LinkedIn is quite possibly one of the strongest online business tools available today. And so, I am constantly surprised when I find out people aren't using it or barely using it. Here's the truth: We live in an online world and if you're in business you need to be on LinkedIn. That's all there is to it.
Ok, point made. Blog done!
I wish it was that easy! If you're not using LinkedIn regularly, then please continue reading to find out why you should be and how you can take advantage of it. And if you are using LinkedIn, then go ahead and forward this to everyone you know who isn't!
LinkedIn is about networking
When LinkedIn started out, is was essentially an online resume. It was a place for you to advertise your skills and experience to potential hiring managers. Unfortunately, many people still think this is all it is. But I promise you it so much more!
LinkedIn is for networking. It's to grow your online connections and your network. Even if you're not looking for a job. If you are in any sort of business (or may ever be), you NEED to be on LinkedIn. This includes the unemployed, the college students, the stay-at-home moms, the self-employed, the business professionals, and even the business owners.
You never know when your situation may change or when you'll need to call on an old acquaintance. I promise you, it will be a lot easier if you have stayed in contact with them through LinkedIn. And you never know when someone you know may know the key person you're trying to connect with. LinkedIn puts those people in easy-to-understand relationships for you so that you can easily connect with key people.
People are looking for you
If you are in any sort of business, people are looking for you. In today's world, one of the first things people do when starting a business relationship, is to look you up online. LinkedIn profiles rank highly in search results and provide a validated representation of who you are, on your terms. You can ensure that people looking for you will find what you want them to know!
In order to make sure people find the right information about you, complete your profile with your experience, skills, awards, training, education, and other background information. LinkedIn also makes is easy to know how well you're doing. On the right hand side of your profile it will tell you how complete your profile is. If it's not at least 80% complete, you need to get to work!
I was personally shocked the other day when I was talking to two men who work in Business Development for a local company. Their job is to go out and drum up new business for their company. They are out in the public and meeting new business associates on a regular basis. They do the good old business card exchange like they're collecting candy at Halloween. But get this, one of them isn't on LinkedIn at all and the other one has less than 10 connections and does not use the site actively. To me, this is shocking.
Endorsements and Recommendations
Endorsements are an easy way for others to validate skills that you have listed on your profile. In order to receive these endorsements, you need to fill in the skills section on your profile. And while there is much debate about the accuracy and relevance of endorsements, people still look at them and hold them to some value.
Recommendations, on the other hand, are almost priceless. These are personally written referrals from those who actually know you and who are willing to put their name and reputation behind you. Think of these like the references you would get if a hiring manager was to call and check up on you.
The more of these validations you have on your profile, the more valuable and respectable you will appear to be.
Connect and learn through groups
You are permitted to join up to 50 groups on LinkedIn. If you're not taking advantage of these, you're missing out on a ton of information! People upload blogs, articles, comments, questions, and suggestions to LinkedIn groups daily. These are all sources of valuable information and network connections that you should be taking advantage of. And just to make sure you get the full value, LinkedIn will even email you group updates with top discussions, new discussions, and job discussions on a schedule that is convenient for you (daily, weekly, monthly).
There are groups from every industry and of all sizes that can cater to your specific interests and needs. Engage in these groups by liking and commenting on posts. Start conversing with others in the group and watch your knowledge and connections grow!
How to add connections
Now that you understand why you need to be using LinkedIn, let's look at how you can expand your network.
You need to add every connection you can think of! You can allow LinkedIn to review your email contacts and send an invite to everyone (or any selected contacts) in your email. If they're already on LinkedIn, they'll receive a notification. If they are not yet on LinkedIn, they'll receive an invite to join the site.
Get creative and think beyond just your email. Look through your Facebook (or any other social media) connections and look them up on LinkedIn as well. Then send them a connection request!
You can also go through the People You May Know section of LinkedIn which will offer possible connections based on mutual connections you have with your current connections.
Here is a very important tip for connecting with others on LinkedIn. Always use a custom message. LinkedIn programs a default message when you ask to connect with someone but it's so impersonal. Take a few extra seconds to type up a personal message letting the other person know how you're connected or why you want to connect. When using the People You May Know section, don't just click "Connect", click the little pencil/box icon to type a custom message!
