flags that may pop up.
Usually, once someone has proven to you that they are trustworthy and ethical, they usually stay that way.
However, humans are complicated creatures and sometimes people change.
This can happen if maybe they have started having problems in their online business, financial problems or maybe serious personal problems.
Especially with financial problems, that person may start to do things that they never did before.
It does happen.
I’ve seen other online marketers speak of these types of things and so I’m always aware of my surroundings, so to speak, when it comes to the online business world.
So, if they start doing things that you don’t respect, it is okay to disassociate with them.
You have your own online business and reputation to protect.
Connect with People You Admire in Groups
LinkedIn has groups that you can join.
Joining the groups and having discussions with members is a great way to find people to connect with.
If someone says something you find important and interesting, and you check out their profile and they seem like someone that you want to get to know, it’s perfectly okay to connect with them.
I’m still very particular and will often watch the groups and discussions for a while before reaching out personally…just to be sure that I’m connecting with people of integrity.
You don’t have to be as particular as me.
Just exercise caution.
I’ve been around the online business world for years and have seen a lot.
Sometimes a person seems great and very knowledgeable, just to find out later that there are issues with their character.
So, I watch discussions and interactions a lot more carefully than I used to in the past.
Connect with People Who Ask to Connect to You
This can be tricky to navigate because often we are flattered when someone reaches out to us and we rush to connect back with them.
This is more common when you are new to online business.
We want people to like us and we want to build connections as soon as possible.
I was that way for sure at the beginning, until I learned that things are not always as they seem.
Not everyone who reaches out to you is good for you and your online business.
And many times, they are reaching out just to promote their product and service to you without even trying to get to know you.
So, the best thing to do is hit the brakes and figure out who this person is first before accepting their invitation to connect with them.
Only connect when it’s the right connection for you and they’ve taken the time to send you a personalized connection request that explains why they think it is beneficial.
Read their profile, check the groups they are in to see how they participate.
Then, if you are impressed go ahead and connect with them.
If you ever make a mistake and connect to the wrong person, you can always end the connection.
Connect with People Who Have Been Introduced by Trusted Connections
One really awesome thing about LinkedIn is that you can introduce people to each other using the system.
It’s a great way to make connections.
For example, if you want to connect with someone you notice is connected to someone you know, then ask for an introduction.
Ensure that you can explain why you want the introduction.
If an introduction comes blind from a connection you already trust, then accept it.
Connecting with people on LinkedIn is a great way to increase your connections, but you don’t want to connect with just anyone without thought.
LinkedIn is a very professional networking website and should be used as such.
Yes, we all want and need to promote our online business and we want to hurry up and do it.
Promoting is what we do as affiliate marketers and network marketers, but we are talking about making connections with people for the long-term.
So, take your time and put thought into the connections you make on LinkedIn.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day 🙂
To Your Success,
P.S.- Grab your free gifts below as a “Thank You” for visiting my website 🙂
About
Nicole Lynn
from
Resources for Online Success
My Online Journey
You don’t know me.
I’m not some flashy internet marketing “guru” with my name and face all over the internet.
I’m just an ordinary person that had to figure out a way to make money online when I lost my job in 2008, due to health issues.
In the offline world, I gained several years experience in Customer Service, Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable and various other clerical type positions.
Much of it was drudgery, especially working in call centers.
I was good at my various jobs, but I did not enjoy being hostage to a cubicle and headset..lol 🙂
But, you do what soul sucking jobs you have to do, in order to make money to pay the bills.
As a free spirit, I always had the deep desire to break free from the cubicle-zombie-robot rat race world and have full control over my time, income and life, without having to have permission from a boss.
I was tired of being just another “number” that was expendable, no matter how dependable I was or how hard I worked (just to help build someone else’s wealth and make their dreams come true).
I wanted to create MY freedom…not just build it for someone else.
Unexpectedly in 2008, severe neck issues forced me out of the 9 to 5 corporate world rat race (before I was actually ready financially, which really sucked a lot and was pretty scary).
My neck issues got worse after years of being trapped at a computer, with little to no permission to get up and move around and stretch.
This is not good when you are suffering from old car accident injuries.
This was especially the case in call center jobs with low cubicle walls. They didn’t want you standing up, due to the noise while on calls.
And although losing my job and the paycheck was a less than pleasant experience, my goal was to be an online entrepreneur anyway.
But, I was forced to make it happen at that point…which was not ideal.
Wasted Time Dabbling
It’s better to have a 2nd income already coming in regularly before losing your main source of income, but I had no control over what happened.
I had already been “dabbling” in internet marketing, on the side, since 2004…basically wasting time.
I treated it as a hobby, instead of an online business.
I actually made a little bit of money with affiliate commissions and some advertising revenue, but it was nothing to write home about because I did not build it up.
If I had realized that my health was going to go sideways so badly in 2008, then I would’ve taken my online business “side gig” much more seriously.
I would’ve hustled, even while still working a full-time job, because 4 years would’ve been more than enough time to have built that online business into a full-time income.
Just an extra 1 hour per day consistently over that 4 year period…would have made all the difference.
So, after I lost my job in 2008, I was in a real bind for more than one reason.
I needed to get serious and stop dabbling and start hustling to make money online, but it takes time to build an online business that brings in consistent income.
I was out of time. My household went from two incomes to one and I needed to get moving.
The problem was my severe neck issues and the accompanying dizziness from nerve damage in my C1 Vertebrae, the Atlas.
So, this meant that I couldn’t exactly hustle like I needed to because being on a computer for hours each day at home is no different than doing it at a job.
I was no longer able to do this, if I wanted to not end up completely disabled or bed-ridden.
The years 2008-2011 were extremely tough in trying to heal, but with proper therapy, the worst of it got better, but it’s not 100%.
Even now in 2022, I still can only be on a computer so much each day, without causing flare-ups.
So again, if I had taken it all more seriously, then I wouldn’t have ended up with so many financial worries, when I lost my job.
I would’ve had something more substantial to fall back on during times that were difficult money-wise and health-wise.
Then, add in beating my head against the wall, jumping from one “program” to another and basically flushing more time and money down the toilet.
Losing my job made me act in desperation because I wanted to make something happen right now.
So, I ended up doing what a lot of people do, which is looking for a shortcut and something “quick” or “push button”…which is not realistic because it doesn’t really exist.
Then in 2012, I joined Wealthy Affiliate because it had the tools and resources I needed all in one place, to help me build an online business.
Fast forward to 2020, I joined The Home Business Academy to add even more great tools and resources to my online business arsenal.
I now use both of these resources to build my online business.
I talk more about this over on my Recommended Resources page listed under Resources #1 and #2.
I enjoy making money online because I can work from anywhere and on my own schedule, while still being able to take care of my health.
You Can Do It Too
So, why do I tell you all of this?
I share all of this with you, so you’ll know it’s possible to make money online and have total freedom from the 9-5 grind.
It takes time to build an online business, but it’s worth it to build either a side-income to supplement your full-time job or replace your job.
If you have found yourself in a similar situation to me or you simply want to get ahead of things and plan for the future, your goal going forward should be to not waste any more time.
Whether you love your job or hate your job, it’s always a good idea to have a Plan B to supplement your income or replace your income.
You never know what can happen with your job or even with your health.
Don’t waste time, like I did.
Just get started and keep going.
Do not dabble.
Take action now.
And most importantly, believe in yourself.
You can do it!
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