Well, since I have recently had to start job hunting again,
I thought I would share with you guys some of the little tips that I have
learnt. LinkedIn is an amazing social media strategy that packs a lot of bang
for the buck, and the best part is it is free!
So, here are 30 ways to use LinkedIn more effectively. A few
of these point are also applicable to businesses.
1. Fill out
your profile completely to earn trust.
2. Use widgets
to integrate other tools, such as importing your blog entries or Twitter stream
into your profile.
3. Do market
research and gain knowledge with Polls.
4. Share survey
and poll results with your contacts.
5. Answer
questions in Questions and Answers: show expertise without a hint of
self-promotion.
6. Ask
questions in Questions and Answers to get a feel for what customers and
prospects want or think.
7. Publish your
LinkedIn URL on all your marketing collateral, including business cards, email
signature, email newsletters, web sites and brochures, so prospects learn more
about you.
8. Grow your
network by joining industry and alumni groups related to your business.
9. Update your
status examples of recent work.
10. Link your
status updates with your other social media accounts.
11. Combine your
social media approach: when someone asks a question in Twitter, respond in
detail on LinkedIn and link to it from Twitter.
12. Use the search
feature to find people by company, industry and city.
13. Start and
manage a group or fan page for your product, brand or business.
14. Research your
prospects before meeting or contacting them.
15. Share useful
articles and resources that will be of interest to customers and prospects.
16. Write honest
and valuable recommendations for your contacts.
17. Request
LinkedIn recommendation from happy customers willing to provide testimonials.
18. Post your
presentations on your profile using a presentation application.
19. Check
connections’ locations before traveling so you can meet with those in the city
where you’re heading.
20. Ask your
first-level contacts for introductions to their first-level contacts.
21. Interact with
LinkedIn on a regular basis to reach those who may not see you on other social
media sites.
22. Set up to
receive LinkedIn messages in your inbox so you can respond right away.
23. Link to
articles and content posted elsewhere, with a summary of why it’s valuable to
add to your credibility.
24. List your
newsletter subscription information and archives.
25. Find experts
in your field and invite them as a guest blogger on your blog or speaker at
your event.
26. Post discounts
and package deals.
27. Export your
contacts into other applications.
28. Buy a LinkedIn
direct ad that only your target market will see.
29. Post job
listings to find qualified talent.
30. Look for
connections related to a job you want.