Just be careful when adding connections. You want to focus on connecting with people who are likely to accept your invitation to connect. This is also why it's helpful to include a personalized message. If you send too many connection requests that don't get accepted, LinkedIn will think you're spamming people and will put you in LinkedIn jail. Penalties can vary from requiring email addresses to connect with people, up to terminating your account (but this is only for severe abusers - I highly doubt you would fall into this category!).
It's important to realize that LinkedIn isn't just an online resume site and it's not social media like other sites. It is its own entity and it's dominating the business world. It's a content curation site, allowing you to choose which key topics you want to show in your news section. It's a social sharing site with post shares and group shares of relevant content to your industry. It's a network connection with millions of other business professionals that can help you!
If you want help developing your LinkedIn strategy, please feel free to contact me for more information.
Really great post Jenn!
I’ve always been taught to be on as many platforms as possible. With that being said, I think the ultimate question most people have when engaging in social media marketing is….”where do I start?!!!!”
For me personally I’ve gotten very comfortable filming quick videos and uploading them to YouTube. I’ll also stay in tact with Twitter and Facebook as much as possible too.
LinkedIn however has been one of those platforms that I’ve just never really understood, nor have I ever made an effort to understand.
I’ve always had this perception of the platform as something to be used by “super professionally” people you know?
After this reading this post though, I’m sure I’ll take a look at it again.
Thanks for the post! 😀
– Chris
Thanks Chris! I’m so glad that this made you rethink LinkedIn.
It is hard with so many platforms out there and the “need” to be on all of them. The reality is that there is only so much time in a day and we all have commitments and responsibilities. And, we all have our favorite platforms, which usually get the most of our attention.
The great thing about LinkedIn is that you can really see drastic improvements by committing just a few more minutes a week to it. I set a goal to respond to at least one group post a week. That’s my only goal. If I achieve that, then I’m good! But when you do that, you get responses or other comments and then you start engaging more. Before you know it, you’ve got new people reaching out to you.
Also, if you add a new connection on Twitter, look them up on LinkedIn. This is such an easy way to grow your connections. And it takes just a couple minutes.
Good luck and I hope you find more value in LinkedIn going forward!
Add me on Facebook and let’s connect a bit more. I just found out that Linkedin actually just released an advertising platform. Can’t wait to check that out!
Haha all of this linkedin talk is making me confused! I’ve got no idea what a group post is :/ lol
Yes, they are releasing the advertising platform too. It should prove interesting!
LinkedIn has a ton of groups (under the Interests tab) for a variety of topics and niches. You can join up to 50 groups. I recommend joining as many as you like. People post articles, questions, polls, and other content to the groups to engage in discussion. You can “like” a post and/or you can add comments. It’s a great way to really get value out of LinkedIn.
I would be happy to connect beyond here. Just so you know, I like to keep my personal Facebook for personal use only. However, I am happy to extend this connection to any other site. You can find my Facebook business page and other social media sites in the contact section of my blog. Please feel free to connect on any of those!
Jen i agree with you that Linkedin is a powerful business and even with your best practices.
But the sad reality is that linkedin is not really an interactive network, groups in many cases have become discussion farms, more discussions than comments.
The inclusion of the influencers while it may provide some insights and some latest new or trends to follow has hurt the little connectivity that there was.
unlike FaceBook or Twitter Linkedin is a very poor conversational tool. why no idea would love some of your comments.
Thank you for your perspective and I’m glad that you agree LinkedIn is a powerful business tool.
I think that LinkedIn is as interactive as you make it. There are plenty of people who don’t use the platform regularly and who aren’t interactive. But the same can be said about any other platform as well, including Facebook and Twitter.
I agree that the groups tend to be more discussions than comments, and I think that’s a good thing. I have made great connections through the conversations and discussions that have gone back and forth on various group posts. Just posting comments is fine, but it doesn’t generate thought processes and real interaction.
And, while I agree that the influencers may not improve the connectivity, I definitely don’t think that they have hurt it. I think it gives people a chance to see what other influential people are saying in their respective industries. And education is the greatest tool we all can share.
Personally, I find I get just as much, if not more, conversation on LinkedIn as I do on any other site.
