Oh good. Just what we need. Another blog on LinkedIn. Clearly the other 800 million or so results on Google aren’t enough…
No, this is a question to you if you’re one of the 250 million plus LinkedIn users out there in the online world. Why do you use LinkedIn? We’ve been asking folk this question for the last year or so and the most common answers, in no particular order are:
- To sell things
- To learn things
- To expand my networking
- To share information
- To join groups
- To have an online presence
- It’s expected that I’ll have a profile
- Not entirely sure
You can see this reflected in some profiles. Yes, there is a pre-set template that all users work to, but within that framework there’s plenty of flexibility to make the profile engaging.
So, what is the strategy for your LinkedIn profile and to what extent does your profile content achieve that strategy?
There are so many questions that it’s tempting to bypass simply because the effort can be too much. Try these starters for ten:
Connections
Who do you want to be seen to be connected with?
What will being connected with the person do for you and for them?
What will you put in your invitation to connect?
Groups
Which groups can you actively contribute to?
Where do your potential clients hang out?
Recommendations
What do you want the recommendations to say?
Who can you recommend and what does this say about you?
When building and editing your profile, start with the end in mind: plan what you want to achieve with LinkedIn; have a goal and a strategy and go out there and get started. There are 250 Million potential contacts out there waiting for you!
LinkedIn can be used in a number of different ways and by a number of different users, for example do you fit into any of these categories:
- Self employed
- Sole trader
- Employed
- Director
- Seeking employment
If you do, then LinkedIn is a good place to be and, you can use it in the following ways:
- Finding customers
- Finding suppliers
- Gaining new business contacts
- Looking for a new job
- Research on potential customers or contacts
- Finding information to help you in your current job
Take some time and play about with LinkedIn; find out how LinkedIn can help you achieve your goals. There are some great LinkedIn help sections in their Help Center (American spelling I know).
Alternatively give us a ring or drop us an email. We love LinkedIn and we can help steer you in the right direction.
Looking forward to your contact request!
