There are a lot of ways to use LinkedIn.

Some of those ways are better than others.

Some of those ways seem spammy and fake.

Others sound effective, but exhausting and time-consuming.

Fortunately, you can have a genuine, meaningful experience on LinkedIn and grow your network and visibility at the same time, with relatively little effort.

What’s the secret?

Ask questions.

You’ve probably already heard that you need to interact (or “engage”) with other peoples’ LI posts. However, that doesn’t mean leaving meaningless “likes” or the occasional “congrats!” Engagement should contribute something of substance.

Asking a question takes effort! A genuine, thoughtful question demonstrates curiosity and interest. It shows that you’ve actually read the content. It specifically requests a response, which encourages conversation and engagement.

Asking questions also creates goodwill. People love to demonstrate their expertise, so they’ll be grateful, even unconsciously, that you gave them the opportunity.

I realized this recently when I clicked on a link to an article that someone shared on LinkedIn. The article had some information that got me thinking. I came back to the LinkedIn post and asked a question about it. Not only did I get a thoughtful reply, but the OP sent me a connection request, as did a second person who appreciated my question and the answer it got.

Plus, I’ve seen a lot of complaints from people who dismiss LinkedIn as a disingenuous online popularity contest. I believe that a more question-asking approach could help there, too.

So if you want to get more out of LinkedIn, consider asking a question–whether in your own post or as a comment on someone else’s. You’ll learn something new, and may meet new people in the process.

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