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The Lion, the Turtle, and the Hound Dog

March 26, 2009 by Sean Nelson

When I first joined LinkedIn one of the first terms to stand out was “LION”.  A LION as most of you know is an open networker on LinkedIn.  The term has been diluted somewhat over time.  The original LIONS have a code of honor that they follow and as others have come along and co-opted the name, the variations have multiplied.

Being a LION is a strategic decision.  It’s not a right or wrong decision, simply a choice one has made in regards to how they are connecting and growing their network.  Connecting to a Lion or Lions can grow your network exponentially, allowing you to see more members in your searches.  The downside is that if you request a introduction, they likely do not know the person.

Over time I have encountered different people with different strategies, but I finally narrowed it down to three types of networkers on LinkedIn.  In addition to the LION, we have the Turtle and the Hound Dog (keeping with the animal theme).

A Turtle is a Closed Networker, or someone who has chosen to connect only with those that they know very well.  On the positive side if you ask for a introduction, it is likely to be a quality introduction.  On the down side, they will likely not have much of an impact on the size of your network.

I fall in the third category, Hound Dog.  A Hound Dog is someone who connects to those that they know, or connects to those that they would like to know better.  A Hound Dog will have some impact on the size of your network, less than a Lion and more than a Turtle.  Introduction requests will be better than a Lions, but not as good as a Turtle.

I would guess that the majority of members fall in the Hound Dog category, a smaller amount in the LION category, and even less in the Turtle category.  Over time you may find that you move among the three types.

How about you?  Are you a Lion, a Turtle, or a Hound Dog? (Tomorrow I’ll tell you why after almost 3 years on LinkedIn, I’m moving more towards a Lion strategy, and you should consider doing so as well)

Filed Under: LinkedIn Tagged With: connections, Hound dog, how to use linkedin, LinkedIn, Lions, sean nelson, Turtle

About Sean Nelson

Sean has been a Keynote speaker at Norvax University, conducts social media workshops and webinars, and has released three books on LinkedIn and written several social media guides.

Sean currently runs Social Media Sonar, which in addition to providing free resources, manages social media strategies and tactics for companies. He is also a partner in Surge Labs, a conversion rate optimization company, helping companies improve conversions and profitability through scientific testing of Landing Pages, Websites, Email communications, and Shopping Carts.

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