When most people think of LinkedIn, they still associate it only with job hunting or recruiting, but it has evolved into so much more.

It has transformed into an engaging platform where professionals can build their personal brands, businesses can grow their visibility, and thought leaders can share industry insights and network with other professionals.

The LinkedIn of today is about community.

As of this writing, LinkedIn has more than a billion users and more than 300 million active users monthly. Yet only about 3 million of them post content weekly. This means that less than 1% of LinkedIn's active users are actively posting content.

This creates a wide-open field for those ready to share their knowledge and engage with their audience and an incredible opportunity for professionals to stand out.

Whether you're connecting with like-minded individuals, potential clients or industry leaders, LinkedIn allows you to build relationships that can lead to collaboration, partnerships and business opportunities.

The key is to go beyond simply sending connection requests. Take time to (thoughtfully) engage in the comment section of other people's posts and participate in meaningful discussions. This way, when you do reach out, they already "know you."

They will recognize your name, and you have already had conversations. You can then reach out with a connection request and........

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