Jen i agree with you that Linkedin is a powerful business and even with your best practices.
But the sad reality is that linkedin is not really an interactive network, groups in many cases have become discussion farms, more discussions than comments.
The inclusion of the influencers while it may provide some insights and some latest new or trends to follow has hurt the little connectivity that there was.
unlike FaceBook or Twitter Linkedin is a very poor conversational tool. why no idea would love some of your comments.
Thank you for your perspective and I’m glad that you agree LinkedIn is a powerful business tool.
I think that LinkedIn is as interactive as you make it. There are plenty of people who don’t use the platform regularly and who aren’t interactive. But the same can be said about any other platform as well, including Facebook and Twitter.
I agree that the groups tend to be more discussions than comments, and I think that’s a good thing. I have made great connections through the conversations and discussions that have gone back and forth on various group posts. Just posting comments is fine, but it doesn’t generate thought processes and real interaction.
And, while I agree that the influencers may not improve the connectivity, I definitely don’t think that they have hurt it. I think it gives people a chance to see what other influential people are saying in their respective industries. And education is the greatest tool we all can share.
Personally, I find I get just as much, if not more, conversation on LinkedIn as I do on any other site.
Great Post. I have had a hard time convincing some business associates in the past that LinkedIn is not like Facebook. I joined a few years ago, it is what you make of it, I have cultivated my business there and found LinkedIn to be an invaluable tool to do that and reconnect with past business associates. I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
You are absolutely correct, Dan. LinkedIn is what you make of it. If you put time and energy into cultivating it, you will see rewards. I’m happy to hear it’s worked so well for you!
Great Post. I have had a hard time convincing some business associates in the past that LinkedIn is not like Facebook. I joined a few years ago, it is what you make of it, I have cultivated my business there and found LinkedIn to be an invaluable tool to do that and reconnect with past business associates. I couldn’t recommend it more highly.
You are absolutely correct, Dan. LinkedIn is what you make of it. If you put time and energy into cultivating it, you will see rewards. I’m happy to hear it’s worked so well for you!
Jenn, I have to make myself get on LinkedIn. I know it’s important, and I DO have an account there for over a year with a lot of followers, but I can’t seem to make myself use it! lol!
I see LinkedIn as corporate America and I stay away from it…hippie style.
Haha! I can see how it might look more “corporate” than most sites. But, strangely, I’ve connected with more people through LinkedIn who are NOT corporate people. There are a lot of bloggers, stay-at-home-moms, entrepreneurs, etc. that are on there.
Jenn, I have to make myself get on LinkedIn. I know it’s important, and I DO have an account there for over a year with a lot of followers, but I can’t seem to make myself use it! lol!
I see LinkedIn as corporate America and I stay away from it…hippie style.
Haha! I can see how it might look more “corporate” than most sites. But, strangely, I’ve connected with more people through LinkedIn who are NOT corporate people. There are a lot of bloggers, stay-at-home-moms, entrepreneurs, etc. that are on there.
I think you’ve said it all. I too, have run across people in the advertising/marketing field that have, well lack for a better word, lousy Linkedin profiles. Now, that just doesn’t make sense.
Thanks Frank! It is unfortunate when these people don’t take advantage of the tools provided by LinkedIn. I just hope that more of them learn to use it well.
Well done, I agree I’m always surprised when I encounter a professional adult who is not taking advantage of LinkedIn. Most of us make more job changes during our careers than our parents did, for example, so it’s a great tool for maintaining our network as everyone moves around, especially geographically.
You hit on a big pet peeve of mine: People who send requests without a customized message. Doesn’t really bother me if I know the person fairly well, see them regularly, work with them today etc. It’s not as if I’ll wonder “why is this person contacting me?” Otherwise, when I’m sent a generic LinkedIn request from someone I don’t know I can’t help but suspect it’s a one-sided request. What is this person’s motivations, and what’s in it for me if I accept? I’m then forced to research the requester, and infer their intentions. I work for a very large company, and a good percentage of the time I conclude that the person is a vendor who wants me to introduce him/her to someone else at the firm — someone I probably don’t know anyway. I normally ignore those requests.
