There is really only one thing that can pull this winter-loving tea drinker hopping into springtime, and that is my garden!

I was never one to enjoy springtime; it meant saying goodbye to my skis and snowshoes and saying hello to sweltering hot days that typically ruin a good cup of tea.

But when we relocated to the Okanagan (Interior BC, Canada) in 2016, spring and summer have meant something completely different…..

We bought a house with an aggressive vegetable garden in the large backyard. The tiered backyard was host to 8 garden beds (they were lined up side by side, almost looking like a graveyard), some raspberry bushes, a black currant bush, and a hazelnut tree. We weren’t gardeners at the time, but we both thought this would add to our new adventure!

Fast-forward to today, we ripped out the existing garden and we now babysit 18 raised garden beds on two tiers, doubled the raspberry bushes, added some blueberry bushes, a peach, a plum tree, an apple tree, corn and some additional tiered beds on the back slopes (most days we wonder if we bit off more than we can chew…..)

So when spring and summer hit, it means tilling soil, laying down seeds, watering, fertilizing and doing all the gardening things. It’s always a welcome refuge from being on my computer and social media 24/7.

The irony however, is that my garden, well it serves as an incredible metaphor for our LinkedIn™ journeys.  Even though I’m supposed to focus on spacing out the bean seeds, I’m really thinking about how the seeds will grow over on my LinkedIn™ platform.  

LinkedIn™ Lessons I Learned From My Garden:

1. Prep your Soil (Your LinkedIn™ Profile)…. It’s always a long winter here in Canada, and we need to prep the garden before we can start planting some seeds and seedlings.  The same can be said for using LinkedIn™.  Ensuring your LinkedIn™ profile is before you do ANYTHING ELSE on the platform,  is going to be key to your success. So let’s get YOUR LinkedIn™ soil ready – do a top-to-bottom scan of your profile through the eyes of your ideal audience member and ask yourself:
   1. Can they understand what it is I do and how it is I serve?
   2. Am I speaking their language and using keywords that will trigger interest and engagement?
   3. Is there a clear path to how they can engage with me further?
2. The seeds sown are your new connections…. Each seed that we plant is a new connection in our networks. On their own, the seeds can and will do very little. It’s only once we plant the seeds in good soil under the warm sun, water them, and fertilize them that they will begin to take root and grow. So is the same with our new connections on LinkedIn™. Don’t let your new connections sit on a shelf whether they could wither, but start to connect and encourage them so your relationships can start to take root.
3. Patience is Key – It takes time for the seeds to take root….. Patience is required for your seeds to take root and grow into thriving plants, just as your connections require patience in order for them to move from merely a LinkedIn™ connection to a friend, collaborator, or client. Expect your new connections to warm to you slowly and begin to trust you with each action you take on the platform. The relationships will grow, trust me, just be patient and play the long game.
4. Water every single day…. Just as your seeds cannot start to take root and grow without water, so can your connections with regular content and connections through your social media channels. Continue to connect with your connections through content, inbound messaging, or interacting with their content. Direct messages also work great to serve your new friend, but too many direct messages and your new connection may feel water-logged….
5. Fertilize with Care… Do you long to grow massive 2 lb tomatoes? It’s possible, but not without some superhero fertilizer and nutrients. Your selfless content and contributions are YOUR fertilizer, helping your connections grow in their own journeys. Provide value to your network selflessly and with compassion.
6. Even a great garden can be overrun by weeds…. Have you ever scrolled your LinkedIn™ home feed and said to yourself, “There is nothing good on this platform!” I’ve been there too, but the good news is, we can control what we see in our feeds!  Whether you have a small or large amount of connections or following,  your homefeed and your network is only as good as its engagement. Ensure you comment on content created by those you want to see more of, stop “following” those you don’t want to see, and find some new content creators in like-minded groups on the platform.  By “curating” your home feed, those weeds will start to get choked out by the great content you are collecting!
7. No two gardens are the same, keep trying new things!  Every year, Shaun and I try some different plants, in different boxes, with different fertilizers.  No two years have ever been the same, and moving things around in the garden is actually great for growth! Testing, testing and retesting content and formats that resonate and serve our audiences!  Mix it up, try a new format, and keep your network engaged and entertained by your content.
8. Tending a garden is a commitment….  Seeding, watering, fertilizing, weeding…. it’s a daily activity! Even going a few days without attention, and my garden becomes a tangled mess!  So can ignoring your LinkedIn™ network and LinkedIn™ profile. Messages and notifications can start to pile up, and you may miss out on some opportunities as they become buried in the pile.  Daily attention can help keep your inbox and notifications orderly, and your prompt replies will go over well with your new connections.
9. When the harvest comes in, it’s an incredible bounty!!! If you’ve been able to carefully curate your LinkedIn™ experience, you’ll reap the beautiful rewards of a thriving and engaged network, just like the beautiful summer and fall bounty of my garden. Leads, opportunities, collaborations, and trust-filled exchanges await when you tend to your LinkedIn™ experience with care and intention.

“In both gardening and LinkedIn™, success isn’t immediate—it’s cultivated. Prepare the soil, water consistently, and give it time. Your harvest, whether in vegetables or opportunities, will be worth the wait.”

I’m thankful for my garden, in the same way, I’m thankful for LinkedIn™.  I’m constantly learning and seeing the great potential in the harvest.

How is YOUR garden going to perform this season?

To growing your LinkedIn™ experience,
Leanne

Follow Leanne on LinkedIn™

Ready to tend to your LinkedIn™ garden this season?  Consider joining me inside The In-fluence Circle – a LinkedIn ™ optimization program that will help you dial in your Profile, Network and Content on the world’s largest professional social media platform!

I hope to see you on the inside!

RELATED – Networking 2.0: Leveraging LinkedIn for Meaningful Connections

RELATED –7 Tips for Growing Your LinkedIn Network and Your Personal Brand

RELATED –LinkedIn Profile Tips for Hospitality Sales Professionals Growing Their Personal Brand

RELATED – Why Use LinkedIn To Promote Your Personal Brand as a Sales Manager