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L is for Linked in

Guest post by: Helen Dowling

Article Overview: Everyone seems to be using Linked in at the moment. If you’re going to be on any social networking site, Linked in seems to be it. But, how do you use it to its maximum potential and get business from it?

L is for Linked in

Everyone seems to be using Linked in at the moment. If you're going to be on any social networking site, Linked in seems to be it. But, how do you use it to its maximum potential and get business from it?

1. Write your profile

Make sure you've set up your profile on Linked in. You need a bit about your business and what you do; a bit about you and who you are; your qualifications, background and education and finally a bit about your interests and hobbies. Social networking is about getting to know the person behind the business, so don't be afraid to let your personality come across. A picture of you wouldn't go amiss here too.

2. Get connected

Invite all your current contacts to join you on Linked in. You'll be given the option to invite your contacts from your email package when you first start on Linked in, but if you're already on there, just go to Add Connections at the top. You can also email people directly here and ask them to connect with you.

3. Connect to other people

Once you've started adding connections, Linked in will suggest other people that it thinks you might want to connect with too. You can see this on the right hand side of your home page under People you may know. Search through these regularly and keep connecting with new people.

4. Start communicating

Now you're connected to people, start communicating with them and building that relationship. Contact people directly to find out more about them. It's only when you communicate with them that you'll find out whether there is anything you want to take further.

5. Tell people what you're up to

Post an update (you can see this on your home page) on a regular basis - by regular once or more a day is best. Tell people what's going on in your business; about some good news; express an opinion; give some tips; promote your business - there is loads you could put on here. A word of warning though - if you're not happy for your news to appear on the front page of a national newspaper, don't post it.

6. Get involved

Linked in is all about getting involved. Join some groups, get involved in the discussions and answer some questions - you can do all of this in the search box at the top. The more you're active on Linked in, the more people will get to know you and then of course, they'll be more likely to do business with you.

7. Post your events and news

If you're running an event, tell people about it on Linked in; if you've written an article, post it for discussion in Linked in. The trick to this social networking lark is being active and the more you do, the better it will work for you.

So that's my quick guide on getting Linked in to start working for you. And better still it doesn't have to be too time-consuming. You only need to spend around 10 minutes a day on Linked in to get it to work for you. So, get cracking.

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Article Tags: business contacts, connecting with people, marketing, social networking



Related Forum Posts
Re: On Which Social Media Sites Are You Most Active? - Linked in is my favorite. Besides this one of course.
Social Networking Site Endorsements - I'm curious what you all think - On Linked In social networking site, members can give "endorsements" to their Linked In "friends". I see this the same as giving someone a referral or endorsement in a business sense. When I consider endorsing or recommending a person in business- I want to have an actual business relationship with them. This would include former employers or employees, clients, co-workers -- this kind of thing. Today I get an endorsement request from someone I know from a distance and he has written one review for me. That really doesn't give me any point of reference so I told him that I didn't think I knew enough about him to write an endorsement. I have also noticed negative things in the way he deals with some acquaintances that concern me - so the fact that I really don't have much personal experience with him - is a good reason not to give an endorsement. My feeling is that when I give an endorsement, recommendation or referral, I feel that I'm putting my reputation on the line and I'm not willing to do that for people I don't know well. Any thoughts?? He was offended and told me that I don't understand what an endorsement is. How do you all view endorsements?? Shri
Linked In - So I finally joined Linked in. I'm slowly building my contacts and such... answering questions when appropriate. I realize it's basically one big forum..well ... .sorta. But honestly, it's a bit overwhelming. Anyone having good luck with this type of networking? I suppose much of it would depend on the industry you're in.
Re: Social Networking Site Endorsements - [quote="orxan":2qtwn5i5]Hi Shri, If you don't like the person who sends you request to be friend, then you shouldn't add him as a partner. Try to be away from bad neighborhood. It is general for all social networking sites (DIgg, Stumble Upon etc.), not for only Linkedin. There will be a lot of requests for becoming partner, but you should watch that person's past activity carefully and stay away from sucpicious guys, especially spammers.[/quote:2qtwn5i5] Being a friend on a social site is one thing and that's not what I was talking about. Giving a personal or professional endorsement (which is done on Linked In) is a different situation. When you give an endorsement, you are recommending that person and that's much more serious to me than just being a friend. Shri
Re: Social Media & Digg, Google, MySpace, and YouTube - Hey All! Thought I'd chime in my two cents here... I only voted for facebook since my other top site - Twitter - was not there. I have time each day set aside for my social networks and I primarily use Twitter, Facebook (not my personal page so much as the group for my business and other fan pages/groups as well) and Linked In. I go to Digg, Stumbleupon and other sites like that when I am using my Socialmarker account to submit posts/blogs and more. I do have Stumbleupon downloaded in my browser and stumble pages during the day - quick and easy - it seems to really help rankings a lot. I have some of these linked together along with my blog so that I do not have to post to all - but have it done automatically - saves much time. Google, I use a lot with the alerts I have set up for my own use as well as client's. Is it worth it? I don't spend a lot of time doing it (30 minutes a day), the automation helps out a bit and I will say that from using twitter I have signed one client and very close with another - one found me using a location alert and another I found using an alert I had set up for the words "virtual assistant" I think they can be effective if you use them effectively...


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