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How To ‘Maximize’ The Potential of LinkedIn

Examiner — “LinkedIn is a new form of communication, not a trend, and it is critical to use it effectively.”

I) Ways to build an outstanding profile

A. Photo Opportunity: The 1st thing you see on profile is the picture!

· Recognition – It is impossible to remember everyone you meet at networking events, make sure you have a photo so people can remember who you are when they want to reach out to you via LinkedIn.

· Personal Branding – Photographs should be professional; avoid pictures with pets, group photos or company logos. Your photo is a chance to let your personality shine through and is an important branding tool.

B. Profile Customization:

· Custom URL – obtain a custom URL rather than the default on LinkedIn. For example, mine is www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreymitchell. It should be very easy to remember and be much easier when using profile URL on resume and marketing materials.

· Details, but not a resume – Your LinkedIn profile should not be a copy/paste of your resume. It allows you to express many things that a resume does not. In addition, the profile can have more content in it than a resume, allowing you to abbreviate your work history and have a more streamlined resume for HR.

C. Consider Recommendations: Someone once asked me what the value of a recommendation is if it is always going to be positive (you can choose not to display a recommendation). My response consists of the points below:

· Valuable for profile – People are going to be skeptical if you do not have recommendations. They are expected when you achieve a large network.

· Similar to a Reference Check – Recommendations are investigated by recruiters. You are basing your reputation on the strength of your connections and the power of weak ties.

D. Profile SEO: Yes, you can use SEO on your LinkedIn profile!

· Activity – Update your profile frequently, especially the box where you give status updates. This will increase your page rank significantly over time.

· Crosslinking – Make sure you utilize the 3 links available in your profile to connect with areas of interest such as your blog, Facebook page, Twitter account, personal and/or company website. When the sites you are linked to receive hits, your profile will slowly gain page rank.

E. Making Friends: For more info, visit my blog entry on the topic of network management: http://tinyurl.com/nwkdwj

· Network management – Connect with people soon after you meet them. This will help to avoid the threat that people will forget who you are and deny your request.

· Leveraging your network – Only connect with a network of people you know. What is the point of a network you cannot leverage?

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II) Maximizing the potential of LinkedIn

A. Groups: You can and should join up to 50 groups on LinkedIn.

· Digest emails – I recommend receiving these daily, as they give you a summary of headlines for group activity and are very valuable. It results in a lot of emails, but nothing slips through the cracks this way.

· Targeted interests – Join groups that consist of your target customers, clients, etc. When you participate in the conversation, you will develop new business opportunities.

B. Q&A: This is an often neglected aspect of LinkedIn. By participating in Q&A, you truly give back to the LinkedIn community.

· Demonstrate Expertise – answering questions results in you becoming a recognized expert on LinkedIn. You can choose to display best answers in your profile.

· Facilitate conversation – Ask questions and get expert advice. Also, you can use this conversation to meet new connections on LinkedIn. Recruiters can ask questions pertaining to jobs they are hiring for; the best answers become the recruited candidates.

C. Integration: You want all digital information about you to be integrated.

· LI profile URL printed on resumes/cards/etc – Use your profile on your business card or resume so it can easily be referenced.

· LI profile URL link in email/blog/etc – Use profile URL in your blog and signature line of your email to give others another method of contacting you.

D. Research:

· Companies/Industries – before and meeting, you can investigate your client company to learn everything from stock quotes to career paths. For recruiters, you can learn where to look to find suitable recruits.

· People/connections – Do some research on your network to see who is in transition, who has been hired, and where people are going with their careers. LinkedIn makes managing a large network a lot easier, and it a great tool for staying in touch.

E. Marketing/Publicity:

· Get in front of customers/offer discounts – Try offering promotions or sales on LinkedIn group forums and see how much of a response you will receive.

· Post jobs/polls/etc… - Try looking to LinkedIn when hiring others. Ask questions and poll your network so you can stay current on what is happening in your industry.

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