NETWORK BUILDING
. Start with people you know.
. Find people by company. Search under the “Companies” tabs so you can start looking for people in your industry.
. Start asking and answering questions on LinkedIn answers.
. Update your status often. Your status appears on your profile and in the LinkedIn Network Updates email to your connections. Thus, others may take
notice of what you are working on and decide to connect or click through on links in your status.
. Connect your Twitter and LinkedIn accounts. LinkedIn now allows you to connect your Twitter account to your LinkedIn profile via your status. This
feature allows you to post a LinkedIn status message to Twitter and to pull a tweet into your LinkedIn status. Enabling this feature will help you leverage
both of these networks to build connections on both sites.
EXPANDING YOUR LINKEDIN NETWORK
Here are two ways to expand your network.
. Ask for an introduction from someone you both know. If you find an interesting person you don’t know but who is connected to one of your
connections, send a message to your connection asking for a virtual introduction.
. Send a message directly. Contact directly any contacts of people to whom you’re connected – these people are two or three degrees from you.
Send a message stating that you want to add them to your LinkedIn network, be sure to also mention the person you both have in common.
To mine the gold that lies in your second-and third-degree contacts, follow these steps:
1. Log into LinkedIn. Your Home page appears.
2. Choose My Connections from the contacts drop down menu. A list of your contact appears with the person’s avatar, a description, and the number of
contacts he has.
3. Examine the list and look for a contact who has lots of contacts. First, choose the contacts you know well.
4. Click the person’s avatar. Your contact’s information appears on the right side of the browser window. You also see a link with the number of
connections your contact has.
5. Click the Person’s Connections link. A list of your contacts appears. The connections you share appear in the Shared Connections tab. The group
you’re interested in is All.
6. Click the All tab and examine the people on this list. Look for people you want to be connected to, perhaps people in the same or similar industries.
7. Click the name of a person to whom you might like to be connected. The person’s profile appears. A blue icon that says 2nd appears next to his
name. A list of options at the right side of his profile.
8. Choose an option.
You can:
. Be introduced to the person by your contact.
. Send the person a direct query.
. Forward the profile to one of your connections.
. Find references, or people, in your network who have worked with the person whose profile you’re chasing.
. Save the person’s profile.
If you choose the option to connect to the person directly, a window opens with several options in it.
1. Choose the option that best describes how you know the person. If you don’t know the person, choose this option and add a brief note.
Remember to include the name of the person with whom you’re connected.
2. Click the Send Invitation button. If you send the invitation to someone you don’t know, a warning message appears. If you feel confident that
your shared connection knows this person well, go ahead with the invitation. If you’re at all unsure, however, you probably shouldn’t send the
connection. LinkedIn frowns on invading its member’s privacy.
INTERACTING WITH YOUR LINKEDIN NETWORK
To update your status on LinkedIn, simply type your message in the share on Update text field just below your profile on your home page.
When you add a link, using the bit.ly web site (http://bit.ly) to shorten the link lets you track the number of clicks you get.
GENERATING CONNECTIONS AND CONNECTION REQUESTS
How to add to the number of connections you have:
. Ask your current connections to introduce you to their connections.
. Increase the frequency with which you update your status. Post interesting status updates and your connections will visit your profile more regularly.
. Answer questions. If you give them a good answer, they view your profile out of curiosity.
. Join a group, take part in group discussions, and create other discussions.
. Create a group and promote it.
JOINING A GROUP
When you decide to branch out and join a group, follow these steps:
1. Log into LinkedIn and then choose Groups Directory from the Groups drop-down menu. The Groups Directory page appears, listing the featured groups.
2. In the Search Groups directory, enter some keywords in the text field. Enter logical keywords for the type of group you’re searching for.
3. Choose an option from the Categories drop-down list. You can choose from corporate groups, conference groups, or networking groups.
4. Choose a language from the last drop-down list.
5. Click Search. In a few seconds, some search results appear.
6. Scroll through the groups. Each group has a description.
7. When you see a group you want to join, click the Join This Group link. The Join Group page appears. This page has several options: Display the group
logo on your profile, choose the email address you use for contact from the group, or choose whether to receive a group digest.
