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Part I of a 4 part series of tips for business professionals just starting out on LinkedIn to get the most out of their online networking. After having conducted several LinkedIn workshops it was apparent that although a lot of our area business professionals have joined, many are not sure what to do once they sign up. This series will be designed to walk them through basics to have an effective profile, find the "right" connections, create valuable content and leverage LinkedIn tools such as groups, events, company pages and more.
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12 TIPS TO START SMART:
Get Your Profile Right BEFORE You Start!
Why You Need a Complete Profile
• I don’t just “connect” with anyone…• When I receive a request I always check out
YOUR profile to see if YOU are “worth” my time.
• So if you want me to connect get your Profile RIGHT BEFORE I show up.
• Here are 12 tips to get ME TO CONNECT!
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1No Avatar, no generic profile shot, certainly no dancing monkeys.
A professional photo, preferably a head shot.
Don’t let your first chance to make a good impression be your LAST!
The FIRST Place I Look – Your Profile Photo and Summary
2Grab my attention Immediately
make me want to know MORE about you:
• Tell me Who You ARE• What You Do• WHY I SHOULD CARE!
• Don’t forget to include Key Words for LinkedIn Search!
• And… I like to see your Location so I know where you are.
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Next: Your Profile Headline and Summary
BONUS!
3You don’t have to go out and get a BILLION connections….
100 engaged connections beats 1,000 who don’t care… BUT…
Social Proof says… the more connections you have the more active I THINK you are on LinkedIn and more likely to connect.
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4 3 Take Advantage of LinkedIn’s Custom URL… www.linkedIn.com/in/asusbtdc sure fits better on a business card than:www.linkedin.com/in/asusbtdc3432340*&((^*&** !
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I Always Look at Your Activity
It is a good indication how ENGAGED you really are on LinkedIn.
If it is empty or filled with nothing but: “Herb connected with John”“Herb connected with Mary”
It says you really aren’t Interested OR all you want to do is grab a bunch of connections.
Take time to POST status updates so I can see WHAT you are interested in!
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Take Time with Your Summary
If I get this far… You have me interested… and here is your chance to “HOOK” me…
In your Summary Description THINK:
Keywords that MATTER to my potential reader that says this person is WORTH connecting to!
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Be descriptive and complete as possible. Think about different types of people who may see your summary for different reasons
(Who I want to attract: small business owners, entrepreneurs, online marketers, partners)
Take FULL advantage of the SPECIALTIES you possess… note: separated by COMMA!
Don’t be a Blow Hard!
Don’t TELL me you are a GURU…Let other people tell me.
7 Get Some LinkedIn “LOVE”RECOMMENDATIONS ARE CRITICAL
I “like” to read recommendations other people have left about someone I am thinking about connecting with on LinkedIn… So do other people!Make it an EARLY PRIORITY!
A couple Basic Rules:
• You don’t need a HUNDRED recommendations!
• But the ones you have…should matter to me! (Industry, field, etc.)
• Don’t forget to ask some of your STRATEGIC PARTNERS!
Asking for Recommendations
• DON’T…. Use LinkedIn’s GENERIC request template! – It is LAZY– It tells me…– you don’t really care
• DO… Make the request personal!
8Share Some LinkedIn “LOVE”
Give Recommendations to others you know, trust, and do business with!
I am just as interested in who YOU give recommendations to as I am WHO is recommending you!
Shows me you Play Nice on LinkedIn!
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Chisel out all the “Additional Information”
If I am interested in you I will want to:• Look at your website• If you blog I sure want to see that!• Your on Twitter? I’m on Twitter!
Let’s Follow!
By all means…join several LinkedIn Groups….and be active on them!
Again… it just tells me you are ENGAGED on LinkedIn.
FIND 2-3 GROUPS TO JOIN
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10WORK Telephone and Address!!!!!
Sometimes I need to CALL YOU!
I may want to BUY some of the JUNK you Sell! We are connected…I need to talk to you… and
you don’t have a phone number!!!! I am headed for your Competitor who DOES!
Don’t Forget the SIMPLE Stuff!
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On SlideShare? Use LinkedIn’s PlugIn and Show
Your Presentations Off!
If you create business brochures, flyers, or
presentations for your business then by all means…
Get a Slideshare account and post them there… Then use the LinkedIn plugin to show them on your Profile!
12BONUS #3
BLOG ME!If you are blogging about anything of interest about your industry, product, service, Display it on LinkedIn as well….
LinkedIn Plugins let you bring your company blog to your profile…Just one more way to increase:• Exposure of your other sites• Get interest from me• Add visitors to the site
Now…Let’s Start Making Those
CONNECTIONS!• You have “Tweeked” out your Profile and• Should be at 100% so you have the “stuff” to
get potential connections interested in you…SO
• In the next series we will talk about HOW TO FIND the right Connections AND Get them wanting to Connect with You!
Learn More About LinkedIn
• The ASU SBTDC offers a number of low cost workshops on marketing topics for small business.
• Thursday, September 20th Fundamentals of LinkedIn at the Batesville Chamber.
• More Information or to register:– Call the ASU SBTDC (870) 972-3517 or– Email us [email protected].
Connect with Me!
• Email [email protected]• Facebook page • Twitter• LinkedIn• Pinterest• Our ASU Small Business Blog• OH…or call me! (870) 972--3517
