Linkedin is all about connecting with other people, and with over 400 million members there is great potential to connect with like minded business people.
There are a few different ways of connecting with other members which is slightly (and although I'm not a fan of this saying) 'Outside the Box'. So if you find yourself with no access to inmails, introductions are not an option, and you are unable to connect with group members, there is one way you can potentially connect with other members you’ve identified as either customers, prospects, business connections or future employers, and this is to simply view their profile. (I say potentially, because there is no guarantee this approach will secure you a new connection!)
Reviewing Other Members Profiles
Ensure you are not in Anonymous mode, and depending on the other Linkedin members profile, Linkedin will list you under their personal statistics as “People who have Viewed your Profile”. There is a chance in return they will view your profile and request to connect (probably via inmail).
It’s worth a go! And here are some benefits
If you are of interest to the person you viewed, they will generally be intrigued as to why you viewed their profile and may send you Inmail or request to connect.
It get’s your name out there, and perhaps in the future they will remember you.
It’s quick and easy, and you are genuinely reviewing other member profiles, nothing wrong with that.
It's worth a Try
There are no guarantees this will work, but there’s a chance that it might! I’ve tried it before and I’ve also seen other Linkedin Members do this, and on average it’s approximately a 10-15% return rate, so not bad if you spend about 45 minutes to one hour using the advanced search option and start viewing profiles.
Advanced Search Restrictions
If you have a standard account, there are a few restrictions around how many searches you can do on a monthly basis, check out “Linkedin Search Limits” for more details.
