Set some rules, keep your profile updated, and join some groups when using LinkedIn

Most of you reading this newsletter are probably familiar with LinkedIn, the social media tool for business networking. But are you getting the most you can out of the tool?  Here are a few tips that I've learned from my own experience:

Tip No. 1: Keep your profile updated. The most important part of your profile is the Summary and the Headline. Think about writing the summary and headline the same way you think about writing a headline and copy for an advertisement. Create a compelling, engaging summary and headline for your profile. I know it is difficult to write persuasive copy and communicate a unique selling proposition when we are writing about ourselves because we don't want to appear braggadocious. But, when networking in a professional capacity and marketing your business, you need to discover and communicate what you do differently from any other company or individual in your industry. In other words, use the same good old marketing techniques to market yourself as you would use when marketing one of your company's products.

Tip No. 2: What is the optimum number of connections you should make? That's always a good question. It will depend upon your networking philosophy and goals. It may be different for each person. Some people invite every person they meet to join their LinkedIn network and others will be a bit more conservative, inviting only those people in which they have developed a good, working business relationship. There are really no right or wrong answers to this question; it is really a personal preference. My preference is to invite only good, solid, trustworthy connections. If you are sharing information with your network, you want to make sure those connections won't abuse the privilege.

Tip No. 3: Set some goals. You should have some goals as to what you want to get out of your LinkedIn experience. How many connections do you think is enough? How long will it take you to obtain that many connections? Do you want to receive speaking opportunities? Do you want to gain new customers? Do you want to use LinkedIn as a research tool? All of these goals will take time to implement and see some progress, so don't expect success overnight. In other words, be realistic in your expectations.

Tip No. 4: Set some rules for yourself regarding how you use LinkedIn. For example, one rule might be to never accept an invitation unless that person shows their connections. Some LinkedIn users restrict the information available for public view on their profile. You can easily send an InMail to the person and explain your rule. Sometimes it works and the new connection will change his/her privacy preferences. Other times people are bound by an agreement with their employer so they cannot show their connections. In any event, a dialogue is created and connections can then be accepted or not.

Tip No. 5: Join some groups. Joining groups of interest to you personally as well as professionally is a great opportunity to expand your network on LinkedIn. But, don't just be a passive participant; start conversations and make comments on other people's posts. Show your expertise through your posts, but never spam the groups by promoting your company.

I hope these tips will help you get more out of your social networking experience. Feel free to view my profile on LinkedIn and connect with me.