Linkedin Best Practices
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This document provides best practices for using LinkedIn including optimizing your profile, growing your network, sharing expertise, and recommendations. Key tips include creating a great headline and summary, connecting with colleagues, writing direct messages that get read, asking for and providing recommendations, sharing industry content through posts and articles, and participating in groups. The document also encourages establishing expertise on LinkedIn to identify opportunities and build credibility.
![Let’s Connect - Example
Hi [name],
It was a pleasure meeting you during the lunch break at [event] this weekend and
chatting about living (and commuting) in the Northern Virginia area.
You mentioned that your business is growing and may be looking to outsource
some accounting responsibilities. If you still want some help, I’d love to be of
assistance.
Let me know if you have time to grab lunch with me and a partner from our firm
later this week. Have a great day!
Thanks,
[Name]
[Contact Info]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/linkedintraining-181227154239/85/Linkedin-Best-Practices-19-320.jpg)
Linkedin Best Practices
- 2. Topics What’s New Optimizing Your Profile Growing Your Network Create a Great Summary Sharing Your Expertise Recommendations Interests
- 3. Why LinkedI n Matters • Identify opportunities for new business and referrals Lead Generation • Transparent testimonials/recommendations • Share your knowledge • Build expertise and stay on top of trends Credibility • Find events to attend in person • Stay in front of existing contacts Networking
- 5. INTRODUCING A NEW LOOK FOR YOUR PROFILE • It’s easier for others to learn about you and see your experience, education, contact info, and connections all in one place.
- 6. Hashtags Tips for Using Hashtags • Include the hashtag symbol "#" before a relevant keyword or phrase. • Eliminate spaces and punctuation in each hashtag. • There are no limits to the number of hashtags that can be added to each article, but you should choose your hashtags wisely, so they reach the most suitable members for that article.
- 8. Turn Off Activity Broadcasts1. Hover on the thumbnail of your photo, choose Privacy & Settings 2. Under the Privacy tab, choose “Sharing profile edits” 3. Make sure the box is checked “No” that says “Should we let people know when you change your profile, make recommendations, or follow companies?”
- 9. Create a Great Headline
- 10. Picture Perfect Did you know that LinkedIn's blog claims that a profile with a photo is 11 times more likely to be viewed? If you make that a professional picture, that number goes up.
- 11. Summary Be Genuine – Avoid Clichés
- 12. Create a Great Summary
- 13. Education and Experience Education Make sure that your education section is updated Experience Add relevant companies and positions held Focus on problems/solutions you solved (don’t just list duties/tasks) Narrative or bullets – either is fine Keep this short and sweet Head of Finance, Kodak As Head of Finance for this division, I was involved in all its key decision making, ranging from strategic pricing decisions to the casting for TV advertising campaigns. As my final contribution, I produced a 20-page report on how to improve divisional profits.
- 14. Organizations/Publications/Awards List List any memberships, affiliations, volunteer board appointments Link Link to any blog posts you author List List any awards you’ve won
- 17. Building Connections Add your professional contacts Connect with colleagues and former colleagues Make it a habit to connect with the people you meet
- 18. Writing Direct Messages that Get Read Introduce Yourself • Don’t assume they will click on your profile • Give them a brief one sentence background 1 Get to Why You’re Writing - and Fast • The shorter the better. This is the meat of your message so explain why you want to be connected 2 Wrap it Up and Say Thank You • Be gracious but make sure it’s clear what you’re asking for (a meeting, a connection, etc.) 3
- 19. Let’s Connect - Example Hi [name], It was a pleasure meeting you during the lunch break at [event] this weekend and chatting about living (and commuting) in the Northern Virginia area. You mentioned that your business is growing and may be looking to outsource some accounting responsibilities. If you still want some help, I’d love to be of assistance. Let me know if you have time to grab lunch with me and a partner from our firm later this week. Have a great day! Thanks, [Name] [Contact Info]
- 20. Connecting with SDI Connect with your colleagues Follow SDI Share, like or comment on what SDI shares
- 22. Asking for Recommendations Why you should ask Establish your expertise Helps with recruitment and prospecting Who you can ask: Current/former colleagues Employers Clients
- 23. Writing Recommendations 1 Describe Your Relationship • Let the readers know why you’re qualified to give the recommendation 2 Share a Standout Trait • Avoid the obvious “smart, organized, etc.” • Think of one or two important traits 3 Add a Touch of Personality • Share a tidbit about what it’s like to work with this person or insight into his or her personality End with a Solid Recommendation
- 24. Recommendation Example “Jim was, and continues to be, a remarkable asset to me and to the businesses I have created. His tax accounting expertise has been invaluable, his business sense broad and deep, and his counsel calm and reasoned. I would be quite at a loss if he was suddenly not available to me. And he is always available, even though he serves many clients. That in itself is a testament to his management skills and commitment to providing excellent service. I highly recommend him!”
