| I have had a profile on LinkedIn for a while now, | | | | niche and start connecting each other. Try to help |
| but as with my MySpace account, I let it languish | | | | others expand their own networks. |
| for a long time. I wasn't seeing LinkedIn as a | | | | Look through your contacts' networks. Select a |
| place to make connections and find others in my | | | | few people each month you think would be good |
| niche. It also seemed heavily corporate, with | | | | to know and request that your contacts introduce |
| people looking for jobs more so than small | | | | them to you. |
| business services or products. | | | | As with Facebook, LinkedIn offers a way to feed |
| Originally, serving that more corporate-type | | | | your blog posts right into your profile. Add an |
| population was why LinkedIn was established. | | | | application called BlogLink--this supports blogging |
| However, I have recently noticed more activity | | | | platforms such as TypePad, Wordpress.com, |
| among small business owners, entrepreneurs and | | | | Wordpress.org, Blogger and more. |
| solopreneurs. While Facebook offers a more | | | | Invite people in your network to ask others in |
| personal snapshot of a person, LinkedIn has really | | | | their networks to a discussion group or an on-line |
| become a good place to create beneficial | | | | networking event. |
| professional relationships as well as be found by | | | | A great tip for increasing your search engine |
| potential clients and customers. | | | | ranking with your website listing: when you go to |
| If you are interested in finding out how to use | | | | type in your web address for your profile, you will |
| LinkedIn to help grow your business and boost | | | | have several choices in the drop down menu. If |
| your visibility, here are a few ways to use this | | | | you choose "other" you have the option to type |
| social network to do so: | | | | in any text you'd like which will then link to your |
| Do a search for people in targeted fields and | | | | site. Choose the keywords that you think would |
| positions. Send them a request to join your | | | | best get you found when someone searches in |
| network and be sure to personalize your | | | | the search engines and voila, instant search engine |
| message. | | | | optimization! (LinkedIn is ranked very highly in |
| Create a thorough profile with your photo, | | | | Google.) |
| websites and title. It is a good idea to include | | | | Get some publicity. Many members of the |
| past experience, positions and education as | | | | media as well as some of the top bloggers have |
| well--the more information you supply, the more | | | | profiles on LinkedIn. Why not reach out to them |
| ways you allow others to find and connect to | | | | and connect? You never know where the |
| you. | | | | relationship will lead. Of course, don't spam |
| Answer questions posed by other members in | | | | them. Send a polite and personalized message |
| your community that fall into your area of | | | | and you will have a spot on their radar. |
| expertise. "LinkedIn Answers" provides a place for | | | | Finally, don't forget to add a link to your profile in |
| you to view open questions that you may | | | | your email signature. The great thing is that |
| respond to. This is a wonderful way to promote | | | | LinkedIn allows you to customize the link to your |
| your specific knowledge. | | | | public profile to include your name. You should |
| Ask for recommendations of your work and | | | | always include your social networking profiles in |
| offer to provide them for others. The glowing | | | | your signature so that every time you send an |
| recommendations you receive will be posted right | | | | email, others have a way to connect. |
| to your profile. | | | | As you know by now, connection is what it's all |
| Develop a targeted group of contacts in your | | | | about! |