LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site launched in May 2003 mainly used for professional networking. Here is a quick-start list of key features to help you get started.
Linked In Overview for Business Professionals, Mike Nadeau, Jan 14, 09
1. LINKEDIN – NETWORKING FOR BUSINESS
PROFESSIONALS
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MIKE NADEAU
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2. LinkedIn – Networking For Business Professionals
Basic Elements:
Profile – public and private
Groups
Contacts – note that if you invite someone to your network and they respond that
they do not know you, future invitations will require that persons email address.
Basic Functions:
People – introductions, research
Jobs
I am a job seeker
I am a hiring manager ($195 per post for 30 days)
Answers
Companies
Features:
Events
Blog
Learning Center – guides are available specific to your interest/industry
Surveys
Applications:
Huddle Workspaces
WordPress
Polls
Google Presentation
SlideShare Presentations
My Travel
Box.net Files
Reading List By Amazon
Company Buzz
Blog Link
Interesting:
Direct Ads – can be targeted right to this area
Tools
Outlook Toolbar
Browser Toolbar
JobsInsider
Developer Widgets – Company Insider & Share On LinkedIn
Polls
3. New User Starter Guide
Get the most out of LinkedIn by starting with these three easy steps.
Own a profile that truly represents you.
• List your current and past positions & education along with your tenure there. This helps the right
people and opportunities find you.
• Add a profile photo– people never forget a face!
• Add a summary paragraph. Think of it as your professional elevator pitch.
Ensure your connections represent your “real-world” network.
• Use webmail import to see, in seconds, all the people you know who are already on LinkedIn. You
can then select who you wish to invite to join your trusted network.
• Upload a contacts file from Outlook, Palm, ACT!, or Mac Address
• View our list of your colleagues and classmates that are already on LinkedIn.
Leverage the power of your LinkedIn network!
With a profile and connections that truly represents you and your “real-world”
network, you’re all set to get the most out of LinkedIn.
• Post a question on Answers and tap into the experts you’re connected to and the entire LinkedIn
network. With a professional community of 20+ million, this is the perfect place for those tough
questions.
• Look up someone’s profile before you meet with them. Learn their background and see who you
know in common to get off to a fast start.
• Search for Service Providers and select based on trusted recommendations from people in your
network. Anonymous web searches to find providers are a thing of the past.
5. Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn | Guy Kawasaki
Mario Sundar July 25th, 2007
When Guy Kawasaki blogged about the Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn, LinkedIn had 8.5 million users in
130 industries. Since then we’ve grown to over 12 million users covering 147 industries, but many of
Guy’s suggestions on using LinkedIn (see below), still remain a great way for professionals to strengthen
their online brand reputation and leverage their professional network. Happy Reading!
1. Increase your visibility.
By adding connections, you increase the likelihood that people will see your profile first when
they’re searching for someone to hire or do business with. In addition to appearing at the top of
search results (which is a major plus if you’re one of the 52,000 product managers on LinkedIn),
people would much rather work with people who their friends know and trust.
2. Improve your connectability.
Most new users put only their current company in their profile. By doing so, they severely limit
their ability to connect with people. You should fill out your profile like it’s an executive bio, so
include
past companies, education, affiliations, and activities.
You can also include a link to your profile as part of an email signature. The added benefit is that
the link enables people to see all your credentials, which would be awkward if not downright
strange, as
an attachment.
3. Improve your Google PageRank.
LinkedIn allows you to make your profile information available for search engines to index. Since
LinkedIn profiles receive a fairly high PageRank in Google, this is a good way to influence what
people see when they search for you.
To do this, create a public profile and select “Full View.” Also, instead of using the default URL,
customize your public profile’s URL to be your actual name. To strengthen the visibility of this
page in
search engines, use this link in various places on the web> For example, when you comment in a
blog, include a link to your profile in your signature.
6. 4. Enhance your search engine results.
In addition to your name, you can also promote your blog or website to search engines like Google
and Yahoo! Your LinkedIn profile allows you to publicize websites. There are a few pre-selected
categories like “My Website,” “My Company,” etc.
