LinkedIn have today updated their People You May Know feature. From my first use it is definately an improvement.

Building up your LinkedIn network is a useful way to increase your reach. Not only does that include the people you are connected to but when they talk about you or share your content, then your total reach includes all the people they are connected to. On LinkedIn this is called your 1st, 2nd and 3rd contacts.

The new look is much cleaner and far more interesting. You will find yourself much more compelled to find and follow people through it with bigger pictures and a 2 column layout. It looks much more like Pinterest and Facebook Timeline – quite the trend it would seem.

I just used the new People You May Know for the first time and it was certainly better. The results felt more relevant. It even threw up a couple of people who I met at a conference last week but had not yet connected with – wierd! There was also a couple of old contacts there which I kind of feel could only have come via an email address. Perhaps LinkedIn is pulling data from my Xobni or Rapportive Gmail plugin.

If you don’t have access to the new feature yet you can try it here

How Does People You May Know Work?

Quite simply LinkedIn boffins put together some clever algorithms that work out the people you may know but are not yet connected. This is based on factors like your existing network, past workplaces, and where you’ve gone to school. You will find some of these are spot on and you can quickly reconnect with past contacts. Others are a bit more random but a quick review of their profile can highlight some people which are highly relevant to you. And the ones that are not relevent? Well just ignore them.

How To Connect With People You Dont Know

If LinkedIn suggests a useful contact who you dont actually know then you have various options to connect with them.

1. Get Introduced through a shared contact
2. Send them an InMail
3. Connection request based on a LinkedIn Group you share
4. Say you have worked together even though you haven’t*

All of these are relatively straight forward. If you dont know how then take a look at this video on the subject of Building Your LinkedIn Network.

Which ever approach you take, make sure you explain the value you can see in connecting together. If this is purely sales orientated then consider if they dont want to be sold to then that will be an instant No. In stead find a reason why being connected would be of value and the sales opportunity will come later.

Take a look at the bottom of their profile and see what they are interested in receiving contacts about. Here is mine:

*Take care if using No4. To basically lie in your first introduction doesn’t really say much for your integrity. Acknowledge the fact, be apologetic and certainly focus on the value of connecting with them.

What Do You Think Of  The New LinkedIn People You May Know?

If you are new user or an existing user (LinkedIn star for you!) tell me what you think of the new adjustments.

Open Random & Supportive is a way of being to succeed on social networks and through using social media. It is a measure of your willingness to lead a community and to add value to that community. If your skills, network and knowledge are an asset that you are willing to share for the good of all then you can expect to rise to the top of your community.

I say “the masses follow the few – so be part of the few”. Open Random and Supportive is a way of being that will increase your influence and reach with your desired audience. It is the opposite of Closed Controlled and Selective. It is time to evolve. It is a time to get back to how communities used to collaborate and value each other. I would love your comments