Fine Print

[I have no affiliation with LinkedIn.]

LinkedIn (LI) has always had a staid reputation since it launched in 2003, the year I joined it. Working for a tech publication back then, it was necessary to check out as many new start-ups as possible for story ideas and the people behind them. It was cool to see what was coming around the corner. “Social media” was just a very valuable domain name back then.

I remember critics saying LI was “boring” — after all, who wanted to join a site full of desperate people posting their resumes and looking for a job? That wasn’t the point. The success of LI stems from the accessibility factor; how else can you get “face time” with some top CEOs, gurus and other specialists, for free?

Here’s seven ways to increase your LI presence and use the service to its fullest:

1) Be an open networker. It’s great to link with people you know or have worked with, but if that’s the only reason you use LI then it just becomes a giant contact book. Request links from people in your field that you’d like to know. Do some research, source their e-mail and don’t forget to …

2) … write a personal invite note saying the reason you want to link to them. Don’t be lazy and use the default LI invite template. It shows a lack of respect: if you can’t be bothered to offer a mutually beneficial reason to be connected to that person in the 10 minutes it takes to write a personal note, what does that say about any future relationship? First impressions DO last.

3) Don’t lie about your work history, credentials or achievements. By the very nature of LI, it takes minutes to check those out with the network by asking for referrals and recommendations.

4) Make full use of the Question & Answer section, a very undervalued part of the site in my opinion. You can spend hundreds of dollars organizing focus groups or attending executive seminars. Ask a pertinent question on LI, seed it to your network (or open it up for general consumption) and you’d be amazed at the free advice that comes back, from top-notch people, usually in hours, or even minutes if it’s a hot topic. That’s a gold mine of expertise just waiting to be tapped into. And, it goes without saying, if you see a question that you can offer some specific insight into, then jump right in. You aren’t “giving away stuff for free” … on the contrary, eventually you might become a “Top Expert” or, at the very least, others will request connections with you based on your answers and request more info = instant professional relationship or new business.

5) Update your status on a regular basis. Similar to Facebook / Twitter, you can write a short sentence on what you’re up to. There were limited options at the start like “is working on …” or “is reading …” but now it’s more flexible and you can type in what you want. I have personally got some very useful approaches from adding updates such as “researching Canadian mompreneurs” or “sourcing experts in discount brokers” as part of my PR work.

6) Ask for recommendations. [Today’s post was actually inspired by this one, just wanted to elaborate a little on other LI tips.] No matter what people say, no matter how humble they are — everyone has an ego. It’s good to be praised for doing great work, hearing a “thank you” or seeing a client’s brand become successful because of what you did to help them. It validates your professional skills and justifies the fee you charge for that work. So, why is it taboo to ask for a recommendation? A few words from a client or former colleague is huge, leads to more business and establishes your credibility. LI is perfect for that, so use it!

7) Join a Group, or better still, start one and manage it. The great aspect of LI is that you can congregate with professionals with similar interests, businesses, skills and so on. The greater aspect is that you can also join Groups with people who have nothing in common with you, but whose alternate views or ways of doing business can open your eyes to ideas you would never think of. There’s a lot of social media groups I joined, one I manage and others — such as tech start-ups in Israel, for example — that offer a whole new perspective on business from another part of the world. (It is up to the discretion of the Group manager whether they accept your application or not. Again, write a personal note requesting membership, and state what you can bring to the table, it goes a long way.)

Follow those seven steps, respect your connections and LI will be an invaluable part of your social media strategy, without costing a penny.

~ John Carson, Senior Digital Media Specialist, GCI Canada (Twitter: johncarson)