Tag Archive: LinkedIn Tips and Tricks

LinkedIn Tips for the Social Media Examiner

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LinkedIn, LinkedIn Company Profiles, LinkedIn Expert, LinkedIn Introductions, LinkedIn Strategies, LinkedIn Tips, Michael Stelzner, Social Media Examiner

November 19, 2010

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November 19, 2010


My time with the Social Media Examiner

Social Media Examiner Questions on LinkedIn

I was recently honored to be the “Guest Expert” on Michael Stelzner’s Social Media Examiner Facebook Page. If you don’t use Facebook, I didn’t want you to miss out!  Here is a transcript of the Question and Answer session.

Topics covered were:

  • LinkedIn  Visibility and Video
  • LinkedIn Share Buttons
  • LinkedIn and Niche Markets
  • Engaging with Others
  • LinkedIn Tips and Tricks
  • Location Searches on LinkedIn
  • Cross Promotion between LinkedIn and Facebook
  • Group Communication and Spam

LinkedIn Visibility and Video

Brenda asked:  How do you get more people to look at your profile and how can you put a YouTube video on LinkedIn?

Answer:   I recommend both keywording your profile and making sure you have a decent network – first of all so that you can even be seen (LinkedIn doesn’t tell you that you are only as visible as the size of your network) and then that you can be found (Your LinkedIn profile can be optimized just like your website – but easier!)  On your home page you can see how many times you show up in a search and how often people click on your profile.  Monitor that regularly to make sure the numbers are going up.  You can also check to see where you fall in the LinkedIn search by testing your own keywords in the “people” search.  Also something you want to monitor regularly.  Finally – the best way to get seen is to actually communicate with people – in Answers and Groups and my suing your tags in “My Contacts”

Re: video – use Google Presentations app.  Open a Goggle Presentation (Google Docs) embed your YouTube video and upload with the LinkedIn Google presentation app.  Video will show up right in your profile J

LinkedIn Share Buttons

Bob asked:  How do I get a visitor who clicks on a link in my email to a LinkedIn group page not one that tells a little about us and asks them to sign up.

Answer:  I’m not entirely clear on the question, but it sounds like you have the Company Share button in your email signature? And you want your group link in your signature as well?  Here’s what I did – I went to LinkedIn About section and grabbed the official image for the LinkedIn group logo http://press.linkedin.com/logo-images and then attached my LinkedIn group URL to it http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=1241227 (when I say I did it – I really mean my IT guy did itJ) That will send people to your group rather than your company page.

Engaging with Others

Pamela asked:   I’m trying to develop a network with people in a specific business area. I know you’re only supposed to contact people you know in LinkedIn, but I don’t have connections in this new are at all. I’m joining related groups, but any ideas on how to contact specific people? Thanks.

Answer:   Personally I don’t exactly follow LinkedIn’s “suggestions” (it’s no longer a rule in their EULA).  You can do two things:  Join groups in the specific business area you are interested in, and then in the member section you can use the search to refine your search for specific individuals.  Because you share a group, you can send these folks a message even if you are not directly connected.  You can ask them a question; invite them to connect with you, etc.

The other option is to use the “People” Advanced Search and use specific search terms or keywords to find these people.  Just be aware when you invite them, you might get an IDK.  And whatever you do, when you invite them DO NOT send a sales message.  Tell them who you are, why you want to invite them to join your network, and you might write something like:  “If you feel you have received this message in error or simply don’t want to connect, please just ignore this message.”  I’ve send over 2500 invitations and have only received 5 IDK’s using this strategy.

I really recommend the Group thing though!

Erandi asked:   Would you have a detailed outline of what really needs to be done on LinkedIn? In the sense of getting people attracted to the company group and company profiles?

Answer:   It’s all about relationship building and helping people out.  “Answers” is a great way to engage.  You might also try my 3/3/3 rule – Three times a week I will reach out to someone I know and someone I don’t know and “catch up”.  A great question (Thanks Bob Burg) is: “In your business, who would be a good referral for you?  I’d be happy to pass people along your way when I come across them.”

