At a recent BNI (Business Networking International) Michiana chapter meeting I was asked to help a business and their use of LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is the standard for online social network business types and LinkedIn continues to improve the value it can bring to a business. LinkedIn strengthens and extends your existing network of trusted contacts. It is part of a business relationship building strategy. Our Success with LinkedIn for Business linkhas various reasons for a business to use LinkedIn and the link has related resources.
One of my favorite bloggers and thought leaders about social networking is Chris Brogan. This week Chris Brogan published the blog article "Use LinkedIn Effectively" that summarized 8 main points I emphasize and have used successfully in our business.
- Status Update - do use this but don't automate your Twitter feed into this. Business people will not want all those short Twitter updates.
- Link to your Blog and SlideShare - Our Business Success with CRM blog posts are easily viewed on my profile on LinkedIn.
- Join some Groups - Find groups that represent your industry or topics you want to learn more about. Once you have listened and learned you can create your own group, for example, around a specific topic or product of yours.
- Answer some Questions - Use the question and answer section to respond to questions with valuable content. You can even become known as an expert.
- Connect Frequently- similar to Chris, I connect with about anyone and see little negativity in starting a relationship on LinkedIn.
- Only vouch for people you would recommend- On strong point for Linked in is the ability to provide recommendations to other LinkedIn users and for them to recommend you. This is helpful in building a list of testimonials statements. Just make sure you recommend people you would vouch for.
- Schedule some time- If you haven't already, get your profile created so you can use your name in the profile link. Spend 20 - 30 minutes a week to progressively improve your profile. Use Linked In to check on prospects. Every so often synch your Outlook contacts with LinkedIn. The real bang comes when you start connecting with other business people and receive recommendations.
- Invite people-invite people to join you on LinkedIn. Here, I'll invite you to Connect with Me. People are creating profiles all the time so synch with your Outlook contacts or CRM contacts list regularly.
Other resources:
Success using LinkedIn for Business main web resource page.
Related Business Success with CRM blog articles about Linkedin, Social Media or Social CRM.
Use a contact management solution like ACT! to quickly show a contact's LinkedIn profile.
Integrate Linked In into the bpm'online CRM + business process management
LinkedIn Learning Center and New user Guide
Stay up on new features of LinkedIn
Recommended Reading: (affiliates like from our Amazon store)
Next Steps:
We are here to talk (219-445-3001) about the use of LinkedIn in your business marketing strategy or you can participate in our Extend your Reach offer.
Share with others - what features or tips have you found that help you to use LinkedIn Effectively?
Topics: Collaborative Community Social Media Use Extend Reach and Influence Social CRM