"I'd like to add you to my professional network." If you are using LinkedIn, you've seen this message at least once. It arrives without a salutation, introduction, or compelling message. Often it is followed by a name that is completely unfamiliar.

As you can imagine, I've seen this message many times. The public nature of my job opens me up to solicitations from strangers and that's perfectly fine with me. What's not fine is receiving a bland invitation that tells me nothing about the sender.

When I receive one of these invitations, I always ask the same questions: "Who is this?" and "Why should I accept this person's invitation?" Typically, I don't accept and maybe I should explain why.

For decades, I made my living writing fundraising letters, so I know a thing or two about asking strangers for favors. Let me assure you, putting no effort or personalization into the request is not the way to do it.

When sending an invitation via LinkedIn, you can use as many as 297 characters to introduce yourself and invite people to connect with you. The "I'd like to add ..." statement uses just 47 characters. Why would you waste 250?

If you are inviting me, I want to know:

1. who you are — not just your name

2. what's your connection — friend of a friend, former colleague, admirer of my work

3. why I should connect with you — what's the mutual benefit

If you cannot give me that much detail, I may not be the right connection for you.

According to the LinkedIn User Guide, "Your connections should represent your 'real world' network." I agree. The guide goes on to say, "When your network represents those you know and trust (and those who know and trust you), you can utilize them for recommendations and ask for introductions into a job or opportunity you are interested in."

"As with everything in life, quality matters over quantity," explained career coach Kathy Caprino, M.A. in her article, LinkedIn: Busting 8 Damaging Myths About What It Can Do For Your Career. "If you have scores of folks in your community who have nothing to do with anything you care about (or who aren't interested in what you're doing), then your connections will not generate productive or beneficial results for you," Caprino advised.

In other words, connect intelligently.

LinkedIn is a wonderful tool, but it is not a panacea. True, it puts a wealth of connections and information at your fingertips, but you still have to do the hard work of making and maintaining the right connections online and in person. You also have to keep the tool ready to use by regularly maintaining your profile, actively participating in a few select groups, and posting relevant, information and inoffensive updates.

That last qualifier stems from updates I read on Thursday regarding Albert Pujols that, in my opinion, were very unprofessional and rather offensive. I'm sure they were reposts from Twitter, but they were not LinkedIn appropriate. Here is some advice from Caprino on what is LinkedIn appropriate.

"Choose carefully what you put out there and be respectful of the time and energy of those who read your updates. Make sure what you share performs at least one of these important functions: 1) informs, 2) entertains, 3) enlivens, 4) supports others, 5) adds value."

I would add, "And doesn't offend."

Six More important Tips For Using LinkedIn Successfully

1. Make sure your profile is as complete as possible. LinkedIn offers many features. You don't have to use them all, but you do have to cover the basics. Importing an up-to-date resume makes the process easier, although you may want to tweak specific categories and move sections around to highlight your expertise.

2. Pick a good headline. According to a study conducted for Mashable.com by EyeTrackShop, LinkedIn headlines garner more attention than profile photos. However, that does not mean you can skip the profile picture. A profile without a photo is a definite mistake.

3. Under the Contact heading be sure to check the "career opportunities" box so recruiters can find you.

4. Make connections courteously and intelligently online. Then, follow-up with face-to-face networking and real-world relationship building.

5. Get to know your groups. Don't sign up for groups and then forget them. You'll get much more out of the experience if you spend time, at least every few days, checking in to see what other group members are talking about. Then, take initiative. Join the conversation and participate in group opportunities such as webinars and "members-only" training.

6. Dedicate the time. At a minimum you should be checking in with LinkedIn weekly; better would be daily.