If you select “Other” you can modify the name of the link. If you’re linking to your personal blog,
include your name or descriptive terms in the link, and voila! instant search-engine optimization
for your site. To make this work, be sure your public profile setting is set to “Full View.”
5. Perform blind, “reverse,” and company reference checks.
LinkedIn’s reference check tool to input a company name and the years the person worked at the
company to search for references. Your search will find the people who worked at the company
during the same time period. Since references provided by a candidate will generally be glowing,
this is a good way to get more balanced data.
Companies will typically check your references before hiring you, but have you ever thought of
checking your prospective manager’s references? Most interviewees don’t have the audacity to ask
a
potential boss for references, but with LinkedIn you have a way to scope her out.
You can also check up on the company itself by finding the person who used to have the job that
you’re interviewing for. Do this by searching for job title and company, but be sure to uncheck
“Current titles only.” By contacting people who used to hold the position, you can get the inside
scoop on the job, manager and growth potential.
By the way, if using LinkedIn in these ways becomes a common practice, we’re apt to see more
truthful resumes. There’s nothing more amusing than to find out that the candidate who claims to
have caused some huge success was a total bozo who was just along for the ride.
6. Increase the relevancy of your job search.
Use LinkedIn’s advanced search to find people with educational and work experience like yours to
see where they work. For example, a programmer would use search keywords such as “Ruby on
Rails,” “C++,” “Python,” “Java,” and “evangelist” to find out where other programmers with these
skills work.
7. Make your interview go smoother.
You can use LinkedIn to find the people that you’re meeting. Knowing that you went to the same
school, plays hockey, or shares acquaintances is a lot better than an awkward silence after, “I’m
doing fine, thank you.”
8. Gauge the health of a company.
Perform an advanced search for company name and uncheck the “Current Companies Only” box.
This will enable you to scrutinize the rate of turnover and whether key people are abandoning
ship. Former employees usually give more candid opinions about a company’s prospects than
someone who’s still on board.
7. 9. Gauge the health of an industry.
If you’re thinking of investing or working in a sector, use LinkedIn to find people who worked for
competitors—or even better, companies who failed. For example, suppose you wanted to build a
next generation online pet store, you’d probably learn a lot from speaking with former Pets.com or
WebVan employees.
10. Track startups.
You can see people in your network who are initiating new startups by doing an advanced search
for a range of keywords such as “stealth” or “new startup.” Apply the “Sort By” filter to “Degrees
away from you” in order to see the people closest to you first. [Republished from: Ten Ways to
Use LinkedIn via "How to Change the World" -- Guy Kawasaki's blog]
Guy is known for bringing the concept of technology evangelism to the masses through his pioneering
work at Apple’s Macintosh group. In addition to blogging the above post earlier this year, he has also
blogged on topics ranging from LinkedIn Profile Extreme Makeover to LinkedIn and the Art of avoiding
an Asshole Boss. [Source: Guy Kawasaki's weblog -- How to Change the World]
8. Four ways LinkedIn can help with your New Year Resolutions!
Patrick Crane January 5th, 2009
Some of you might have read my earlier blog post from last year on how LinkedIn can help you build a
professional network that lasts. As we begin this New Year, I’d like to suggest four key ways in which
LinkedIn can help you put your best foot forward professionally in 2009.
• Be found by people looking for your skills, products & company
1. List your current and past positions & education. This helps the right people and
opportunities find you and your products & services, faster.
2. Request recommendations for your work from your trusted contacts and customers. You
can post them on your profile for the world to see.
3. Make sure your company is listed on LinkedIn. This is how customers, partners and future
employees can find you.
4. Promote your unique skills, ideas and products & services with applications like Google
Presentation and Slideshare.
• Be closer to your trusted professional contacts
1. Import your online address book to connect to your trusted acquaintances who are already
on LinkedIn.