- 25. Interests • Professional organizations • University alumni and business school associations • Past employers’ alumni groups • Personal interest: golf, sports, travel • Leaders/Media in your industry
- 27. Group Etiquette • Ask questions • Answer questions Do • Don’t directly promote • Don’t post jobs Don’t
- 28. Establishing Your Expertise Share industry relevant information Don’t over-update Include status updates when you attend a conference, participate in a “lunch and learn” CPE event, write a blog post, give a speech, win an award, etc. Also use status updates to link to interesting articles
- 29. Types of Content Post (Short Form) Article (Long Form)
- 31. SDI Page
- 32. Your Mission Update Profile Publish Articles Participate in Groups Post and Share on Your Profile and from SDI Page Make Connections Recommend Colleagues
Editor's Notes
- #4: Over 300 million users 2.6 million company pages 26% of American users report using LinkedIn (that’s about the same figure as twitter) People you meet will look you and your company up on LinkedIn just to verify credibility – it’s important that you have an updated, informative profile
- #7: If you're even a casual user of social media you have noticed people using hashtags. Hashtags turn keywords within a post into a clickable link that displays content grouped together, making it easier for users to easily find more of what they are looking for. Although hashtags originated on Twitter. Their use has grown. Hashtags are now a form of social media culture and a popular form of communication that can be used on multiple platforms. Hashtags included in your posts (or others) are now tappable and lead to search results so that you can discover other posts with the same hashtag. Simply add a hashtag to your post and it will be automatically available publicly, or if you want it to b On the LinkedIn mobile app, you can tap a hashtag displayed to show other content, such as posts and articles, that include that hashtag. The ability to click a hashtag displayed on the desktop experience is not yet available.
- #9: Turn off your notifications – Otherwise your whole network is notified every time you make any small change to your profile
- #10: Your headline is your first impression. It’s also one of the few pieces of information that shows up in search results. Keep in mind that outside of your industry, title conventions might not be as meaningful. Your professional headline is your most important piece of your LinkedIn profile real estate, together with your name and your profile picture. Every action you take on LinkedIn will show at least these three elements. For most users, this influences them to either click on your profile or not. Let me ask you an easy question first. Are you an average professional? Now, before you really start to doubt yourself, the answer should be no, of course not. So why would you settle, then, for a standard professional headline? You shouldn't. A lot of LinkedIn members have chosen for their professional headline to be their title and the name of their company. These also happen to be the main keywords people use to find someone with my background and skillset. I'm being found on these keywords.
- #11: Suggest the professional photos that were taken onsite. So while, I am sure everyone looks fabulous on the beach with their significant other, this should be you and professional .
- #13: Your LinkedIn summary is a brief bio that tells connections about your skills and services and shows your personality Great LinkedIn summary examples: http://www.linkedinsights.com/3-stunningly-good-linkedin-profile-summaries/
- #16: Handout Profile Check list
- #18: If somebody tries to connect with you, that you don’t know, they may be a L.I.O.N. LinkedIn Open Networker. While this is usually recruiter types it is ok to connect to be that you do not personally know, such as you went to an event and they were the keynote speaker. We will discuss soon how to make that connection. *** You may also want to disconnect from some people. LinkedIn is not the place to put your latest grandchild’s photo, or how you are and Kayne both love Trump. However, it is ok for people to get a sense of who you are. I am a proud Mom of an Eagle Scout, know a near extinct French dialect, and when not working can find me hiking trails in the woods.
- #19: The default message is “I’d like to add you to my professional network” – stale and shows that you didn’t take the extra effort to personalize it.
- #20: Always personalize your message
- #27: This is where you have to think of your professional brand. I may enjoy and know a lot about French wine, selecting a college with your child, and the Middle East, but my “brand” online is a communication professional So my posts are focused on this because this where I want to be a thought leader.
- #29: Share industry-relevant information – nothing else. Most LinkedIn users are using LinkedIn from 9-5, specifically to keep up on industry trends, find professional contacts, and research companies that they want to work with. There is no point in sharing anything other than educational, informative content (no pictures of your food, etc.)
- #30: knowing how to use it correctly can take you across the globe and into the newsfeeds of hundreds of millions of people, many of whom could be industry peers, prospects or customers. LinkedIn's publishing platform is free to use and can be customized to your interests. You can use it to see what your peers are reading, learn from LinkedIn influences, or stay on top of your industry's news to share ideas on the job. You can also be notified when your connections are in the news, but the main value is in building your brand through the articles you publish. To contribute, start by clicking on Publish an Article on your homepage. You can add a cover photo that captures peoples' attention. Add a smart headline, and then begin writing. The classic markup tools like bold, italic and underline are present as well. And, posts that include a link increase the engagement by 200 percent. That figure even goes up when adding visuals or video. Once your article is published, your LinkedIn profile photo and title are prominently displayed.
- #32: Company Page https://www.linkedin.com/company/susan-davis-international/
- #33: First, write about your specific area of expertise and use your speaking voice, it's most authentic. Spend extra time with the title of your article. You have to catch people who are moving fast across the internet. Be sure to use specifics, numbers, examples, verifiable statistics. The more precise you are, the more readers you get. Stick to posts in the 300 to 500 word range to gain the highest readership. And, the best days to post are Thursday and Sunday. The worst days are Monday and Friday. And last, post as often as you like, every week if you can. You're building your social credibility, with each article strengthening your brand. Consider me your personal editor and/or writer. When you post an article, spread the word to your network with a status update on LinkedIn and let Stephanie know. You can also tweet about it and post it on Facebook, or other social media, if the material is appropriate. Use this to build a huge community of fans and followers. Here's how. If you publish an article that your followers love so much, a lot of them comment on it or share it, then LinkedIn's algorithms pick up on that. Your article is then placed in an email digest for thousands or even millions of members who will find it relevant in their professional lives. *** This has to become a habit, something that you nurture. That’s really the hardest part. Setting aside the time to work on your LinkedIn presence. I do it on my lap top while watching my favorite football team loose or on the mobile app while on the metro…