The difference between Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is that LinkedIn is a professional business networking site. In fact, it is the largest and most powerful site of it kind, with over 168 million members and at least one executive from the Fortune 500. Nevertheless, most business people do not use LinkedIn to its full potential.
LinkedIn is not a place where you want to gather "superhugs". LinkedIn is a professional site for business people looking to set up serious relationships with decision makers in their particular industry. It is about quality over quantity.
If the abovementioned describes you, you must put into practice the following six tips to get the most of your LinkedIn experience:
1. Complete your profile
Make sure your profile is absolutely complete. Nothing looks worse to an executive decision maker than an incomplete profile. Remember, LinkedIn is the industry standard. Anyone who is anyone has a profile on LinkedIn. There's no way around it. Many people will search for you on LinkedIn, Make sure your resume includes everything you've ever done professionally. Make sure you include every certificate, volunteer work, and awards you have achieved. Content is king. Google and Bing love LinkedIn. The more content you include in your profile, the higher your profile (and name) will rank in Google and Bing searches.
2. Join Groups
Joining a group in your industry, especially in your region, will help you establish credibility with other professionals. LinkedIn is about building relationships. Joining groups will help you in your endeavor. Participate in group posts and share your knowledge. Do not try to sell your product. Sell your knowledge. Helping others goes along way on LinkedIn. Others will feel comfortable giving you a recommendation or passing along your name to a potential client. To have a great business relationship you must build trust.
3. Link All Your Accounts to Your LinkedIn Profile
Link your business website, blog, Klout profile, Facebook business page and Twitter account. Make sure your name is consistent in all of your accounts. This creates higher page rankings (SEO) in Google and Bing. It also helps brand your name. TIP: If you have a common name, use an underscore or add a couple of letters to your "handle." For example, I share my name with a famous Puerto Rican salsa singer. I added "pr" for public relations, to my handle: @prjohnnyrivera. Now all my accounts, including LinkedIn appear on the first page of a Google search. Johnny Rivera, the salsa singer appears on the second page of the same search.
4. Participate In LinkedIn Answers
Use LinkedIn Answers to help others in your industry. Many business people post questions looking for help to their problems. You'll find several questions that you know the answer. This will help establish you as an "expert" in your field. Perception is everything in business. You can also do searches and post questions for issues you may have. Jason Calacanis, CEO of Mahalo.com, improved his company by posting a question and receiving several answers from his peers. Mahalo is now a thriving success story with the help of LinkedIn Answers.
5. Use LinkedIn Widgets
LinkedIn has several cool (and effective) widgets that allow you to import your WordPress blog, upload.pdf files to your virtual filing cabinet and even have a virtual business card. Remember the more content you give, the better others will have a feel for your expertise. Don't be shy here on LinkedIn. There's nothing wrong with showing the LinkedIn universe that you can provide the goods.
6. Strongly Consider Paid Subscriptions
LinkedIn offers three premium accounts: Business, Business Plus and Executive. These tiers provide access to powerful tools enabling you to seamlessly find, contact and manage your connections, starting at $24.95 per month.
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