7 ways to actually get something out of Linkedin for business
Thanks to Kirsten Wright with Wright Creativity – Web design, Social Media and Blog Strategy – for today’s blog post. Reposted with permission
I don’t often write about LinkedIn because it is one of the tougher tools for a small business to valuate or use well. Most of the businesses who are using are simply spamming the group streams and connecting with as many people as possible in hopes of creating a lead. Not only is this outside of the TOS for LinkedIn, but it’s a great way to tick off a lot of people in a hurry.
Recently, I have started using LinkedIn more myself. I have been actively answering questions within my group discussions, connecting with past clients and current contacts and have updated my information to truly reflect what I am looking for and my qualifications. Here’s a few new tips I learned on my excursions:
1.Not all groups are equal – Just because the group is centered on a topic in which you’re interested, doesn’t mean that the conversation will be stimulating. It can take a lot of time to find groups that are actually there to connect and discuss instead of just promote the members services. If you struggle with finding groups that fit what you want, ask for suggestions or look at the groups your contacts are involved in.
2.Brand it properly. While LinkedIn doesn’t have the customizations like twitter or a facebook page (although I think it is about time they let us skin profiles a little!), you should still use the same photo you use throughout the rest of your social sites. Make it easy for people to recognize and connect with you as well as keep your branding consistent.
3.Take your profile seriously! Most users assume if they don’t need a job, they don’t need to fill out their profile completely. This is just not true! Use the summary and specialties to explain what you are looking for in clients/buyers and why you are qualified to deserve them. In addition, make sure that your past employers, college, etc are all up to date so that people can find you. (Thanks to Ari Herzog for that suggestion!)
4.Save your searches. If you are looking for people (that are within your network or for a job) you can save up to 3 to be notified anytime there are new results. To do this, go to the search bar at the top of the page and then click “save search” at the top of the search results. This is great if there is a certain type of person you are looking to find.
5.Create a company page. Company pages are great tools for a business to use – not only does it allow you to describe who you are and what you do, but you can also add full listings of your products, including video and links. In addition, you can connect your twitter and blog so that people have easier access. And of course, you can follow businesses and stay up to date when things change. See what I did for Wright Creativity.
6.Actually update your status. LinkedIn updates, while shorter like twitter, tend to be more like Facebook in how often they are posted. However, many people never post status updates…they simply feed it from their twitter accounts and hope someone responds. Instead, actually participate in the community and post engaging questions. Treat LinkedIn as its own world, and the connections in it as something special.
7.Use the questions and answers. Many of the questions posted on LinkedIn are great! By searching for (and answering) questions within your expertise, you are exposing yourself to a whole other group of people. In addition, search engines index these questions so if people outside of LinkedIn want to know the answer, they just might find you as well.
What other ways have you found success with LinkedIn…or are you among the group that has yet to really dive in?
Twitter, just like any other Social Networking site, is largely used by people from across the globe. The more people who follow your tweets, the greater your chances are of reaching potential customers. Your followers, however, are somewhat pre-qualified; if they are not interested in what they see in your tweets, they will quickly un-follow you.