When I first started the Launch Your Business podcast my goal was to help entrepreneurs like you avoid the many – many – mistakes I made when I first started my business.
I knew what content to share because I know what information would have helped me out when I first started.
What I didn’t know was that I’d learn so much during the process and as a result, grow my business as well. So in the most recent episodes I shared the top ten takeaways from the guests that have appeared on my show. You can tune in here.
Today we’re going to cover another lesson I wish I learned sooner; how to make money and grow your LinkedIn network through strategic commenting.
We’ve talked about this in passing before but I’m dedicating a full issue to it because this information is so vital to the success of your business.
And, you’ll learn how you can grow even faster by using ChatGPT.
Today at a glance:
Thought: Who do I want to be known by?
Tactic: Strategic commenting to grow your brand and revenue
Time Saver: Using ChatGPT to quickly engage with your network
Read time: 5 minutes
Thought: Who do I want to be known by?
Before you build your professional network you first must determine why you want to build one in the first place.
Examples include:
- More clients
- Media opportunities
- Strategic partnerships
- Speaking engagements
Once you establish your goals, the next step is to determine who you need to add to your network so you achieve these goals.
For instance, if you want to land more speaking engagements you need to add more event coordinators to your network.
So before we move on, stop and think to yourself;
Who do I want to be known by?
Action item:
Jot down the names of specific individuals or professional titles associated with people who can help you achieve your goal. Start with 5-10, you can add more later if desired.
Tactic: Strategic commenting to grow your brand and revenue
I enjoy creating content on LinkedIn and helping others discover how to do so as well.
But here’s the problem; at the end of the day it’s still a passive way to grow your business. You’re hoping the right people see your content but you don’t have full control over the outcome. If you want to accelerate the growth of your business – and revenue – you need to be more proactive.
So, how do you do that?
By commenting on the posts created by people you want in your network. This is the fastest way to catch their attention so you can highlight your personality and expertise.
Once you do so you can move from commenting to connecting and add another valuable individual to your network. But how you comment is crucial.
For strategic commenting to work, you must include the following:
- Reflect your experience, worldview or personality
- Include a question for the author
I’ve noticed many people forget the second part and that’s why they don’t grow as quickly.
Here’s why. By asking a question you’re more likely to get a response from the author and that is how conversations are started. These conversations lead to connections and all of sudden you have another helpful person added to your network.
So, what type of questions should you ask?
A few rules:
- Don’t ask questions you could have Googled
- Make sure your question reflects something specific about the post or author
Here are a few themes for questions you can ask.
- Industry predictions
- Additional resources
- Common mistakes
- Personal stories
And, here’s an example to show you exactly how this works. Read the post below, then I’ll show you how to comment using the themes provided.
As a heads up, these questions would come after I’ve included content that reflects my experience, worldview or personality.
- Industry predictions – “Do you expect to see more people leave the workforce so they can get more balance?”
- Additional resources – Would you know of any resources that help people make the transition from corporate to entrepreneur?
- Common mistakes – “Can you think of a common mistake people make when leaving their career?”
- Personal stories – “Did you find yourself trapped in a similar situation? How did you get out?”
Over time you’ll develop your own strategies but this will help you get moving faster.
And if you want to move even faster, stay tuned for this week’s time saver.
Action item:
Leverage one of the themes referenced and comment on one post today. Here’s one from me that’s very easy to comment on. (link here)
Time Saver: Using ChatGPT to quickly engage with your network
If you haven’t heard, ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence tool that takes your requests, questions or prompts and quickly answers them.
Many people have started using it to help write their LinkedIn content but I want you to consider another use case.
Using ChatGPT to quickly create comments.
And, before we go any further I’ll stop to say I don’t believe anyone should use artificial intelligence as a replacement for the thoughts, experiences and perspectives they have to share.
But, it can make it much easier to share this information by providing useful frameworks and suggestions.
So, here’s an example of me using ChatGPT to comment on the post from above.
So, I don’t like everything included here but I can easily make some quick adjustments and add my personal experience.
“I couldn’t agree more. Pursuing success at the cost of your personal life doesn’t make sense in the long run. I once took a new job that came with a $40k raise but I was absolutely miserable. And, I’m trying to get a few other people to reconsider their work/life balance. Do you have any recommendations on resources that delve into this concept?”
Those adjustments only took me about 30 seconds to make but it gave me the opportunity to highlight my personal experience and not sound like a robot.
If you’re new to artificial intelligence I know it can be a bit intimidating or confusing at first. Focusing on why you’re doing it can help push through this uneasy feeling.
And remember, being able to quickly comment allows you to comment more often, which accelerates your business and revenue growth.
Action item:
Experiment with ChatGPT and use it to comment on one more post.
Proof this actually works
Here’s a quick story about how commenting on LinkedIn landed me a speaking gig at ConvertKit’s Craft & Commerce conference.
I commented on a post by Isa Adney, Head of Storytelling at ConvertKit.
We became fast friends and she eventually shared my story as part of their Creator Stories Series.
Isa then connected me to a team member who determines the speakers for the Craft & Commerce conference.
The conversation went well and I’ll be on stage this June!
Remember, this all came from ONE comment on LinkedIn. Which means you could also be one comment away from creating an amazing opportunity for yourself.
That’s it for today.
I hope you found this valuable (please let me know) and if you did please consider sharing it with a friend. They can sign up here.
Have a great weekend!
Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
1. Learn how to start a professional service business using the skills you already have (Available now)
2. Get quick answers to your most pressing questions (Booked out 1 week)
3. Work with me 1:1 to build your revenue and personal brand (Booked out 4 weeks)
