How to Network and grow your professional network on LinkedIn - From optimizing your LinkedIn profile to basic LinkedIn networking strategies/techniques.
Think of LinkedIn as a 24/7 networking event.
2. LinkedIn is the largest professional social
network online today with an astounding
and a targeted audience of business professionals.
3. Because of the like-minded “professional networking” nature of this
community, your communication style should be different than on other social
networks – you should have a business mindset when using LinkedIn.
Your content should be geared toward cultivating and advancing business
partnerships.
Join Discussions
Answer Questions
Provide Resources
Deliver Value
5. 1. Complete your profile & spice it up!
2. Focus on keywords (skills, services) you would like to be associated with
3. Recommend Others
4. Make a call to action to your websites
5. Customize your LinkedIn URL (for SEO)
6. Connect with everyone (especially decision makers)
7. Leverage and/or create your own groups
8. Start a company page
9. Export emails for email campaigns
10. Use LinkedIn applications to engage and participate
6. (similar to a resume)
Include Full Name and upload a professional
Image
Create a Compelling Headline
Add Work History – Your current position and at
least two past positions
Let your personality and creativity shine!
Use slides, stories, video, etc., to quickly tell others
who you are, what you’re all about and how you can
help them
7. Optimize y our profile by incorporating your desired keywords
Into 5 main sections.
1. Create a Compelling Headline
2. Add Work History – Your current position and at least two past
positions.
3. If you can, connect your past work experience with your current
field.
4. Complete the “Summary” section
• Describe who you are and how you help people
5. Add Your Skills
When you’re done, search for your keywords, see what the
Person in 1st place is doing to improve your own ranking.
8. Recommendations can go a long way in helping fortify your online
reputation. A solid recommendation can change someone else’s
life by setting them up with future opportunities.
Recommend others you believe are exemplary in their jobs and
chances are they will reciprocate, but don’t expect a recommendation
in return. (You will need at least three in order for LinkedIn to label
your profile “completed”.)
Endorse others for
their skills &
expertise.
9. If you have a website to add, select ”other” in the
dropdown menu and customize its name to make it more
interesting & increase its click through rate.
Use “Smart Marketing Professional” Instead of
“My Website”.
10. Customize your URL to reflect your name
(instead of random numbers)
This will improve page rank on major search engines
11. The more direct connections you have, the larger your overall
Network will be, creating more business opportunities.
• Instead of being selective, start connecting with more contacts
and help them connect with each other.
• Connect with current contacts, previous colleagues and classmates
The Join Groups Strategy
• Focus on groups that will put you in touch with
other experts in your industry.
• Creatively join groups that are outside of your
industry that might help you grow your business.
12. Connect with Decision Makers
• Identify decision makers through search
• Find a connection and ask for an introduction
Find 3 Commonalities to use for the introduction
1. People you are both connected to
2. Your Industry, Your Business
3. Common Interest (Location, Education, etc)
Ask about their success OR themselves – try to build a real
relationship before talking about your needs.
13. Importance of Groups
• You can use groups to foster discussion, spread your message and
connect with key people.
• From a marketing perspective, groups are a highly targeted network
(database) that you can reach out to FOR FREE
14. Reasons to Create Groups (You can create a max of 10)
•
To establish yourself as an expert in the field start a group (based on your
niche) – as the owner of a group you are perceived to be an expert in that
group
Most important field to keep in mind when creating a group
•
The groups name should be a niche community
Grow the Groups
•
Promote by sending invitations to
key people.
15. Two reasons your company should have a
Company Page.
For every employee or person connected to
your company every person connected to
that profile expands your Company
Reach.
LinkedIn allows you to narrow your offerings
to build Product/Service Awareness
and allows you to see how many
connections recommend each product or
service.
16. Starting your own Company Page
•
•
Include Basic Information
Include Products/Services
To start your own Company page select Interest/Companies/Following
19. Use the LinkedIn Mobile App to
easily participate on LinkedIn
Look through the library of application
to see what else works for you
Use LinkedIn widgets on your website
to make it easier for people to share
20. Roberto Lopez
www.FuturoStudio.com
Connect on LinkedIn
Sources:
Linkedin.com Best Practices, Global Membership February 2014
Mashable.com Linkedin Marketing, Reid Hoffman TED, Linkedin Boot Camp
Mindflash.com
Lewishowes.com (Lewis Howes Author of Linkedworking)
Bluelinery.com