5 Better Ways to Connect to LinkedIn INfluencers

As of the 1st quarter of 2015 there are 364 million people using LinkedIn. Some of the most influential leaders in the World make up the 500 LinkedIn INfuencers. This means that only 0.00007% of LinkedIn users; the most successful leaders in their respective fields, such as Deepak Chopra, Jeff Haden and Arianna Huffington are invited by LinkedIn to be INfluencers.

Following a recent webinar given by the inspiring Dave Kerpen, CEO at Likeablelocal.com and having attended an Unleash the Power Within live event with the one and only Tony Robbins, I wanted to be able to use my LinkedIn account to learn from the most successful Leaders in the World and have a personal connection to those people.

Rather than having to search for them LinkedIn provide you with the ability to follow INfluencers, read the articles they publish, comment on their posts and if you like, you can ‘like’ pretty much everything they do.

Following INfluencers is the simple part however you must remember to be specific. Think about who you want to follow and why. For example if you are interested in connecting with inspiring young creative female CEOs in Entertainment, Scriptwriting or Tech you may want to follow Shara Senderoff. Alternatively if you were seeking to connect with empowering female CEO’s in non-profit leadership then Terri Ludwig would be a great choice.  

Having chosen your INfluencers how do you connect to them personally? The answer to this is simple. Send them an invitation to connect. Is it really that easy? Absolutely not! However having your invitation accepted is realistic if you follow these 5 better ways to connect:

Way 1 – Being Known

DO NOT send the Influencer a general LinkedIn invitation and hope they will accept – This advice sounds so simple but so many people do it. You only get one chance to send an invitation, it. If Bill Gates or Jeff Weiner don’t know you, why would they accept your invitation?

Way 2 – Reading & Contributing

DO Read your Influencer’s articles in your LinkedIn news feed and Comment on them Intelligently and consistently because INfluencers read intelligent comments and if they read them on a consistent basis they will start to recognize your name. They will start to know you.

 Way 3 – Commenting with Value

DO NOT simply write drivel in your comments. When you send messages to INfluencers be precise and relevant. For example on a recent Richard Branson article which included a picture of Richard’s latest book, people commented intelligently whilst dozens of others asked for a free copy of his book, another asked for a signed copy and yet another asked for Richard’s personal email.

Way 4 – Don’t Just Like it, Say it!

DO NOT push like on all INfluencer articles. INfluencers read comments however they only look at the total number of likes. To be noticed and to be known you need to say why you like the post.

Way 5 – Don’t Just Say it, Share it!

DO share the INfluencers articles with your relevant contacts, groups, wider public and on other social media such as Twitter or Facebook. LinkedIn gives you the option to comment prior to sharing an article and I would recommend sharing with a thought on why this article or post is of interest and should be read.

Once you have consistently and intelligently commented on INfluencers posts you then have earned the RIGHT to send a personal connection request. This is not a guarantee of acceptance however I have used the above advice to successfully connect with numerous INfluencers.

Remember INfluencers read their news feed; they are notified by LinkedIn of your comments. You need to be known to the INfluencers and for the right reasons. If you provide enough value and quality content in your comments, INfluencers will want to hear from you and will accept your invitations.

Now, I'd love to know which LinkedIn INfluencers would you most want to connect with? What INfluencers have inspired YOU to become a better businessperson, leader and human being? Let me know if you have connected to them on LinkedIn in the comments below.

Ben Abrahams is an Author, Corporate Lawyer and CEO of Chandler Jones International a global talent acquisition firm.