TrustArc Webinar - Unlock the Power of AI-Driven Data Discovery
LinkedIn - MarketStar - June 12, 2013
1. LinkedIn: Tips and Best Practices
Alex Lawrence: Vice Provost – Weber State University
Twitter: @_AlexLawrence (underscore before my name)
LinkedIn: /AlexOnLinkedIn
Facebook: /AlexLawrence
Blog: StartupFlavor.com
Google+: Gplus.am/Alex
2. LinkedIn Stats
World’s largest professional network = 225 million members in over
200 countries and territories
77+ million in United States
Executives from every Fortune 500 company are members
5.7 billion professionally oriented searches in 2012
Revenue increased 72% last year to $325 million
132 million unique visitors in first quarter of 2013
Many companies block social networks but don’t block LinkedIn
3. It All Starts With Your Profile
Has to be complete – get the 100% bar
Has to be accurate (dates, titles, etc.)
Needs a current photo
The more detailed the better
Needs recommendations (more on that later)
Quantity over quality of connections
4. After Your Profile Is Legit…
Start with all of your business cards, contact files and people
you email regularly – search for them
Pre-write a custom request to connect, do not use the template
Only connect with people you have met in person or online
If you want to connect with someone new, find a way to
connect with them somewhere easier (Twitter)
Follow up tweet, etc. connection with customized LinkedIn
request mentioning those interactions
5. Recommendations
After profile is complete and you have high quality connections
Get recommendations by giving them first
Not all recommendations are created equal
Good = specific results and stories (details)
Bad = people that don’t really know you (generic)
6. Recommendations
Asking is okay -- make it personal and polite.
Dear ____,
I’m sending this to ask you for a brief recommendation of my
work that I can include in my LinkedIn profile. It would
be great if you could include stories and details as a result of
working with me.
To make this easier for you, here’s a possible draft…feel
free to edit this or create your own. I’d be happy to do the
same for you in return!
[Insert your draft of the recommendation]
Thanks so much for your help.
7. Sample Recommendations
Something like this for a draft recommendation:
I’ve worked with Jane for the past two years. During that
time her department has increased sales from $20m to over
$40, which was nearly 50% more than the company had
hoped for. I’ve seen Jane earn the respect of her peers and
customers alike in addition to strong and measurable
performance. When I was promoted, I specifically asked for
her to join my team. Since that time, Jane has led a team
that has consistently been our top performer, beating quota
by an average of over 20%. Jane is a pleasure to work with
and a very reliable high performer – a great combination.
8. Recommendations
Get at least ten
You control which ones show up
Okay to ask for a re-write or edit (if relationship warrants it)
Make sure they are specific
Customers and co-workers – get them while working together
and still there
9. Leads On LinkedIn
Three types of leads on LinkedIn
Jobs
Who’s Viewed You
Employees
Great way to find talent online
Customers
Who makes the decisions and how do you get to them?
10. Paid and Unpaid Lead Gen
Paid = targeted status updates
Unpaid strategies
Include and encourage employees – 70% more likely to
comment and share
Join groups – lots of them out there or start your own
Time your updates – morning and midday on weekdays
Encourage participation – calls to action, spark discussion
Keep it brief
11. Content = Interaction
Personalize your updates
60% interested in industry insights
53% interested in company news
43% interested in new products/services
3 – 4 times a day and 20 times a month
Comment on others updates daily
In or out – faking it won’t work
12. Monitor, Analyze and Refine
Individual status update performance (analytics) to refine:
Time of day
Length of update
Content type -- question or comment, etc.
Frequency – too much or too little?
Are you a curator or an advertiser?
13. Maximizing LinkedIn
Profile is 100%, current and full of accurate information
10+ recommendations, each with great detail
Joining targeted groups and sharing curated content
Updating 3-4 times a day with posts you’ve experimented with
Regularly having conversations on your profile updates
NOW you can reach out to unknowns, get introductions, search
and prospect for leads, employees and (don’t tell M*) jobs
14. Maximizing LinkedIn
When people look at your profile (remember, you can see who
does), lots of great content and activity
Lots of great and detailed recommendations
Useful links and articles about your industries
YOU’RE AN EXPERT!
Much easier to connect and get a meeting or phone call
Numerous personal experiences reflect this
15. Thanks!
Alex Lawrence
@_AlexLawrence
Facebook: /alexlawrence
Linkedin: /alexonlinkedin
Blog: startupflavor.com
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