This presentation was part of a webinar I gave as part of Mediabistro’s Social Media 101 interactive workshop on how to get started with social media.
The session, entitled "How To Use LinkedIn to Build Your Network," went over the basic of using the the platform for building a professional and personal network.
Full session details: LinkedIn is the major social media platform used for professional networking, job search, and lead generation. Find out how to create a LinkedIn page that is rich with keywords and will serve your business and professional goals.
Check out the Social Media 101 agenda here: http://www.mediabistro.com/socialmedia101/program.asp
1. How To Use LinkedIn to Build Your
Network
with
Erica Swallow
Tech Journalist
Erica Swallow
@ericaswallow
ericaswallow.com
2. About LinkedIn
• Launched in May 2003
• World’s largest professional network
• 150+ million members in over 200 countries and
territories
• Your digital resume
• High ranking in search results
• 4 billion people searches in 2011
• Networking, job search
4. Fill Out the Basics
• Should reflect your current situation
• Job history
• Education
• Recent photo
• Contact information
• Headline
• Summary paragraph
6. Join Groups
• Types of groups
• Topical interest areas
• social media marketing, ballroom dancing
• College alumni association
• NYU Alumni
• Professional associations
• Direct Marketing Association
• Company employee group
• Bloomingdale’s Alumni
• Discussions & polls
• Job boards
• Email digest
10. Ask for Recommendations
• Focus on quality, not quantity
• Approach individuals separately and/or in person
• Don’t send out mass messages
• Add a personal touch
• Explain the importance of his/her recommendation
• Give recommendations!
11. Use Value-Added Applications
• A few of my favorites
• SlideShare Presentations
• WordPress
• Tweets
• My Travel
12. Try the Polls Application
• Market research
• Distributed to your contacts and the LinkedIn
community
• Share your poll on Twitter and Facebook
• Embed the poll on your website or blog
13. Be an Expert: LinkedIn Answers
• LinkedIn’s Q&A platform
• Gain expertise points in specific topics
• All topics have experts
14. Follow Company Pages
• Learn about a company’s job openings
• Connect with employees
SlideShare Presentations: If you’re a public speaker or publish lots of reports, SlideShare is a useful tool for getting the word out about your work. If you don’t have a SlideShare account, get one. If you do, this app is a great way to showcase your most recent reports or presentations on your LinkedIn profile.WordPress: Add personal flair to your LinkedIn profile by importing your latest WordPress blog posts onto your profile. You can choose to display all posts or only those tagged “linkedin.”My Travel: Powered by TripIt, this app enables you to see where your professional network is traveling and post your upcoming trips. It then shows you who in your network will be close to you on your travels.
SlideShare Presentations: If you’re a public speaker or publish lots of reports, SlideShare is a useful tool for getting the word out about your work. If you don’t have a SlideShare account, get one. If you do, this app is a great way to showcase your most recent reports or presentations on your LinkedIn profile.WordPress: Add personal flair to your LinkedIn profile by importing your latest WordPress blog posts onto your profile. You can choose to display all posts or only those tagged “linkedin.”My Travel: Powered by TripIt, this app enables you to see where your professional network is traveling and post your upcoming trips. It then shows you who in your network will be close to you on your travels.
LinkedIn Answers is a Q&A platform that enables members to demonstrate their business acumen by answering questions from other members. When questioners choose another user’s answer as best, that user gains points of expertise. These points rank members on the Answers leaderboard, called “This Week’s Top Experts.”