Thank you to all my 2000 LinkedIn connections!

Today I reached the '2000 connection' mark on LinkedIn. Thanks to LinkedIn, now when I meet people, I do not have to remember to make a note of their contact details, I can search them up on LinkedIn and add them to my network. As I write this post, this milestone feels as important to me as other milestones I have in my professional career. Important enough for me to write about it.

I was never tempted this much to write a post about a new job I received or another important professional milestone I achieved or accomplished. Maybe those are my personal milestones. And people do know when I achieve anything via my LinkedIn updates.

Maybe I want to celebrate this 'milestone' at a broader level as it involves this huge network of 2000 people I have connected with over these years. I have not met most of these 2000 people. Yet it feels great to know I have a 'directory' of 2000 people I can reach out to if I need to. I can read stories these 2000 people shared on LinkedIn. I am inspired by their stories of determination and persistence. I examine stuff I might haven't encountered if someone from my network hadn't shared it. I am ready to understand industry trends with many of my connections sharing articles about what's new and what's changing in their professional world. I can read recommendations on the way to be better at my job from people that are in my field and in my industry. At the same time, I am privy to so many different perspectives.

LinkedIn is the worlds’ largest professional business directory. Put differently, LinkedIn is the world’s largest social network for working professionals. That means if you’re in the law, accounting, marketing, or similar profession, you need to be on there. More than you need to be actively on there. Like any network online or face to face, it only works if you're employed. That means contributing to conversations, making connections, and building relationships. There are three benefits of reaching 500+ connections on LinkedIn:

Credibility. Perception is reality. If a possible client or professional is trying to find a high-level person to create a relationship with, you’ve got instant authority through your number of connections. it also shows you’re active on LinkedIn, which means you’re serious about investing in relationships.

Audience. If you’re sharing updates and posting content, you naturally need a bigger audience to ascertain them. With 500+ connections on LinkedIn, you have a greater chance of click-throughs to your blog or website. that means profile, reach, presence, and influence. It’s also likely that you’ll appear more often in search results and be higher in the search rankings if you are more connected.

Opportunity. With 500+ connections on LinkedIn, you've got a way better chance of being considered when someone wants your service, product, or skillset. This prospecting is guaranteed to generate ‘warm leads’ and potential introducers for you. Put simply, more connections give you access to more or the right people.

It’s worth the little extra time it takes to build your connections. It seems logical that a larger LinkedIn network improves your chances of success. Of course, some may argue the benefits of a small, close-knit, strategic network, but that’s really not what LinkedIn is about. Of course, quality beats quantity. But quality and quantity together means a larger network of strategic alliances, fellow professionals, potential clients and business opportunities.

So thank you to my connections. Thanks for connecting with me and being a neighborhood of my milestone. Thanks for making me a more 'aware' person. And thanks for creating me a neighborhood of your professional journey. Thanks for enriching the 'net worth' of my LinkedIn connections!