This is the live presentation I've used for training employees on maximizing LinkedIn to build relationships and expand professional networks.

1. LinkedIn
Training
The premiere B2B network
Social Influencer / Brand Advocate Training
May 2013
Brian Crouch
Content Marketing Director

2. He’s on LinkedIn! (w00t)
He “might as well be dead”?

3. Maximizing LinkedIn networks for business impact
1.
Determine your business objective:
what’s your goal?
2.
Optimize your profile
 Include key relevancy/discovery points in your
title: how will you help your profile be found?
 This helps Branding, for yourself, for your brand
3.
Grow your network
 Upload your contacts from Outlook

4. Improve searchability.

5. Complete your profile
LinkedIn recommends the following
minimums for a “100%” complete profile:
 Industry
 Education
 Postal code
 At least five skills
 Current position with
 Profile photo
description
 Two prior positions
 At least 50 connections
 Keyword-rich summary

6. Optimize your headline (160 char.) for max
search value:
And include
your
nickname/
maiden
name, if
applicable.
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7. Name redacted
Your LinkedIn Profile can change
the tenor of the conversation.

8. Leverage your Contact Info: customize web links.
Use “Other” instead of “Company Website” or “Blog,” then add
your own text along with the links.
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9. Add media..

10. Show your experience to add credibility..

11. Include additional info about yourself.

12. Manage your recommendations.

13. Include skills for people to endorse you.

14. More on recommendations.
My recommendation: make every effort to give more
Recommendations… but do it sincerely.
Endorse everyone you can legitimately endorse.
PRO TIP: Don’t use the auto-generated suggested
endorsements only.
Type in the most relevant endorsement you can deliver.
Then you’ll be in a unique position in your contact’s
profile.
"I will speak ill of no one, and speak all the good
I know of everybody.“ - Benjamin Franklin
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15. What are you posting on LinkedIn?

16. Status updates, shares and likes:
simple tips
If you post 20 status updates per
month, you will reach approximately
2/3rds of your active network on
LinkedIn. Top-of-mind takes work.
2. You can follow users that you want to
connect with: no “request” needed.
3. Please—don’t share an update unless
you’ve read the linked article.
1.
◦ If you comment on a linked article/blog post, share from
their social widget, if possible.

17. Use the bookmarklet to share a URL from
a page without a share button.
Go to “Tools” at the bottom of any LinkedIn page
(or click image).
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18. WHAT TO SHARE:
1. Interesting articles and blog posts.
2. Thought leadership content related to your area of
expertise.
3. Videos (YouTube, Vimeo, TED)
4. Useful presentations and whitepapers (Slideshare)
5. Insights (people love stats) and quotes
6. General business and leadership tips and advice
7. Keep self-promotion and marketing to 20% or less
8. Infographics and images

19. WAYS TO INTERACT ON LINKEDIN:
1. Like someone’s activity
2. Share a post
3. Comment on a post
4. Endorse someone’s skill(s)
5. Recommend a colleague, partner or customer
6. Send someone a direct message or share a link
7. Visit someone’s profile.

20. Advanced search features

21. Create saved searches for topical
focus.
Just click “Advanced” next to search bar to get to
this page…
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22. Connect Outlook to LinkedIn: Click
“Tools” in footer
(Click image to visit the link.)

23. EVERY WEEK YOU SHOULD ADD
NEW CONTACTS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Anyone with whom you had a meeting.
People you met at social events.
New colleagues with whom you interacted.
People from other networks.
Significant email contact.

24. Use Rapportive when in Gmail environment.
Visit Linksy.me to generate emails
if needed.
rapportive.com
linksy.me/find-email
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25. Groups.
Join a relevant active community and
participate in a genuine, respectful way.
◦ Look for a niche forum (such as a LinkedIn
Group) that maps to your objectives.
◦ Screen it.
◦ Invest the time to know those within it.

26. How to find the right group: start
with target topics, then…
Look for a high comment/discussion ratio.

27. Easy way to check: look at Group Stats.
Easy way to check a group: look at Group
Stats.

28. Many Discussions, almost no Comments.
Adding your content = wasted time.

29. Interact with the Group Owner
Send a personal thank you/greeting. You’ll be in the top
0.5%!
Optional: Make a promise to never spam.
Ask if there’s anything you can do to promote the group.
Consider following the owner on other social channels
too.

30. Stand out in a Group: Know
people. Talk to them.
When you can identify members by face and name, you’ve “arrived.”

31. Leveraging 3rd degree connections
to open conversations for business
How to use LinkedIn’s newest feature to find
out who your friends (and their friends)
know.
LinkedIn’s new feature allows you to peruse your connections’
connections (also known as 2nd and 3rd degree connections.)

32. 
First step: go to the profile page of 1st
degree contact who you feel certain would
be willing to extend an introduction. Click
on their “connections.”
Once you are at their “Connections” section….

33. To the right of that section will be a
magnifying glass. Click that:

34. Type any keyword, e.g., “Content Strategy”, “marketing”, “finance”,
“real estate.”
A list of profiles matched by target keyword will appear, along with a
count of your overlapping connections. Lots in common? Connect.

35. Use “Advanced Search” to filter 2nd & 3rd degree
contacts.
For example: company name, industry, degree of separation, location.
You can also search within specific groups.

36. Best way to use this knowledge?
When you’ve identified 2nd and 3rd degree connections you’re hoping to
meet, don’t send an Introduction request through LinkedIn.
Instead:
1.
Call or otherwise reach your 1st degree connection: you’ve met them, right?
2.
Inquire about the person you’d like to meet and your contact’s relationship
with him or her.
3.
Get your connection’s opinion regarding this person, and share your reasons
to connect.
After creating that permission, send an introduction request through LinkedIn—
the phone call or personal request assures it won’t be ignored.
Bonus: you’ve strengthened your relationship by conversing and asking for an
opinion (the way introductions used to be done.)

37. Sincere
Open
Collaborative
Interested
Authentic
Likeable
THANK YOU!

38. No relation.
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Brian Crouch, Content Marketing Director. @BrianCrouch

39. Questions?

40. 40

41. Duty Calls
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