8. Accept the default option’s, or change them to suit your preference.
9. Click the Join Group button. The group is added to the My Groups section of your profile. Note that most LinkedIn groups require approval from the
group owner. To send to the group owner a message explaining why you feel you would be
an asset to the group, click the link you feel you would be an asset to the group, click the link that appears beneath the group in you’re my Groups section.
If you join more than one group, you can access all groups from the Groups tab. You can follow discussion threads and much more. Interacting with a group is a wonderful way to gain new contacts and learn more about your profession.
CREATING A GROUP
If you don’t find a group you like, create one. As group owner, you have control over who joins the group, the type of group, and the logo that’s displayed for the group. Eg: you can also have a link to an external web site for your group.
To create a group, follow these steps:
1. Log into LinkedIn.
2. Choose Create a Group from the Groups drop-down menu. The Create a Group page appears.
3. Click Browse. The File Upload dialog box opens. Follow the prompts to upload an image from your hard drive to use as your group logo. You can
upload an image with a file size of less than 100KB in the file formats GIF, JPEG, or PNG.
4. Fill in the rest of the blanks. This stuff is self-explanatory. The only thing you can’t do is use LinkedIn as part of the group name. A red asterisk
precedes required fields.
5. Click the Create Group button. Your group is created.
Here are some issues to consider when creating a group:
. The name is important. Make sure that your group name has keywords that potential members would use to find your group.
. Create a group about your industry. People are less likely to join a group that’s devoted to your company.
. Create a custom logo for your group. The area in which your logo is displayed is quite small. If your logo has too many objects, it’s hard to see. If you aren’t
adept at using graphic design software, find someone who is and ask him to create your log.
. Create a web page devoted to your group. Web space is cheap. You can either create a page on an existing web site or reserve a domain name and
create a site. If you create a site for the group, make sure to optimize it for search engines and include the URL to your LinkedIn group.
. Display the group in the group directory and ask each member who joins to accept the option to display the group on their profile. The added visibility
helps your group stand out in the crowd.
After you create a group, it’s time to find some members. Here are a few tips for promoting your group:
. Spread the word by sending to all your connections a message inviting them to join your new group.
If you’re a member of other groups, post a message to the other group members announcing your new group. Ask your contacts and fellow group members to spread the word as well.
. Promote the group with your other social media. Create a blog post announcing your new group and post a link on your web site.
. Invite industry experts to join your group and engage in the discussion. If potential members see names they recognize, they’re more likely to join your group.
. Promote your group during any speaking engagements or webinars you participate in.
CREATING A DISCUSSION
1. Log into LinkedIn and choose My Groups from the Groups drop-down menu. A list of your groups appears.
2. Click the icon of the group in which you want to start a discussion. The group’s home page appears.
3. Click the Start a Discussion link. The Start a Discussion page appears.
4. Enter a topic or question in the first text box. Be as concise as possible. Don’t ask a general question. The more specific you can be, the livelier the discussion is.
5. (Optional) Add details. The devil is in the details, as they say. In this case, details direct the discussion and keep it on track. If you’re unsure what
type of information to enter here, review discussions in the group to which you want to post the discussion.
6. Accept the default option to follow the discussion. When you choose this option, you receive an email notification whenever a group member adds
a comment to the discussion.
7. Click the Submit for Discussion button. Your topic or question is submitted for discussion.
ESTABLISHING YOURSELF AS AN EXPERT
Here’s how to make the most of LinkedIn.
. Start interesting conversation threads in any group you belong to. If you own a group, make sure to post frequently and create posts that show
your expertise. You can also create a discussion, as outlined in the earlier section “Creating a Discussion”.
. Respond to questions sent directly to you. When a connection sends a question to you, supply him with as much information as you can. If you have
a blog post about the topic, send the link as part of your answer.
. When you update your status on your LinkedIn Home page, create compelling posts about interesting projects or new blog posts you’ve created. Use
the Update section of your home page similar to how you update your status on Twitter. Create a couple of compelling posts a couple of times a week. Your
connections will appreciate the information and may join you in the conversation. Go out of your way to be a part of the conversation and to establish yourself
as an expert.
. Answer questions posted by other LinkedIn members. If your answer is selected as the best by the person who asked the question, you gain a point
of expertise in the question’s category.
