Friday, December 17, 2010

Get Your In with LinkedIn

Click here http://bit.ly/gMCxMK  for full article.  Written by Martin Stein

LinkedIn is an excellent tool for networking ... and not just for job hunters. Small- and mid-sized business owners benefit from using LinkedIn to generate new customers and identify talent for their companies. With more and more profiles on LinkedIn, it is important for you to optimize your account. Here are the steps you must take to make the most of this tool:

Fill in Your Profile

Make sure that you have provided all the basic information that LinkedIn asks for so that your profile is shown at 100 percent. This includes an opportunity to chat up your company through using its Resume Builder tool.

Interact with Other LinkedIn Members

LinkedIn is all about linking you with other potential contacts so join groups that are of interest to you and your business. Look for groups that are targeted to small- and mid-sized business owners in your area or industry. Each group has its own message board so be sure to join the conversations. Your well-thought-out responses are sure to generate potential new contacts looking at your profile.

Get Recommended

Ask people in your current network to recommend your work. This could be current or former colleagues, employees, or perhaps best of all, your clients. When your clients vouch for your work, your company will gain credibility, leading to greater potential for new contacts and eventual sales through LinkedIn.

Answer Some Questions

Define yourself as an expert in your area. Whether you are a pharmacist, tax accountant or interior decorator, the LinkedIn Q&A section has questions for you to answer. When another LinkedIn member ranks your response as the best, you get points, which show others that you are well-versed in your area of expertise. You can answer up to 50 questions each 24-hour period, and the subject matter experts who are routinely ranked the best log on each day for a couple of hours to do so. As a result, their profile views are greatly increased.

Use The Add-Ons

LinkedIn makes it easy for you to link your social media accounts to LinkedIn. This means that if you or your company are using Twitter to promote your work, you can add your Twitter account to you LinkedIn account so that when people view your profile, it is easy for them to find you on Twitter and follow you.

This is really only scratching the surface on how to use this great social-media networking platform to market and increase your business. Our site is full of other articles:

LinkedIn Unveils Share Button

LinkedIn Enhancements

For more personalized help, contact our experts.


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