It started with a ...Like

I have posted a couple of articles recently on getting involved with LinkedIn groups (Leap of Faith and Building a Presence). Remember the words of that old, old song by Hot Chocolate, which goes "It started with a..."? Perhaps we should think about that with Likes.

My involvement with my first LinkedIn group started with a Like.


Using a soft approach helps us to test our own fit in any new environment. So as we are getting used to how things work in our new group, liking some posts will help us feel connected, will ensure we get updates for that particular thread, and also helps get other group members to know us better, with low risk for either party. We are also likely to get people asking to connect with us, and to broaden our networks. We can like the post itself, like statements within the post by other group members, or do both.

It helps us create connection, which is what networking is all about, right?

After Likes, we can progress to simply saying thank you to the thread creator. Good manners really help in creating a professional online presence!

Next we can consider making a few quiet comments within posts that spark our imagination... or ask questions of the poster, or others who have contributed to the thread.

And once we are feeling at home, connected, safe and confident, we can move onto posting our own ideas, and getting a feel for what sparks other group members to respond to your threads (some ideas on this at Creating LinkedIn Posts).


Hopefully this sparks some ideas for you!


Sam

References:

• Brown, George; Berry, Christina Ginger & Young, David (1982). It Started With A Kiss (Album: Mystery). UK/USA: EMI America Records. 
• Taxedo (2015). Tagxedo - Creator. Retrieved 26 June 2015 from http://www.tagxedo.com/app.html