How to Engage Creatively on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is one of the primary social media platforms I use for business. Facebook and Twitter are the two others that get the majority of my attention. Facebook makes it super easy to engage and build relationships. LinkedIn, not so much. Due to the “professional” nature of the platform, the easy banter and ability to talk about just about anything under the sun of Facebook doesn’t work on LinkedIn.

So what are we to do other than post status updates or LinkedIn articles (which we really DO want to do) and hope our connections see them? Sometimes we just have to get a bit creative! And, your creativity doesn’t necessarily have to happen online.

You know those LinkedIn notifications you get when someone has a birthday or a work anniversary? I’m talking about the ones that say something like “congratulate Mary on 6 years at Mary’s Coaching Business.” One of the things I’ve been doing the past few months is sending a card congratulating them on the event. Just a “Congratulations on celebrating six years at Mary’s Coaching Business!”, my signature and nothing more. Of course my return address is on the card so they know who and where it came from. You can send handwritten notes, or use SendOutCards like I do. It’s super easy for me to use SOC and keep a record of it – I just add their contact information to the system and send them a personalized card. Plus, they are in my contact system for any future cards I might want to send. (If it’s a contact you really want to connect with, you can even go so far as to write down their birth date and be ahead of the game for their next birthday.)

No sales, no promo, just a congratulatory note on a card in their mail box!

Engagement with LinkedIn contacts doesn't have to be online!Click To Tweet

Now finding their mailing address might take a little work and ingenuity. Not everyone puts their mailing address in their contact info on LinkedIn, or even on their website. A good bit of the time I can find it. When I can’t, though, I just send a message through LinkedIn letting them know I wanted to send them a card, but couldn’t find their mailing address … and congratulate them there.

I’ve gotten some very nice responses to my cards (and messages), and it’s a great way to connect with your connections personally, and make a good impression. 

Can you think of any other creative ways to connect and engage on LinkedIn without being salesy or promotional?