Thank you for your comments! You are correct that many of us do change jobs much more than previous generations. The advantage to that is all the great people and connections we make on that journey! And LinkedIn is a great way to maintain that network as we all move down different paths. Thanks for adding that thought!
And, yes, I wish I could teach everyone to use personalized messages. I have to admit that I never used to use them but as soon as I did start using them, the connections grew quickly! Like you said, people don’t want to have to figure out how or why this person knows them or wants to connect. It’s so much easier if they just spell it out up front!
Thanks for your comments!
Well done, I agree I’m always surprised when I encounter a professional adult who is not taking advantage of LinkedIn. Most of us make more job changes during our careers than our parents did, for example, so it’s a great tool for maintaining our network as everyone moves around, especially geographically.
You hit on a big pet peeve of mine: People who send requests without a customized message. Doesn’t really bother me if I know the person fairly well, see them regularly, work with them today etc. It’s not as if I’ll wonder “why is this person contacting me?” Otherwise, when I’m sent a generic LinkedIn request from someone I don’t know I can’t help but suspect it’s a one-sided request. What is this person’s motivations, and what’s in it for me if I accept? I’m then forced to research the requester, and infer their intentions. I work for a very large company, and a good percentage of the time I conclude that the person is a vendor who wants me to introduce him/her to someone else at the firm — someone I probably don’t know anyway. I normally ignore those requests.
Thank you for your comments! You are correct that many of us do change jobs much more than previous generations. The advantage to that is all the great people and connections we make on that journey! And LinkedIn is a great way to maintain that network as we all move down different paths. Thanks for adding that thought!
And, yes, I wish I could teach everyone to use personalized messages. I have to admit that I never used to use them but as soon as I did start using them, the connections grew quickly! Like you said, people don’t want to have to figure out how or why this person knows them or wants to connect. It’s so much easier if they just spell it out up front!
Thanks for your comments!
Got to this post through LinkedIn! Sean Gallahar posted it to the Social Media Marketing group. To be honest, I use LinkedIn mostly as a contact list/address book. I’m sure I can be more effective in using it as a productivity tool.
Thanks for leaving a comment! I’m so happy to have you here and that you found me through LinkedIn.
LI is obviously a very good tool for a contact list/address book. If this is your primary use, make sure that you’re making good use of the notes in the relationship tab. When you go to someone’s profile that you’re connected to, you’ll see a tab labeled “Relationship” under their profile photo. If you click on this you can see how you are connected and how you have interacted in the past. You can also add notes to remind yourself of key interactions, conversations, etc. It’s a great way to really take advantage of the connection aspect.
Thanks for the advice, Jenn. That sounds like a great use for LinkedIn; unfortunately, I don’t see it. I’m wondering if it’s something tied to the premium account.
That’s too bad. I don’t have the premium account so it’s not tied to that but I do know that LinkedIn is in the process of rolling out new features. It’s possible that you haven’t received this new feature yet. But stay on the look out for it. Hopefully you get it soon.
They do make changes regularly. Thank you for your generosity in replying to all the comments, Jenn!
Got to this post through LinkedIn! Sean Gallahar posted it to the Social Media Marketing group. To be honest, I use LinkedIn mostly as a contact list/address book. I’m sure I can be more effective in using it as a productivity tool.
Thanks for leaving a comment! I’m so happy to have you here and that you found me through LinkedIn.
LI is obviously a very good tool for a contact list/address book. If this is your primary use, make sure that you’re making good use of the notes in the relationship tab. When you go to someone’s profile that you’re connected to, you’ll see a tab labeled “Relationship” under their profile photo. If you click on this you can see how you are connected and how you have interacted in the past. You can also add notes to remind yourself of key interactions, conversations, etc. It’s a great way to really take advantage of the connection aspect.
Thanks for the advice, Jenn. That sounds like a great use for LinkedIn; unfortunately, I don’t see it. I’m wondering if it’s something tied to the premium account.
That’s too bad. I don’t have the premium account so it’s not tied to that but I do know that LinkedIn is in the process of rolling out new features. It’s possible that you haven’t received this new feature yet. But stay on the look out for it. Hopefully you get it soon.
They do make changes regularly. Thank you for your generosity in replying to all the comments, Jenn!
Valid points all around. Thank you.
Thank you Toi!
