Linkedin is a business tool just like your cell phone or your PDA.  It is not a magic elixir. It can function exceptionally well in a variety of ways but it can’t be everything to everyone.  Even with over 25 million users, people are still trying to figure out the most effective ways to use it.  One thing is for sure, it functions best as a “precision-type” tool, (i.e. reach a specific person, learn a specific bit of info).  If you are looking for something to “carpet bomb” and work as a mass market broadcast, there are more effective tools than Linkedin.  So… let’s jump in and take a look at 101 tips to help make your Linkedin experience as effective as possible.

Please note – to keep the size of this article reasonable, I will break the list of 101 tips up into roughly 4 equal parts to be posted over the next few weeks.

5 Tips to Increase the Number of Your Contacts
1.   Leverage your contacts to get introduced to their contacts – keep in mind this is a relationship and don’t abuse it

2.   Contacts 101 – make a list of the people you know well (friend, family, co-workers), and invite them to link in

3.   Groups – the jury is still out on the value of them, but at the very least, you have the opportunity to connect with people that have similar interests.  I’ve made some interesting connections this way.

4.   Answers – ask and answer questions – expect to make a couple of connections through each activity.

5.   Contacts 102 – People will find you via your profile. Make sure it is complete and keep it updated.

5 Tips to Increase Your Chances of Being “Found”
1.  Add a link to your email signature – quick way for more people to learn more about you.  Actually, it is a passive way to get people to see all of your credentials.

2.  During Searches, those with the highest number of connections, show up first. Focus on growing your contacts.

3.  “Dig” into your past– when filling in your profile, the more you include, the better your chances of being found by people you’ve previously associated with.  In your profile include; past companies, education, affiliations, and activities, etc.

4.  SEO You – Use your profile link in various places on the web like blog comments, etc.  Will help to improve your Google page rank

5.  SEO Your Site – Linkedin allows you to promote your websites on your profile. Additional links help your site’s rankings in the search engines.

5 Tips to Enhance Your Business Development Efforts
1.  Prospect for Account Entry Points – look for ways to generate warm introductions based on your network. For companies you are looking to prospect with, look for connections or contacts within your network that can be connected to them

2.  Identify Key Decision Makers – Generate a list of key people within the target organization that you would want to contact to discuss your value proposition. 

3.   Minimize Cold Calling by Prospecting through your Network – look at whom your primary contacts are connected to.  See if they have connections that you would like to meet.  Keep this relationship oriented and don’t abuse it.

4.   Company Intelligence – read through the profiles of leaders at companies you want to prospect with.  Learn about the key initiatives they have achieved and possibly identify key selling “points of pain”

5.   Target Market Research – use LinkedIn to research the background and career experience of your customer.  Helps you properly prepare for your selling process
5 Tips to Use Linkedin to Enhance the Job Search Process
1.  Job Search Jargon – use the search function to find people with similar skills to you and learn what jargon they used to be found on a search.  Then incorporate that jargon into your profile

2.  Interview Enhancement – learn about the people you will be interviewing with.  For instance, say your research reveals you both went to the same college. Wouldn’t information like this offer a great bonding opportunity?

3.  Reverse Reference Checks – prospective employers check on you, now with LI , you can check on them and perhaps get the inside scoop from people who worked at a company

4.  Stronger Employee Reference Checks – to supplement the glowing references prospective employees offer, you can find others who worked with them previously and get a balanced perspective

5.  Company “Health” Assessment – do an assessment on the comings & goings of people at the company you are looking at.  Check if there appears to be high turnover, strong prospects for career advancement, etc 

5 Tips For Using Linked for Competitive Intelligence
1.  Determine the internal corporate structure of a competitor.

2.  Asses the types of positions that your competition employs.

3.  Check on the qualifications your competition generally hires in their employees.

4.  Review the company culture – i.e. turnover rates, promotion, operational relationships both internal & external.

5.  Target key employees that you may want to hire.
Well, here are the first 25 of our Linkedin 101 tips. Tips 26-50 will be posted in a couple of weeks, followed shortly after by tips 51-75 and 76-101. In the interim, we welcome your comments and please feel free to add yours tips here too.

101 Tips, Internet Marketing, LinkedIn, social networking

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