You can augment your LinkedIn presence with the business network Plaxo (www.plaxo.com), Ryze (www.ryze.com), or Sologig.com (www.sologig.com). The first two networks are similar to LinkedIn. On Sologig.com, you post and look for jobs.
ASKING QUESTIONS
To ask a question on LinkedIn, follow these steps:
1. Log into LinkedIn and choose Answers from the More drop-down menu. The Answers Home page appears. Someone may have already asked the same
question. Before you ask, search for similar questions that have already been asked by others. Click the Advanced Answers search tab on the Answers
Home page. On this tab, enter keywords and choose a category in which to search. You can also choose to show only unanswered questions.
2. Click the Ask a Question tab. The Ask a Question page appears.
3. Enter your question in the Ask a Question box. Ask a specific question, if you’re specific, you get detailed answers. Also strive to keep your question
short and to the point.
4. Accept the default option to share your question with all connections, or select the check box to choose the connections to which the question is
sent. If you choose the latter option, you probably receive fewer responses. Use this option if you feel that the question can be accurately answered
only by some of your connections.
5. (Optional) Add some information to the Add Details field. Use this area to supply further information if your question involves a specific topic, such
as choosing between two pieces of equipment.
6. Choose a category for your question. Notice the three windows. When you choose one category, you may have subcategories to consider.
7. If applicable, select the My Question Is Focused Around a Specific Geographic Location check box. If you choose this option, additional windows
appear, in which you can specify a country and zip code.
8. If applicable, choose an option from the Is Your Question Related To? Section. In this section, you can specify whether the question is related
to recruiting, promoting your services, or seeking a job. Click the check boxes that apply.
9. Click the Ask Question button. If you specify the option to send the connection to specific contacts, the Share Your Question with your
Connections page appears.
10. Click the blue icon to the right of compose your email. A dialog box opens that shows all of your connections.
11. Choose the connections to which you want to send the question. You can send the question to as many as 200 contacts.
12. Click Finished. The window refreshes to show the connections to whom the question will be sent.
13. Click Send. The question is sent to your connections. After sending a question, it appears in the My Q&A section of the Answers pages on your profile.
After your question has been answered, you can close the question by choosing Answers from the More drop-down menu and then clicking My Q&A. Select the question you want to close, and then click the Close button.
ANSWERING QUESTIONS
To answer a question on LinkedIn, follow these steps:
1. Log into LinkedIn, choose Answers from the More drop-down menu, and then click the Answer Questions tab. The Browse Open Questions page appears.
The answers are sorted by degree, with questions from your second-degree contacts appearing first.
2. Browse the questions. Lots of questions are posted on LinkedIn. Unfortunately, you have no easy way to search them, so you have to do it
the old-fashioned way – question – by – question, page-by-page. Alternatively, you can narrow the focus of the questions to which you browse by
clicking a link in the Browse section.
3. When you find a question you want to answer, click it. The page refreshes, showing detailed information about the question. In addition to seeing
the question and detailed information, you see answers that have already been posted.
4. Click the Answer button. The page refreshes and the Your Answer field appears. You also see three fields for web resources.
5. Answer the question and add any web resources. The web resources can be web pages or blog posts. If they’re your web pages or your blog posts,
you’ve just directed more traffic to your site.
6. (Optional) Click the Suggest Experts button. The Choose Connections dialog box opens. You can choose as many as three connections that you think
have expert knowledge regarding the question.
7. Select one, two, or three experts and then click the finished button. Your experts are added to your answer.
8. Accept the default option to write a note with your answer, or not. If you accept the default option, enter a note in the text field. It’s a useful way
to introduce yourself to the person asking the question.
9. Click Submit. Your answer is sent to the person who made the query and is added as an answer to the asker’s LinkedIn inbox. LinkedIn also
sends a notification to the email address associated with the asker’s account.
Click the Experts tab to see a list of LinkedIn experts. The experts are categorized as Experts. This Week or All Time. You can find out more information about an expert by clicking her name to see all her answers. You can become an expert by having a colleague choose your answer as the best in the category. With each best answer, you gain one expertise point in that category. The more expertise points you have, the higher you rank as an expert for that category.