Valid points all around. Thank you.
Thank you Toi!
Excellent article, Jenn! I am now motivated to make LinkedIn work for me and build up my connections!
That’s great Yvonne! I’m happy to hear that!
Excellent article, Jenn! I am now motivated to make LinkedIn work for me and build up my connections!
That’s great Yvonne! I’m happy to hear that!
Thank you for the article as it removed my last ‘fears’ of being a job seeker in a new industry and new location. LinkedIn does seem to be ‘the’ network for professionals. Having moved from Hawaii to Florida, I am building a new network and for the first time establishing an on-line presence; and for the first time actually having to ‘look for a career’. Are their consultants who can help me regarding my profile (critiquing it) and what would you advise, if for example, an alumni association member with many connections does become my connection; how appropriate is it to ask them for help without actually having them know me personally? I feel I should somehow talk with them or somehow meet them prior to asking for an introduction. I have been a job seeker and have not had a single recruiter connect with me, so I must be doing something incorrectly.
First, I would like to congratulate you on taking the initiative to get your online presence established as you work towards a new career. This is a great thing to do.
If you would like to connect with me on LinkedIn (and send me a message when you connect letting me know you’re coming from here), I would happy to do a quick review and critique of your profile for you.
The rules for reaching out to people differ depending on who you talk to, how you’re connected, and how they feel about it. However, if you were to connect with other alumni members, I would at least reach out via LinkedIn and introduce yourself. Explain your situation, story, etc. and see if they are willing to volunteer to help you. If they are, great. If they don’t, then I wouldn’t push the issue. People don’t like to feel pressured into supporting others they don’t really know.
I hope this helps get you started and I look forward to seeing you on LinkedIn.
Thank you for the article as it removed my last ‘fears’ of being a job seeker in a new industry and new location. LinkedIn does seem to be ‘the’ network for professionals. Having moved from Hawaii to Florida, I am building a new network and for the first time establishing an on-line presence; and for the first time actually having to ‘look for a career’. Are their consultants who can help me regarding my profile (critiquing it) and what would you advise, if for example, an alumni association member with many connections does become my connection; how appropriate is it to ask them for help without actually having them know me personally? I feel I should somehow talk with them or somehow meet them prior to asking for an introduction. I have been a job seeker and have not had a single recruiter connect with me, so I must be doing something incorrectly.
First, I would like to congratulate you on taking the initiative to get your online presence established as you work towards a new career. This is a great thing to do.
If you would like to connect with me on LinkedIn (and send me a message when you connect letting me know you’re coming from here), I would happy to do a quick review and critique of your profile for you.
The rules for reaching out to people differ depending on who you talk to, how you’re connected, and how they feel about it. However, if you were to connect with other alumni members, I would at least reach out via LinkedIn and introduce yourself. Explain your situation, story, etc. and see if they are willing to volunteer to help you. If they are, great. If they don’t, then I wouldn’t push the issue. People don’t like to feel pressured into supporting others they don’t really know.
I hope this helps get you started and I look forward to seeing you on LinkedIn.
Thanks for an insightful article. Your post focuses on the benefits of the “personal” profile on LinkedIn…can you address the importance of having a “company page”
MD
Hi Morris! I’m glad you liked the article and I’m glad that we have connected on LinkedIn.
To address your question here, I think that the value of a company page is dependent on your business, your goals, your customers, and your time.
As with a business presence on any other site, I feel that the need for a company page is subjective and unique to every brand. If your primary clients/customers are active on LinkedIn, then having a company page could be beneficial. But you also have to have the time to commit to manage another profile. And, if your company is essentially a small business and you are the owner, your personal profile is likely one of the best ways to connect with people.
Here’s my perspective – it’s imperative for ALL business people to have a LinkedIn profile but it is not imperative for all businesses to have company pages on LinkedIn.
It’s up to your marketing team/social media strategist to determine the value for you and your company to have a company page on LinkedIn.
I’m glad you asked that question; I’ve been wondering the same thing!
Susan, I hope my answer helped you a little bit. If you have any other questions, please let me know.
Thanks for an insightful article. Your post focuses on the benefits of the “personal” profile on LinkedIn…can you address the importance of having a “company page”
MD
Hi Morris! I’m glad you liked the article and I’m glad that we have connected on LinkedIn.
