Lori Duff, the “Linked In Diva” or Integrated Alliance, spoke on the advantages and pitfalls of LinkedIn. My notes follow.
Lori started by letting us know that there is a LinkedIn group for SoTeC (the Southland Technology Conference). You can join that group and network all year long.
What’s new on LinkedIn?
Company pages: Make sure your company page on LinkedIn doesn’t just duplicate your web site. It should tell a story. Catalyst Resources is an example of a company that has a good LinkedIn page.
The more employees you have connected with your company page, the better the chance that people have to find you. You should have your products and services. If you have a video, put it in the prime real estate at the top of your profile on the right. You also want followers, and to get that you will need someone to administer your page and provide frequent status updates.
New Profile Sections: These include sections for Languages, Patents and Publications, Skills, Certifications, Courses, Test Scores, and Volunteer experience.
How many of you have a profile that looks like a resume? That was all the rage in 2004-2005, but now it’s dated. Connecting on a personal level makes people more willing to help you. Expand your resume on LinkedIn to become a professional profile.
Trust is hard to find, and on LinkedIn it comes easier if you have a photo.
Engage with new applications, such as JDSupra for legal updates, BeLance for Patents and Portfolios, or ManyMoon for Projects and Team Spaces.
How does adding an Amazon.com application enhance your reputation? If people can see what you’re reading, it shows that you’ve been keeping current, and adds credibility.
Engage with people, by posting status updates. Links and extra text are allowed. Get comments and likes from others. If you put up a Youtube video, you can really engage.
Getting Business on LinkedIn: Put the “Social” into Social Media. Pre-qualify select individuals for business. Fill in your interests section. If you engage people on a personal level, the topic of business can come up naturally. You only get 1000 characters in the Interests section. What do you pick?
Be yourself. Even if half the people don’t like you, what about the other half? People are more likely to do business with you if they feel they know you personally.
Post-IPO, LinkedIn is getting crowded. It is harder to stand out, and easier to be replaced. You need to show up in the searches. You have 120 characters in your header. Make them count. Use the 1-2-3 Rock method:
- Fit in: Show up higher in more searches.
- Stand out: Get “picked and clicked” from lists.
- Get Personal: With a networking “click” that calls for action.
Update your LinkedIn header.
Fit in: Use keywords to get on the charts. Better keywords can put you in the top 10 list for a search. Build variations in, for the searches on which you want to be found. Use headlines, title, and summary. Google values your LinkedIn profile very highly.
If you work on a team, collaborate on profiles; you want individualism.
You can only join 50 groups on LinkedIn. Use those groups.
Tell a story; people love stories.
Use View My Profile to see whether your profile works.
Commas drive a search in interests, groups, and associations, so be careful where you place your commas.
Before you call people, check out their profiles. Look at Summary, Interests, Groups, and Associations. Note schools attended. Look at their Twitter streams. Look for things in common and noteworthy things. Now plan your call with a personal twist.
- Build It! Profile, Network.
- Use It! Search for and engage specific people.
- Love It! Build hybrid business/personal relationships.
You get a 3000 cap on inviting people to connect with you, but can accept invitations after that.
Pro vs. free: Most people can get away with a free LinkedIn account, unless you want a profile organizer, InMail, or a toll free number.
Use It! First prequalify using business keywords, then filter results with personal keywords, and seek out friends to become business partners.
Their web site is .
Q) Are there topics that you should avoid on LinkedIn?
A) Avoid tit for tat conversations (that’s Twitter, and can even be a problem in Twitter, since people don’t see the whole train). Avoid controversial topics like politics and religion.