So are you still thinking that LinkedIn is for job search only and Facebook is for posting pictures of your food, family and pets?
LinkedIn is a professional network and if you leverage it to your full benefit, it can be your choice professional network and a potential revenue source. LinkedIn is important for job seekers, but it is just as important for you, even if employed.
Using LinkedIn for Business
I want you to think of LinkedIn as your personal Rolodex with over 300 million users waiting to get to meet you. I am not saying you can easily walk up to the door of each user, knock and introduce yourself to each user. You have an endless opportunity to leverage LinkedIn for business by creating relationships that expands your network, provides for referral opportunities and increases your professional brand.
4 Things You Need to Know About LinkedIn
- The publishing feature on LinkedIn notifies your connections with a “flag” alert when you publish a post. (This doesn’t happen when you share an update.)
- Sending a well-crafted (non-sales oriented) follow up email to new connections provides the opportunity to continue the conversation and develop the relationship further.
- Using the “Congratulate” & “Happy Birthday” email from LinkedIn as a way to prompt you reach out to connections will create top of mind awareness in your network.
- Link your company name in the experience section to the company page and it will make your profile have more color throughout and add more creditability to your personal brand.
You need to remember LinkedIn is about creating connections and opportunity. Don’t be someone that just collects connections. Create connections and the opportunity will extend from that.
LinkedIn Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I share an update? If you are planning to leverage LinkedIn as part of you marketing strategy, sales funnel or for job search, a minimum of once daily is what I recommend.
What is the difference between an update and publishing a post? A post is similar to a blog, with the recommended length of 300 words. Indexed by search engines. (And no, you don’t want to take the same content you publish on your website blog and publish as a post on LinkedIn.)
Should I make changes to my profile? Yes. Don’t think of your profile as a “fix it once forget it”, but a masterpiece you continually improve upon and add to as you complete new projects, have new opportunities and successes.
Do I need to pay for a LinkedIn premium account? I recommend optimizing your profile and maximizing your use of the free features, before considering using the paid ones. The premium LinkedIn accounts have some benefits, such as InMail, premium search filters and analytical data, which could be helpful later on.
I could go on and on with the list of LinkedIn FAQs. I chose to list the ones in this post that I usually get when speaking or teaching on the strategies I mentioned above.
What successes have you had by leveraging LinkedIn? Comment below and let’s discuss.
