Do Shortcuts Really Work?

What is a shortcut?

So many people want to reap the benefits of success, but do not want to put effort into their work. Shortcuts become a way for them to try and take the lazy route and be successful at the same time. Today, so many tools and platforms are accessible to us to make life easier, but that does not mean that there is no longer work involved.

New tools provided:

One platform that has provided various tools for enhancing our careers and professional networks is LinkedIn. Recruiters today use the platform 87% of the time to find new talent. LinkedIn has allowed our networks to expand across the globe, whereas before we had to go to networking events to bring in business cards one by one. Some of the tools that are part of this social media platform are now being used for different purposes than what they were originally intended for.

LinkedIn created a tool to pull your networks emails. The intention was to build one on one relationships, not to add a slew of emails to your marketing list. This is what a lot of groups have done. They have taken a tool that was created to make a platform more personal and thrown every bit of work out the door by importing their list into Constant Contact or Mail Chimp.

The Pros and Cons:

People, as they connect with us over social media, are not counting on becoming part of an email blast, and to be quite honest this approach might ruin a potential or already existing relationship. 41% of users on LinkedIn have well over 500 connections. Pulling these connection emails and putting them on a mailing list is not only going to be hated, but it is illegal to put someone on a mailing list without their permission.

A tool that provides this type of information will always have its pros and cons, because as much as we wish everyone would use tools for the right purpose… not everyone does. The pros of a tool like this are the ability to grow a network with people who you would never have the opportunity to meet otherwise. People do not grow their networks by blasting spam emails.

Companies and organizations, marketing lists’ used to be the key to success, because they were well calculated and put together over years of time. Events and contacts from several networks would create one cohesive list. Today we look to buy a list, or in this case, pull a list from LinkedIn and import the contacts to have a shortcut (which again is illegal). This is not the purpose of this tool.

The Benefits of Taking the Long Road: 

Just as you would initially connect with a professional over LinkedIn with a personalized message, the same is true here in regards to sending an email. The purpose of this tool is to be able to send an email to one person at a time to make an actual connection with a person who might benefit you in your professional career. Shortcuts are always possible, but they are shortcuts for a reason. If you want to continue maintaining meaningful relationships, you need to take the “old fashioned” approach of making a one on one effort and realize that if someone is interested in your company and your content they will reach out themselves. 

To Your Best Online!

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Ingrid Gee, Internet Marketing Consultant. Blue Dress® Marketing, an Internet Marketing Company headquartered in Knoxville, TN. Internet Marketing Developed, Implemented and Managed to Full Circle! Organic Internet Search Engine Guru. Turn Key Internet Optimization Programs Placing You Everywhere and Anywhere You Need to Be Online®

ingrid@bluedressinc.com

865-951-5887