Right now Company Profiles are still pretty static (although that is changing) At the very least you can make sure your company profile is properly keyworded so it shows up in the Company Search.

Companies aside – it’s you as an individual who needs to build relationships.

Niche Marketing

Paula asked:  I am a teacher, but was told LinkedIn is not the place to find other contacts in the teaching world since it is not well represented.  What do you recommend?

Answer:  Have you done a search for “teacher” groups?  Use all the synonyms for “teachers” that you can think of!  Most group moderators don’t know they should be keywording their Group descriptions with all the synonyms for what their group offers.

Also – are you using the advanced search?  With synonyms?  One possibility might be that your network is too small.  Under “contacts” and Network Statistics – how big is your entire network (not just your first level of connections?) I just searched on “New Teacher” and 1676 people showed up.  I also searched on the word “teacher” and 173,000 people showed up – so I think you might have an audience J

Claudia  asked:  I live in Mexico but I work as a Social Media Adviser for companies in Switzerland, Germany, USA, Mexico etc. The country in my LinkedIn-Profile is Switzerland, so if somebody searches for a Social Media Adviser in Mexico they will not find me… Is there not something like “international” or “everywhere”? Or what else can I do? I think I’m not the only one with this problem. Thanks! Claudia

Answer:   There isn’t much you can do (although in the US you can put 00000 in the zip code area and at least it will just show USA) That being said, make sure you have all the countries you work or listed in a few areas – the description (and title) in the Experience section, in your summary, in your “specialties” section and maybe even in the “Contact Us” section.  That way I someone just does a keyword search rather than a location search or “Social Media Germany” your profile will show up.  (hmm – I should probably be doing that too!)

Group Communication and Spam

Sarah asks:  I was wondering if it’s possible to send a batch e-mail to a group that I’m a member of? If yes, would it be perceived as Spam?

Answer:  Only I you are the group’s manager / creator – and then in the form of an announcement once a week.  Be VERY careful with that because it can absolutely be seen as spam.  I was recently working on an article about spam and most people defined it “As a form of inline communication I didn’t ask for or don’t want.”   How do you make people want what you have to share?  Become one of their sources or resources or valuable information – and then I you want to throw in the occasional pitch (80/20 rule) they are more likely to pay attention.  Otherwise it’s the delete button for you.

Cross Promotion between LinkedIn and Facebook

Sabine asks:   Is it bad form to post an event to a group you belong to on LinkedIn. I’ll be holding a series of SM seminars which will deliver a lot of value to local businesses, so would it be a good idea

Answer: It really depends on the group – best to make some “friends” within a group that can promote it for you (Like the RT on Twitter”) Then it won’t sound promotional :)

Do you know the group moderator?   You could contact them and ask them to promote it or you – especially if you can give a special offer to the group – I just recently did that with the Electronic Discovery group on LinkedIn. The moderator, Ryan Speir was happy to promote my webinar series and I offered his members the first of the series for free :)

Topic:  Invitation Limitations:

Asked:  Is there a limit to the number of invitations you can send?

Answer:  You can send out 3000 invitations in a lifetime  – which LinkedIn doesn’t tell you until you are down to your last 1000 – which is a real problem when you use the Connections tool LinkedIn gives you to upload your mailing list.  I you use that tool, just make sure to only invite people you really want to invite and people who are already on LinkedIn.

You can accept up to 30000 invitations though J

You CAN’T but more invitations, even with a paid account.  Although you can ask customer_service@LinkedIn.com really nicely if they will give you some more!

Topic:  Company Profiles

Brittany Asks: I’d like to get started with the new Company Page addition to LinkedIn. What key pieces (content, photo or otherwise) should I have ready to go upon creating the page (versus others that I can add over time)?

