How to Fully Take Advantage of LinkedIn

HOW TO FULLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF

Nikki Little, Social Media Strategist at IdentityMacomb-OU INCubatorApril 5, 2012

WHAT WE’LL DISCUSS: Why LinkedIn? Overview and stats Getting started Important elements of personal profile How to enhance networking Important elements of company page What NOT to do on LinkedIn

WHY LINKEDIN?

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More than 150 million users in 200 countries.

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/29492436@N00/3942063039/

LinkedIn counts executives from all Fortune 500 companies as members.

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Traffic from LinkedIn generated highest visitor-to-lead conversion rate at 2.74%, almost 3 times higher than both Twitter and Facebook.

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> 2 million companies representing all industries, sizes and geographies.

http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2012/02/25/43-of-all-linkedin-users-are-in-the-us-ibm-is-the-company-with-the-most-followers/

REASONS TO USE LINKEDIN: Digital resume and stamp of approval Networking opportunities Showcase industry expertise Find a job Recruit new employees Market yourself and your business Generate sales leads

WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED

THE KEY INGREDIENTS An email address

Photo (headshot – 4 MB limit)

Updated resume

LinkedIn will help you put the profile pieces together.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/generated/501445202

LINKEDIN RESOURCES LinkedIn Learning Center –

http://learn.linkedin.com/

LinkedIn Blog –

http://blog.linkedin.com/

10 MOST IMPORTANT PROFILE ELEMENTS

1. PHOTODIN RESOURCES

LinkedIn says adding a photo makes your profile 7x more likely to be found in searches.

2. STATUS UPDATESDIN RESOURCES

Promote events and company/personal news, share industry news, etc.

3. IMPORTANT WEBSITESRESOURCES

Add most relevant websites and customize the display names.

4. CUSTOM URLDIN RESOURCES

Selecting a URL with your name in the text makes you easier to find via search engines.

5. HEADLINE WITH KEYWORDSRESOURCES

By default, the headline is your current position, but you can customize it.

6. DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY W/KEYWORDS

Give highlights of who you are as a professional.

7. SPECIALTIES

Summarize your professional skills into keyword phrases.

8. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

LinkedIn says having your 2 most recent positions makes your profile 12x more likely to be found.

9. EDUCATION

Add in all levels of education, including study abroad experience.

10. RECOMMENDATIONS

Ask for recommendations to go along with your various positions/experience levels.

ENHANCE YOUR PROFILE BY ADDING: Skills and expertise Interests Contact interests Applications: Reading List by Amazon, Blog

RSS feed, SlideShare presentations Events Honors, awards, certifications Languages Various other options under “Add Sections”

MAKE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO FIND YOU: LinkedIn member plugin or link

to profile on website or blog Business cards Email signatures Link to profile on other social

sharing sites

7 WAYS TO ENHANCE NETWORKING

1. Connect with people you meet, and always add context to your invitation to connect.

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2. Join relevant groups, and get active in them.

3. Scan the Home newsfeed and reach out to people who share new jobs, promotions, interesting opportunities, etc.

4. Follow relevant/interesting companies. Comment on posts and make connection/outreach decisions based on activity.

5. Utilize the Answers feature.

6. Find new connection, outreach and Answers ops through RSS subscriptions.

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7. Create a list of people you want to keep tabs on, then find opportunities to reach out on LinkedIn or in person.

BETTERUNDERSTAND& VISUALIZE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS

InMaps - http://inmaps.linkedinlabs.com/ See how connections are related to each

other Color coded to represent different

affiliations/groups Bigger names = more connected Find sectors of your professional world

that lack connections Create smart connections between friends

YOUR COMPANYPRESENCE

IMPORTANT COMPANY PROFILE ELEMENTS: Logo and company description Products/services Career opportunities Recommendations Status updates Blog RSS Page statistics (pageviews, demographics,

unique visits, products/services clicks)

3 THINGS TO AVOID DOING

1. Connect with the intent to only promote, sell or market.

http://www.weherdcats.com/2011/05/24/the-new-snake-oil/

2. Spam groups.

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3. Connect, but never interact.

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QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION

THANK YOU!Email: nlittle@identitypr.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkilittle

Twitter: http://twitter.com/nikki_little

Blog: http://nikkilittle.com

Identity: http://identitypr.com

Sources:

•http://press.linkedin.com/node/1104

•http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/30030/LinkedIn-277-More-Effective-for-Lead-Generation-Than-Facebook-Twitter-New-Data.aspx

•LinkedIn