LinkedIn is a premium business network, boasting at least 722 million users across the globe. 25% of adults in the United States use the platform, and 22% use it daily. The primary reason? To solidify their professional network.

For individuals, LinkedIn is an impeccable network to stay in touch with workmates and expand your reach, look for new opportunities or get referrals for new business. How do you leverage LinkedIn to market and grow your business for business financing?

This article has everything you need to know on how to build a professional network on LinkedIn, to increase your chances of securing business financing.

Why Building Your Network on LinkedIn Is Important for Business Financing

Good networking has a basis for supportability and trust–which could mean the difference between a successful business and a mediocre one. Here are some of the top benefits of building your network on LinkedIn and why it’s important for business financing.

Expands Business Connections

Networking means sharing and not taking. It is about establishing and nurturing trust and helping others toward their goals. Interacting with your contacts regularly and finding opportunities to help them strengthen the bond.

Get New Ideas

You can stumble on fresh ideas just from your network. Exchanging perspectives and ideas is a vital benefit of networking because it lets you gain new insights you may not have considered before.

Boost Your Profile

Networking on LinkedIn makes your business visible and noticeable to potential prospects, which is crucial to your business’s growth.

Attending social and professional events will make your face known easily. Create value for others by being a good listener, following up on discussions, offering your knowledge and expertise, and remembering names.

Get Access to Business Financing Opportunities

Expanding your network can open more doors for your business, knowledge, and personal growth opportunities. Networking ensures your name remains on top so that you are more likely to receive help or referral when opportunities come knocking at your door.

How to Grow Your LinkedIn Business Page

The following tactics can help grow your LinkedIn business pages.

Post Creative Content

Your company profile content should be original, engaging, and unique. It should also provide valuable content that your readers won’t find elsewhere. Stick to a schedule that allows you to post three quality updates or posts per week if you are limited in your ability. You can also add videos to the LinkedIn company page. Add any promotional videos your company uses to market your products or services to your LinkedIn profile.

Build a Consistent Brand

LinkedIn is a great social media platform to showcase your company branding. Your B2B company profile should be optimized and consistent with your brand identity. It should be considered an extension of your website. Engage with your followers on social media and drive traffic to your LinkedIn page.

Share Content Relevant to Your Industry

A company can establish itself as a thought leader within the industry by posting relevant content. This gives users an incentive to visit the page. Shouldn’t users just visit the company’s site if the content only promotes a product?

Schedule Time for LinkedIn

It is essential to schedule time for posting. You can do this by placing a reminder on your Google calendar – this will remind you to check in on LinkedIn, make new connections, and so forth. Do not be afraid to like, congrats, and engage in other interactions.

Join LinkedIn Groups

The best way to stay current in your industry is to join relevant groups and get free LinkedIn connections. Your company will benefit tremendously by staying informed about the activities of your competition. Additionally, by sharing your ideas and networking with peers, more people will start to visit your page. You will also be considered an industry thought leader by your employees.

How to Network On LinkedIn In 2023

Here is how you can network on LinkedIn in 2023.

Make Your Profile Stand Out

When you are networking in person, a great first impression is essential. This applies to online networking as well. Your profile must be fully optimized before you can start networking on LinkedIn. Each section of your LinkedIn profile needs to be completed without any apparent gaps or blanks.

Connect With Others and Interact With Them

After completing your profile and looking impressive, you can start connecting with other users. Although you may appear to be well-connected in your industry. How to network on LinkedIn example: if you have over 500 connections on LinkedIn for that purpose, you should not add connections blindly. Get to know people in your industry that you may be able to work with in the future.

Create And Post Engaging Content

You don’t have to sit back and watch others post great content on LinkedIn. Make yourself known as an expert in your field by creating exciting and informative content. While sharing a great article you read is a great start, if you want to build valuable connections and be a thought leader in your field, create your own LinkedIn articles.

Join Related LinkedIn Groups

Joining LinkedIn groups related to your industry is a great way to be noticed and connect with industry contacts. A quick search for “tech” in the group section will bring up about 22,000 groups. Joining a few active groups could allow thousands of people from your industry to see your profile.

How Do I Grow My Network on LinkedIn

Here are some tips on how to get 500 LinkedIn connections fast.

Customize Your LinkedIn Connection Requests

Here are some tips that will help you improve your LinkedIn profile, increase your professional connections, and network on LinkedIn like a pro.

Track In-Person Networking Opportunities

You can still build your network by meeting people face-to-face. Opportunities to meet people face-to-face are increasing as we return to doing business in person. You should make the most out of them.

Break Down Your Goals Into Actionable Steps

Although it may seem impossible to connect 100 people, you can get 500+ connections. However, dividing that number over many weeks and months will make it seem much more manageable. Instead of setting 100 connections as your goal, set your goal for 175 connections within 2 weeks.

Grab People’s Attention With Visual Content

Images can be added to social media posts to increase engagement with your network and boost exposure to potential connections. Mix it up. Do not just share links, but include visuals.

Engage With Existing Connections

Engaging with your current connections puts your name/brand in front of their networks. You only need to “like” their posts or comment on them. A simple “Thanks For Sharing” or “Great Thoughts” can increase your reach. It’s also a considerate way to show appreciation when someone’s content or thoughts resonate with it.

About the Author, Tony Cimino