Top of Form

Answer:A Answer:  Logo, 2000 character description (Use your keywords – verb, noun, synonym, Acronym as well as benefits – why should someone hire your company?) and finally you might want your keywords in your Company name – ie. – SmartBlondeMedia: Social Media or Women

Bottom of Form

Topic:  LinkedIn Signals

While it is still in beta mode – LinkedIn Signal is now available! Woohoo! Go here: http://www.linkedin.com/signal/trial I love it because it allows you to search or updates by keyword, industry, 1st, 2nd, 3rd level of connections, etc.  More about Signals here: http://blog.linkedin.com/2010/09/29/linkedin-signal/

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How do I make “My Website” on LinkedIn show my actual website name?

Categories:

LinkedIn, LinkedIn Expert, LinkedIn Tips, Uncategorized

June 9, 2010

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June 9, 2010


I was helping my friend Eric with his LinkedIn profile.  He asked me how to customize his website so that it didn’t show – well – “My Website”.  He was wanting it to reflect his company name.

(LinkedIn Expert Tip:  TELL people what your website does instead)

I created this short video for him explaining what to do.

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Social Media Speaker and Self Proclaimed LinkedIn Expert can admit that she ‘might’ have been wrong!

Categories:

LinkedIn, LinkedIn Expert, Social Media Strategies, Social Media Strategists

June 6, 2009

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June 6, 2009


Turns out I wasn’t – wrong that is…

While this technique got me found on Google.  It got me shut down on LinkedIn.  DON”T DO IT!  At least if you are known as “The LinkedIn Expert”

If you follow me on twitter @LinkedInExpert, or have followed my posts, you will notice that I am always going on and on about the LinkedIn Strategy of how your name field should only reflect your name and nothing else.  Well, I was at a Social Media marketing gig put on by NSA and Heather Lutze today, and learned a different technique.  Heather puts her meta-tag like keyword phrase as her last name.  And she is being found through Google because of it.  So, while I still think LinkedIn will have a hard time finding her by her name, perhaps being found on Google’s first page and then being directed back to her LinkedIn profile is more powerful.

You have to make a choice.  What is more important to you? Having potential clients or employers find you by your name, or getting found on Google?  This isn’t sarcasm (I know – unusual for me.)  It’s a real question.  So – I am eating humble pie and am going to try this new LinkedIn strategy out.  If it works for me, I’ll be telling all y’all.  If not – I’ll quietly delete this post, change my name (back to what it was) and trust my own LinkedIn Expertise (Which is self proclaimed – and occasionally fallible.)

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LinkedIn Expert Says: Ten Things NOT to do on LinkedIn

Categories:

Integrated Alliances, LinkedIn, LinkedIn Expert, Social Media Speaker, Uncategorized

May 2, 2009

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May 2, 2009


Here’s the bonus right up front – when LinkedIn tells you your profile is 100% complete, don’t believe it!  Here’s why:
1.            Don’t put anything in the name field – other than your name.

I catch many “super users” (usually recruiters) making this common mistake.  Thinking they will be more “contactable” they add email addresses, phone numbers and group affiliations into the “name” field (when editing “Basic Information” on LinkedIn. ) They think that:  John A. Smith  (Johnasmith@gmail.com) LION will get them more hits than a simple: John Smith (Hey – I did this too when I first started on LinkedIn)  The problem is that LinkedIn will categorize you incorrectly, which means you’ll be harder to find when someone types your name in.  It also means you will be harder to find in the “contacts” list.  (Especially if you have 500+ contacts.)  Harder to find means less business.  Keep you name clean: John Smith.  You’ll have plenty of other opportunity to put your contact information in your profile (Headline, Summary, or Contact Me sections to name a few).  And in those other sections you can always use CAPITALIZATION and “special characters” to make YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION jump out at the reader.

Ladies- LinkedIn finally has a field for your maiden name.  Woohoo!  It’s been an issue they took far too long to resolve.  But now your old colleagues and your new friends can find you!

2.            Don’t create your LinkedIn Profile in LinkedIn.

Create a LI Profile Word template to create and edit your profile.  This will guard against spelling and grammatical errors, and can be easily copied into other social media platforms to keep your branding unified. It will also save you a boatload of time.

