Webinar May 2013: Did you know if a group manager takes action against your account in one LinkedIn group, you are now effectively blacklisted in ALL of your LinkedIn groups? LinkedIn may be one of the best known, yet least (effectively) used tools for developing careers and promoting brands in social networking spaces. Joel Don, ISA Social Media Community Manager shows you how to use LinkedIn as a tool for business and career networking, finding job opportunities, selling products, promoting brands and companies, and expanding your knowledge base.

1. Leveraging
LinkedIn to
Prospect, Promote,
Sell & Succeed
Joel Don
@joeldon
joel@commstrategies.com

2.  Pure business network
 >200 million users
 Profile + work/education timeline =
invaluable (free) business
intelligence
 Accurate (mostly) business data
 Not a static resume site (if you
engage)
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 How you show up
 What you share
 How you share

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 Only maintain one LinkedIn account
at any given time
 You may not create a user profile
for anyone other than a natural
person; don’t be a logo
 Profile image: “your likeness or a
head-shot photo”
If you are a business and plan to put a
business name as your name, don’t join
LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a social network for
professionals and people, not companies.
Neal Schaffer,
Author, LinkedIn Expert

5. 5
 Create a robust profile; complete every
profile field
 Use a professional photo
 Don’t forget the headline
 Include websites or links (up to 3)
 Polish summary
◦ experience (employment history +
accomplishments)
◦ specialties
◦ skills/expertise (endorsements)
◦ education
◦ organizations

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 Competitive issues
 Current employer
 Prospecting

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 Reveal ID to companies
 Job/career hunting
 Recruiting

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 Join maximum 50 groups
 Groups enable backdoor email access (skip
InMail or “Introductions”)
 Sections:
◦ Discussions
◦ Promotions
◦ Jobs (LinkedIn paid listings)
◦ Jobs Discussions
 Read the Group Rules before posting
 Every group set specific posting and
moderation policies
◦ Manager and/or member moderated
◦ Section policies
◦ New member and new LinkedIn account policies

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 Questions
 Ideas
 Issues
 Trending topics
 Interesting articles (say why)
 Technical tips
 News
 Advice
 Webinars
 White papers
 Products
 Meetings
 Conferences
 Events
 Services

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 Avoid exceeding 130 characters
 Start a discussion = headline and
link to full post
 Add more details = supporting text
 Add link to “Attach a link” field
◦ Grabs summary of post/article
◦ Resolves post illustration graphic

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“a leader in building automation and
security”

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Discussions
Engagement
Reputation
LinkedIn
Profile
Company
(Products &
Services)

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 Most groups set to be moderated by
managers and members
 Post to the appropriate section
 Flagging = brand diminished with min 2
members
 New LinkedIn policy on members that are
blocked
 Blocked: “Requires Moderation” in all groups
(aka LinkedIn jail)

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 Focus on Discussions
◦ Deliver LinkedIn “business card” & engage
 Multiple group posting/same content
◦ Risks: cut, paste & run profile
 Promotions: Watch post frequency
 Sell reputation & resource first; then products or
services
 Make every post an opp to engage, discuss
 Endorsements = poke
◦ Shortcut for recommendations
◦ Poke who you know; not sales/marketing strategy

31. 3131
Joel Don
@joeldon
joel@commstrategies.com
public relations + social media + reputation enhancement