Some professionals see no use for LinkedIn, some use it but still leave it on the back burner. Here are a few tips, tricks and resources that will help you use LinkedIn to its full potential.
LINKEDIN TIPS AND TRICKS
- Complete your profile. Make sure to complete your profile: from your professional history to where you attended school. Be as thorough as possible.
- Claim your vanity URL. Your profile will look more professional once you claim your vanity URL.
- Treat your profile like your website. Keep your profile clean and up to date; check for spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as typos.
- Make your profile public. Change your profile settings so that your profile is publicly visible. Don’t worry, your contact information will only be available to your connections.
- Connect with those you already know. Start by connecting with those close to you: family, friends, co-workers and colleagues.
- Use LinkedIn for follow-up communication. Whether you have connected with someone via email, got their business card, or left a voicemail, let them know that you will also connect with them via LinkedIn.
- Give and receive recommendations. Nothing boosts morale, loyalty and friendship like an unsolicited recommendation.
- Update daily. Keep people on the loop. Whatever you post will show in the news feed of your connections. Don’t know what to post? Connect your blog’s feed to LinkedIn, that way whenever you post something new it will also show on your connections’ feed. You can also talk about anything business related: upcoming events, seminars, webinars, awards.
- Join Targeted Groups. Join and become part of niche-related groups; you can even start your own. Answer questions, give tips, be helpful.
- Define your LinkedIn strategy. Create a LinkedIn strategy and stick to it whether when making connections, joining groups, and creating updates.
- Make your connections private. There are things best kept private, i.e., your LinkedIn connections. By making them public, you are practically handing your competition your client list. To make your connections private, go to your profile settings and under your privacy controls click Select who can see your connections. Choose only you.
- Make it easy for others to connect with you. Adjust your settings to make it as easy as possible, such not requiring people know your email to connect.
- Find out who has viewed your profile. Check your profile statistics regularly: learn what you are doing right or wrong, and when it is time to follow-up with a contact.
- Make connections where you want to do business. Connect with people inside the company you wish to do business with, or work for. Just remember to be subtle.
- Include a link to your LinkedIn profile on your email signature, website, and business cards. See #11
