Over the past few months, I have been getting so many requests for interviews about staying connected. Clearly, I am not the only one who recognizes the importance of maintaining, extending, nurturing, and supporting the people in our network. The big question during this time of physical distancing is HOW?!

Well, we have to rely on technology more these days. This is great news for some and dreaded by others. I have always believed that social media is just one more channel with which to connect. My favorite is LinkedIn.

There’s a right way and a wrong way to reach out on LinkedIn. The other day I received a note that started “ We’ve been connected for a while now and I think you…” and then proceeded to write three more paragraphs about how he helps people like me. I looked him up and responded, “We have been connected for two days.” That got no response. Shocking.

It was a well written note, the problem – it was the same note sent to everyone. It’s OK to have a template, just customize it. If you’re struggling to make the connections you want, I have some tips for you! On a social platform created for business networking, there’s one key element to getting the relationships you want: being specific.

We’re bombarded with messages and notifications every single day. There has been an influx of generic, non-authentic, and copy/paste type messages circulating around! If you want to move from an online relationship to an offline relationship, offer what spam simply can’t and start a real conversation.

What can you say to get the ball rolling? Check out my Success Shortie: Connecting on LinkedIn, for some ideas!