The Secret Reason Why LinkedIn Comments Grow Your Network

Comments are a secret gold mine for growing your network on LinkedIn. Today, I’m going to explain why.

Your comments show up in more people's feeds on LinkedIn than any other social media platform. Greater visibility means more opportunity to grow.

Unfortunately, most people don't comment enough.

They spend most of their time scrolling without interacting with posts.

Or they focus their efforts writing posts leaving little time to interact with other people in the comments.

When they do comment, it's boring and generic which is a waste of effort for those looking to grow.

Let’s break down the commenting strategy and why it works.

The LinkedIn algorithm treats comments differently to how the other social media platforms deal with them.

When you comment on a social media post, that comment is visible to people following that page.

It will only show up in your friends' feed if they’re following that page too.

This is how it works on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

But LinkedIn goes a step further.

On LinkedIn, your comments appear in your connections' feeds even when they’re not following the publisher of the original post.

Here's an example from my feed:

LinkedIn served me this post from Elena Verna. She's not a first-degree connection and I'm not following her. I saw her post in my feed because someone in my network (Samuel Cheong) commented on it. This dynamic is unique to LinkedIn.

While other platforms show you the best posts from people and pages you're following, LinkedIn prioritises your connections and shows you the content they're engaging with.

Your feed is populated not only from your interests but from the activity of your connections. 

The Snowball Effect

The opportunity to grow your network arises because your comment will be seen by your connections. 

If a connection replies to your comment, their connections see that comment in their feed. Since their connections are different to yours, your original comment becomes visible to people outside your network.

This dynamic creates a snowball effect. As new people comment, their connections are notified and the original post (along with your comment) is shown to more people. Some of these people comment, that comment is shown to their connections and the snowball grows again.

Every comment is an opportunity to show your thoughts, ideas and insights to an audience far beyond your existing network.

How to Capitalise on Comments

Before you start ramping up your comments, there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Make sure your profile is in order

Commenting will lead people to visit your profile. Don't waste that traffic with a profile page that lets you down.

Your profile should convince people you’re worth adding to their network.

Use a professional photo, custom background banner and a compelling headline. Make your “About” section interesting. Ensure your work experience is up-to-date.

Have a little fun too. Just because LinkedIn is a professional site, doesn't mean it should be boring.

Daniel Ricciardo's profile uses loads of white space and an eye-catching background banner. His profile photo holding his helmet is perfect for someone who gets paid to race cars.

2. Avoid generic comments

Consider how your comments will make you look when they show up in people's feeds.

A generic comment like “Great!” or “Nice share.” does little to show off your personality, knowledge or insight.

It also won’t generate discussion from your network.

Remember, you want people to reply to your comment so it's shown to their connections. This is how you grow.

Share your perspective on the topic. Include a relevant story from your life. Give a counter-argument, respectfully.

Comments are a great opportunity to practise your writing.

Leave a single sentence or multiple paragraphs. Length matters less than substance.

Be interesting.

3. Track popular publishers who publish regularly

Large audiences means more attention.

An early insightful comment on a popular post gives you even greater chance of being seen.

Find people with large audiences who post regularly, ideally with an audience that matches your target customer.

Turn on the bell feature to receive an alert when they post.

Move quickly and interact with people in the comments.

You can check out my profile here and turn on the bell. 

Offer as much value as possible in your comments and you could be seen by hundreds of thousands of people every day.

Wrapping Up

This coming week, dedicate an hour each day to LinkedIn commenting. Find nine posts every day and leave a comment on each.

That's 63 comments in one week that will work while you sleep, appearing in feeds all over LinkedIn.

Track your success by looking at your profile views on your profile page. I guarantee they'll increase.

Turn these views into connections by:

1. Getting your profile page looking good.

2. Leaving thoughtful comments.

3. Posting comments early on popular publishers. (Hit the bell!)

A gold mine of opportunity to grow your network.