It’s crazy how many things we have on our to-do lists every day. We have tasks at work and tasks at home. And, they often overlap. Running errands at lunch or taking work home over the weekend. It can all become a big blur.
And, then, someone like me comes along and says “You really need to spend more time on LinkedIn to develop your business relationships.” And you say, “What? I don’t have time to do LinkedIn!”
I totally understand that not everyone can log into LinkedIn every day, but I bet you can log in a couple of times a week. You can, all you need to do is schedule time for LinkedIn!
What Doesn’t Get Scheduled, Doesn’t Get Done
You’ve heard that before, right? It’s really true. I live by my planner and my calendar. When I actually schedule something into my day, it has a much greater chance of getting done. First thing every morning, I look at my schedule and my to-do list and block out time to get things done. That includes my time on LinkedIn.
I’m not suggesting you spend a lot of time or schedule time every day. Two or three times a week is better than none. And, if you’re worried about going down the black hole and losing track of time, set a timer. It’s a lot easier to respect the timer when you know you’ve committed that you’ll log back into LinkedIn in a day or two.
Truth: I’ve found that my clients are much more productive when they set a timer for 15 minutes and stick to the tasks at hand. So, what are the tasks you ask.
15 Minutes Can Go a Long Way
Review your messages. Go into the messaging tab and reply to new messages you’ve received. It’s OK to be short and succinct here as long as you stay professional. LinkedIn has made it easier too with their emojis and suggestions for responses. Remember: Messages on LinkedIn are coming from your professional network, so you should respond to them within a few days. That’s good business practice and you never know what opportunities will come from them.
Check for new invitations to connect. Make a decision about whether to connect and do it. If you are unsure, click on Send a Message (under Manage All) and send a note asking for info.
If you don’t have any invitations waiting for you, send one yourself. Pick someone you recently met or someone in your rolodex that would be a good addition to your network. Personalizing your invitations to connect is a MUST!
Check “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” and if someone looks intriguing, check out their profile and consider sending them a message or invitation to connect.
Review your Notifications area. Spend a minute or two here. Check for and respond to comments on your updates, send a congrats message to someone with a new job or say Happy Birthday. The Notifications tab is my favorite place on LinkedIn for an easy way to reach out to your network quickly.
Scan through your Home Page Feed and look for status updates you can like, comment, or share. Pay attention to how much time you have left on your timer. This can be your black hole if you let it.
Post a status update of your own. This will take forethought, so if you don’t have anything to say or share, spend this time thinking about something for the next time you log into LinkedIn.
There! You’re done now! Let’s recap what you’ve done in 15 minutes.
- You’ve had a conversation with someone via your Inbox. Great way to grow your relationships.
- You’ve most likely increased your network by at least one person.
- You’ve learned a little more about your reach by seeing if people have been finding you and how they are finding you. Good to know for prospecting, job search or later business development.
- You’ve made someone’s day by reaching out to them and/or you’ve continued the conversation with someone who was reaching out to you via their comments.
- You’ve read something interesting (hopefully) and you’ve shared the love by spreading it through your network.
- You’ve inspired someone or added to the conversation by posting something of value to your network.
It’s to be expected that there will be days when you just don’t have the time. That’s why if you canschedule time for LinkedIn, say 15 minutes into a day that isn’t jam packed, you really will be effective in the long run.
I challenge you; pull out your calendar and schedule 15 minutes for LinkedIn tomorrow or the next day. And here’s a hint: most people use LinkedIn first thing in the morning, around break or lunchtime or late afternoon as they are winding up their day.
What doesn’t get scheduled, doesn’t get done.