How to spark substantive conversations on LinkedIn

If you think no one wants to hear from you on LinkedIn, you’re wrong.

Many customers, contacts and colleagues are ready and willing to connect, but you have to recognize the signs.  For instance, they’ll like an intelligent insight you make on a LinkedIn post. Or they’ll share an article you wrote. Too many people miss these triggers, which leave valuable connection opportunities on the table.

To ensure you make the most of these fleeting opportunities on LinkedIn, here are 42 “trigger events” that you can segue into more meaningful dialogue:

LinkedIn profile engagement

1. Someone views your profile.
2. Contact updates their profile.
3. Your contact changes a job.
4. Your contact gets promoted.
5. Your contact has a birthday.
6. Your contact has a work anniversary.
7. Your contact’s education status changes.

Connecting and following

8. Someone follows you (instead of connecting).
9. You receive an invite to connect.
10. Someone accepts your invitation to connect.
11. The anniversary of your connection and you.

LinkedIn update post interactions

12. You receive a comment on your LinkedIn post.
13. Someone Likes your LinkedIn post.
14. Someone shares your LinkedIn post.
15. A LinkedIn post mentions you.
16. Someone comments on your connection’s LinkedIn update post.
17. A contact’s contact likes a LinkedIn update post.
18. A contact’s contact comments on a LinkedIn update post.
19. A contact’s contact shares a LinkedIn post.
20. Someone votes on your LinkedIn Poll.
21. Someone views your LinkedIn Story.

LinkedIn article engagement

22. Your article (Pulse) receives a Like.
23. Your article is shared.
24. Your article (Pulse) receives a comment.
25. Your connection writes an article.
26. Someone comments on your connection’s article.

LinkedIn Group connections

27. You receive a LinkedIn Group invitation.
28. Your LinkedIn Group post gets a Like.
29. Your LinkedIn Group post is shared.
30. Someone comments on your LinkedIn Group post.
31. LinkedIn Group member reaches out to you.
32. LinkedIn Group member comments in a LinkedIn Group.

LinkedIn recommendations and skills & endorsements

33. Someone provides a skill endorsement to you.
34. You receive a recommendation from a connection.
35. You request a recommendation from a connection.
36. Your contact requests a recommendation from you.

LinkedIn InMails

37. You receive an InMail message.
38. Your contact responds to your InMail message.

LinkedIn events

39. You receive a LinkedIn Event invite.
40. Your contact accepts an invite to the same LinkedIn Event you are attending.

Other opportunities to connect

41. LinkedIn’s People You May Know feature suggests others connected with your network.
42. Your contact is Mentioned in the News.

Do you have another LinkedIn conversation trigger to add? If so, please comment below.

Gerry Moran is a social media and content marketing strategist who’s worked for large global brands and digital agencies. Read more at Marketing Think Consulting.