2. Check your network updates to see who’s connecting to whom, working on what, traveling
where, changing jobs and more. Send them quick notes to help, advise, congratulate and
more.
3. Notify your network about what you’re working on - you’ll be surprised at the help and
opportunities that can result from updating your LinkedIn Status.
• Find the right career and business opportunities
1. Try the new LinkedIn search to find the employers, experts, partners and customers you
most want to talk to.
2. Search the industries and companies you’re most interested in working with.
3. See who you know at your target companies, or who in your network can introduce you to
them.
4. Find a job using your LinkedIn network.
• Get key career insights
1. Find and exchange ideas with like-minded professionals in the new LinkedIn groups.
There are hundreds of thousands of groups on topics related to your career. Find the right
one for you or create one.
2. Consult a broad network of experts on a business problem you’re working on. You’ll be
surprised by the number and quality of responses.
3. Find out what people are saying about your company and other topics of interest with the
Company Buzz app.
9. Featured Applications
LinkedIn Applications enable you to enrich your profile, share and collaborate with your network,
and get the key insights that help you be more effective. Applications are added to your homepage and
profile enabling you to control who gets access to what information.
•
Polls
by LinkedIn
The Polls application is a market research tool that allows you to collect actionable data from your
connections and the professional audience on LinkedIn.
•
WordPress
by WordPress
Connect your virtual lives with the WordPress LinkedIn Application. With the WordPress App,
you can sync your WordPress blog posts with your LinkedIn profile, keeping everyone you know
in the know.
•
Company Buzz
by LinkedIn
Ever wonder what people are saying about your company? Company Buzz shows you the twitter
activity associated with your company. View tweets, trends and top key words. Customize your
topics and share with your coworkers.
•
10. Huddle Workspaces
by Huddle.net
Huddle gives you private, secure online workspaces packed with simple yet powerful project,
collaboration and sharing tools for working with your connections.
•
Google Presentation
by Google
Present yourself and your work. Upload a .PPT or use Google’s online application to embed a
presentation on your profile.
•
SlideShare Presentations
by SlideShare Inc
SlideShare is the best way to share presentations on LinkedIn! You can upload & display your
own presentations, check out presentations from your colleagues, and find experts within your
network.
•
Reading List by Amazon
by Amazon
Extend your professional profile by sharing the books you’re reading with other LinkedIn
members. Find out what you should be reading by following updates from your connections,
people in your field, or other LinkedIn members of professional interest to you.
11. •
My Travel
by TripIt, Inc.
See where your LinkedIn network is traveling and when you will be in the same city as your
colleagues. Share your upcoming trips, current location, and travel stats with your network.
•
Box.net Files
by Box.net
Add the Box.net Files application to manage all your important files online. Box.net lets you share
content on your profile, and collaborate with friends and colleagues.
•
Blog Link
by SixApart
With Blog Link, you can get the most of your LinkedIn relationships by connecting your blog to
your LinkedIn profile. Blog Link helps you, and your professional network, stay connected.
12. Bad news for workers is good news for LinkedIn - USATODAY.com http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Bad+n...
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Bad news for workers is good news for Advertisement
LinkedIn
By Jon Swartz, USA TODAY
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Where everyone else sees economic gloom and doom, Reid Hoffman sees
opportunity.
As the freshly minted CEO of LinkedIn (and its founder), he is shepherding a moneymaking tech company in
battered Silicon Valley. And he anticipates more growth next year.
That is no small achievement. The social-networking site, which lets business professionals create online
profiles to seek jobs and network, is adding members faster than ever despite its own recent layoffs and a
management shake-up.
"LinkedIn is the office, Facebook is the barbecue in the backyard, and MySpace is the bar," says Hoffman,
referring to the three major social-networking sites battling it out for millions of consumers and billions of
dollars in online ads.
"Every individual is a small business or brand," Hoffman says. This month, he succeeded Dan Nye as CEO,
whose two-year stint as chief executive was underscored by dramatic gains in members and revenue.
