Art thou wondering if originality on LinkedIn doth quicken thine growth? Behold a splendid social experiment yond doth answereth this query.
Wouldst thou like to swiftly expand thy LinkedIn network? Wouldst thou not squander hours composing connection request missives only to be left in limbo? Fret not, for the key is to engage in commentary on the posts of others.
Yet, what manner of comments doth yield the best results? Where should thee post them? What should ye say? Turns out, perchance not as verbose as thou might think…
As the esteemed business-focused social platform with o’er 950 million souls, LinkedIn doth stand as the finest abode to nurture thy professional network. This can lead to wondrous opportunities, such as new employments or enhanced recognition in thy industry with a potent personal brand.
Herein lies the truth on how to expand thy network.
Hypothesis: Longer LinkedIn comments garner more connection requests
Indeed, we all hath glimpsed those scant one or two-word comments on LinkedIn, such as "Well said!" or "Agree!".
Any comment is superior to no comment when seeking fresh LinkedIn connections. But lo, my hypothesis was that leaving more personalized, specific, lengthier comments would yield more profile views and connections.
It be akin to a gathering. Whom dost thou recall conversing with most fervently: the ten folk full of weather tidings, or the two folk with whom thou hadst common ground?
In actual life, we all dost appreciate a tad more substance in our interactions, aye? I envisaged this experiment would greatly please us erudite and verbose individuals.
However, LinkedIn is not life as we know it, is it? When thy sole aim is to broaden thy network and seize opportunities rather than forging a new close bond, which style of comment proves more effective? I hath discovered.
Methodology
To ascertain whether brief or lengthy comments yield better outcomes on LinkedIn, I conducted a fortnight-long experiment. Each week, I proffered the same count of comments on akin posts touching upon topics I typically engage with. I did so to prevent the LinkedIn algorithm from altering what it displayed to me weekly, potentially skewing the results. Furthermore, I solely commented on posts by those who were not already my connections.
To ensure the accuracy of this rigorous scientific endeavor, I maintained all other facets of my LinkedIn activity as per usual. Meaning: I remained too timid to reach out to anyone, refrained from instigating any connection requests, disregarded the 431 recruiter messages in my inbox, and persisted in embedding links in my posts though I am aware I should not.
The tools I employed for this experiment were:
- My intellect for crafting exceptional comments
- Moyens I/O for scheduling my content automatically at optimal times and for analytics
- LinkedIn Premium for personal profile analytics
My scientific process for this experiment was as follows:
During Week 1, I offered a total of 40 short, generic comments on posts by individuals not in my network.
During Week 2, I proffered a total of 40 longer, personalized comments on posts by individuals not in my network.
Hereunto, I elucidate the detailed proceedings of each week.
Results
In brief:
- Longer, personalized comments did attract more connection requests than short, generic ones — though the variance was not prodigious (10 vs 8).
- Longer comments had a notably greater effect on profile views, garnering 24 vs. 14 from Week 1.
- Longer comments elicited far more replies (14 vs 6) compared to short comments.
- Strangely, shorter comments received more reactions (e.g. likes) than longer ones (20 vs 12).
Overall, hither lieth all the data garnered from the two-week experiment.
Thus, if accumulating new connections be thy aim, brief and generic comments can guide thee thither.
That said, longer comments engendered more replies and fostered commendable discussions with others. While not scientifically proven yet, one may speculate that this uptick in engagement could capture the attention of the LinkedIn algorithm, potentially drawing further eyeballs to thy content.
What do the results mean?
As I hath always suspected, I am not the most adored. Yet what doth this experiment signify for thee?
If thy sole desire is to amass new connections, albeit I cringe to convey this, thou couldst likely expend 10 minutes daily proffering generic comments and swiftly grow thy LinkedIn network to hundreds — mayhap thousands — of connections. Alas.
This be not an ill strategy, as shallow as it may seem. LinkedIn recently revised their algorithm to give precedence to "professional" content centering on "knowledge and advice" (e.g. no midday selfies!). These alterations also signify a greater likelihood of encountering content from individuals thou art connected with (or follow).
‘Tis the wisdom of the age that to garner the grandest reach on LinkedIn in 2024, thou shouldst fixate on accumulating myriad connections. Quantity over quality.
I leave the moral quandary of this dilemma to thee, but when deliberating time versus value, ’tis preferable to dispense brief comments and secure myriad connections/followers with the least effort and time.
Nevertheless, is it not finer to boast 1,000 genuine admirers instead of 10,000 followers who are tepid towards thy content?
The answer hinges on thy LinkedIn goals. Wouldst thou aspire to emerge as an innovative thought leader and expert in thy domain? Secure speaking engagements? Secure interviews? ‘Twould be best to adhere to longer, personalized comments to fashion thorough connections and construct thy personal brand.
Or wouldst thou prefer to escalate rapidly, establishing a considerable following foremost without as much emphasis on thy original content or brand, at least for the present? Then venture forth and scatter those short, robotic comments with abandon.
A middle ground doth exist here. Thy comments need not be wholly generic. At times, brief comments can yet be highly relevant to the content.
Original, thoughtful commentary may appear more appealing, but when seeking results on LinkedIn, this experiment reveals that akin outcomes can be achieved with far less time and effort.
Thou may be the most sagacious thought leader to have ever existed, yet what avail is that unless thou hast an audience to behold thy content?
Whence thou dost elect a method for broadening thy LinkedIn network, ne’er forget the fundamentals; ABC: Always Be Connecting.