To address your question here, I think that the value of a company page is dependent on your business, your goals, your customers, and your time.
As with a business presence on any other site, I feel that the need for a company page is subjective and unique to every brand. If your primary clients/customers are active on LinkedIn, then having a company page could be beneficial. But you also have to have the time to commit to manage another profile. And, if your company is essentially a small business and you are the owner, your personal profile is likely one of the best ways to connect with people.
Here’s my perspective – it’s imperative for ALL business people to have a LinkedIn profile but it is not imperative for all businesses to have company pages on LinkedIn.
It’s up to your marketing team/social media strategist to determine the value for you and your company to have a company page on LinkedIn.
I’m glad you asked that question; I’ve been wondering the same thing!
Susan, I hope my answer helped you a little bit. If you have any other questions, please let me know.
Great post. I, too, found it via LinkedIn. I use the ipad app and love it, but I wish there was consistency across mobile and web.
Thank you! And, yes, I wish that the mobile app had more consistency and more of the full range of features. Hopefully, in time, they will improve the mobile app.
Great post. I, too, found it via LinkedIn. I use the ipad app and love it, but I wish there was consistency across mobile and web.
Thank you! And, yes, I wish that the mobile app had more consistency and more of the full range of features. Hopefully, in time, they will improve the mobile app.
As a Linkedin early adopter (2003/2004) and part of the 5% most viewed profiles, I totally agree with you. Thanx for sharing with us.
Thanks Jose-Mario!
As a Linkedin early adopter (2003/2004) and part of the 5% most viewed profiles, I totally agree with you. Thanx for sharing with us.
Thanks Jose-Mario!
Thank you Jenn and all who have commented on the article; WHAT POSTIVE ENERGY! I personally cannot anymore look nor read the posts on Job Seeker Premium regarding what a “waste of time and money LinkedIn is” … it’s so depressing. The comments on this blog have shown me, a new comer to LinkedIn, that IT IS a tool to be used in accordance with other tools to network and transition careers in this tough global economy.
I’m so glad that this post and everyone’s comments have helped to reassure you that LinkedIn is a valuable tool for you. I wish you the best of luck in your job search!
Thank you Jenn and all who have commented on the article; WHAT POSTIVE ENERGY! I personally cannot anymore look nor read the posts on Job Seeker Premium regarding what a “waste of time and money LinkedIn is” … it’s so depressing. The comments on this blog have shown me, a new comer to LinkedIn, that IT IS a tool to be used in accordance with other tools to network and transition careers in this tough global economy.
I’m so glad that this post and everyone’s comments have helped to reassure you that LinkedIn is a valuable tool for you. I wish you the best of luck in your job search!
When I first joined LinkedIn, not many months ago, I quickly became aware that there were contributors who had 500+ people linked to them and decided they must be important and knowledgeable. I wondered whether I would ever achieve what seemed to me an enormous number of links. I am now within sight of that magical number without often asking people to link: they ask me.
I contribute to discussions, sometimes start one. I am learning a lot, helping others a lot (I hope!), selling some of my books in the UK and internationally, etc.
I have no interest in any of the other social media (or time to explore these). My question is: Is it all right to stick to LI, where I’m beginning to be known in groups connected to writing, editing, etc – or should I branch out? The fact that my time is limited for family reasons outside my control is another limiting factor.
Jill, that’s great that you’re getting that kind of interaction on LinkedIn! And that is exactly how you should be using it!
If LinkedIn is working for you, then keep doing what you’re doing. I often recommend that clients find one site to master first before jumping on a lot of social media sites. So, if your time is limited and you want to be really efficient with LinkedIn, then by all means stay there and grow your presence.
However, the more places you are, the more your presence and authority will grow. If you want to get involved in other social media platforms, I would recommend you consider using Twitter. For your line of business and your involvement in questions and communities, Twitter would be a fairly easy addition for you in 2014. And it won’t require a lot more time in terms of posting or organizing content.
Good luck as you grow your presence and reach that magical 500+ number on LinkedIn!
Thank you for your advice that I should point a wing towards Twitter this year. I do have an account, but it’s still in its nest!