About 1 million people flock to the network every two weeks now, compared with 1 million per month earlier
this year. (The site has 33 million members from 8 million two years ago.)
Gaining momentum
The surge accelerated in early September, when murmurs of recession began to take hold and business
professionals intensified their networking efforts.
Since then, LinkedIn has experienced a 14% surge in recommendations its members make about each
other, an 11% increase in number of connections made between LinkedIn users, a 10% jump in invitations
sent, and a 9% bump in page views.
Many of the gains have come from employees and laid-off workers in financial industries such as investment
banking.
"I use it as a recruiting tool and as a way to network as more people use LinkedIn," says Tim Whitman, a
36-year-old public-relations specialist in Boston who has 335 connections. "The economy is a factor. But it is
a great business-networking tool in today's unstable work environment."
With fewer jobs available, Hoffman and others expect a rush in online business networking. "Many people —
employed or not — will do project work as consultants, and look for clients," he says.
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13. Bad news for workers is good news for LinkedIn - USATODAY.com http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Bad+n...
Hoffman, meanwhile, expects good tidings in 2009. "We are poised to drive the company to the next level," he says. "Many (potential
members) do not know how LI can help them, week after week."
To reach the unfamiliar, LinkedIn this year revamped its site. It unfurled a recruiting service for human-resource departments, a survey
application for market research firms and several advertising services. It launched a new search platform, mobile service, company profiles
and a redesigned home page. And it served up Spanish and French versions of the site.
LinkedIn's new additions have made it easier for its members to collaborate not just with co-workers but people outside of their jobs, says
Jeremiah Owyang, an analyst at Forrester Research.
Big changes at the top
No tech company is immune to the economic downturn that has cost the industry tens of thousands of jobs this year. LinkedIn laid off 36
people, about 10% of its staff, last month.
At the same time, LinkedIn has undergone an executive makeover for its next phase of growth. It hired movers and shakers from Internet
heavyweights Yahoo and Google — most notably former Yahoo executive Jeff Weiner, who had been mentioned as a possible candidate
to replace departing Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang.
Weiner, who will report to Hoffman, will join as interim president for an unspecified time to oversee daily operations.
Earlier this month, Dipchand "Deep" Nishar, the former Google executive behind the search giant's mobile business and other products,
was picked to oversee LinkedIn's development of products and services. He replaces Hoffman in that role.
The changes come at a time when LinkedIn thinks it can add more members — and analysts say the site can do a better job of getting its
millions of current members to use the site more. "LinkedIn hasn't quite figured out how to encourage frequent participation," says Marissa
Gluck, an analyst at Radar Research.
Dave McClure, a start-up adviser and angel investor in Silicon Valley, thinks LinkedIn can improve its retention of customers. But he says it
remains "tops" among social-networking sites in creating revenue because it is the business network of choice.
"I'm pretty confident they'll go public in the next four to eight quarters unless someone makes them an absolutely huge offer," McClure
says. Indeed, LinkedIn has not suffered a dip in advertising, which accounts for about 20% of its revenue, and for which it commands some
of the highest online ad rates.
This is especially impressive given an expected slowdown in online ad spending. Spending grew 25%, to $7.66 billion in 2008, but growth
should taper to 22% in 2009 and 19% in 2010, Forrester Research says.
The business-contact site has prospered through banner ads from the likes of Porsche and Microsoft; premium subscriptions for members;
job postings charged to corporations and small-business owners; and corporate sales to Symantec, MTV and others.
Much of the growth came under the auspices of Nye, a veteran software executive who raised about $80 million in funding during his
tenure as CEO. He said he will remain aboard through January and continue to advise the company. He characterized his departure as
right for him and for LinkedIn.
"I am incredibly proud of all that we have accomplished — our business model, balance sheet and infrastructure are strong," Nye says.
Nye leaves a legacy of a profitable company that has gobbled up revenue from advertising, online subscriptions, job listings, corporate
sales and surveys. Though company officials are now mum, six months ago, LinkedIn said it expected $75 million to $100 million in
revenue this year.
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