If for some reason LinkedIn ever suspended your profile, mistakenly shut down an active profile because of LinkedIn Schizophrenia, or you simply wanted to try out another business networking site, having a fully formed profile already in a word document is a life saver.

3.            Don’t use boudoir shots or your business logo for your LinkedIn photo.

This is a BUSINESS NETWORKING site.  Unless you are a “professional” (in the euphemistic sense of the word,) keep your photo professional.   Head shot only. (Let them see your trustworthy eyes and kind smile)  Also, as I myself learned when I tried to cheat and create a company profile, LinkedIn doesn’t like logos.  And for those of you with new babies – yes your kids are adorable – you can show them off in Facebook.  And while that is a mighty big fish you’ve caught, don’t post it as your photo unless you are a fisherman or guide.  Same goes for the cool cars.

4.            Don’t ignore the update function.

Similar to Twitter and Facebook’s “What’s on your mind?” the LinkedIn update can be a powerful tool to keep you top of mind.  You will show up on your connection’s homepage and even their email (Especially if your connections don’t know they can turn this update off).  And don’t be obnoxious with it.  I recommend people Tweet hourly, use Facebook to update daily, and update on LinkedIn one or two times a week.

Like the other updates, you can post links, let people know about upcoming events, that you are looking for a job, or have an upcoming gig on http://certifiedsocialmedia.com

5.            Don’t leave your “public profile” unedited.

How useful or memorable is this public profile URL:  Linkedin.com/in/23h9il   How about this one?  http://www.linkedin.com/in/linkedinexpert Your public profile can be a powerful way to optimize your brand, raise your Google rankings, increase connections and position yourself as an expert.  Many people simply miss the fact that you can customize your public profile URL.  You can use your name, your company name, or your personal brand.  All lowercase, one word, no special characters.

6.            Don’t ignore your website link and make sure to customize it.

First of all, if you have a website, blog site, or even another social media address, for heaven’s sake, make sure you have it in your LinkedIn profile.  You have THREE opportunities.  Use them all!

Make sure you customize your website by choosing “other”.  Are you more likely to click on “My Website” or “Advanced LinkedIn Training Webinars?“  “My Blog site” or “Free Social Media Tips”? Everyone I have talked to who has customized their website has tracked higher click through (well – those who use analytics)

Every time someone jumps from a mega site to your website, your Google rating climbs just a bit higher.  Higher rating = more hits = more sales! And really – isn’t that one of the reasons we are on LinkedIn?

7.            Don’t use “experience” to reflect a simple copy of your resume.

Hey, you can now use box.net to upload your resume into LinkedIn.  So while you certainly want to use “Experience” to list your current and previous jobs, really utilize the space by filling it with all that stuff you wish you had room for in your resume.  Did you work for/with any Fortune 500 companies? Did one of your projects save the day?  You can always use this space to “wins”, different companies you have helped, seminars or workshops you have presented, a mini-shot of your personal website.  And fill it with keywords!

8.            Don’t use “education” to simply reflect your traditional education.

Certainly you are going to want to list all the degrees you have managed to accumulate.  If you have a PhD from Harvard, by all means, let us know.  But you can also use this section (once again, using that magic tool called “other”) to list special certification, licenses and other nifty specialties that make you stand out in a crowd. Once again, use your key words!

9.            Don’t ignore the Summary section!

The Summary section is probably one of the most useful and overlooked tools on LinkedIn. You have 2000 characters – that’s 2/3′s of a page to tell people who you are, how to contact you, why they should hire you or your company.  This is also an EXCELLENT place to capitalize those things you want to DRAW the human eye to.

And for that electronic eye – use your key words.  Like the web of 1996, the more you say something about yourself, the more true it is on LinekdIn.  (Go ahead in put “LinkedIn Expert”  – using the quotes to keep the words together -  in the LinkedIn Search bar.)

Remember to use white space (it only takes a character to break that clump into nice readable paragraphs,) CAPITALIZATION, special characters, and key words.  And as mentioned before – CREATE YOUR SUMMARY IN A WORD DOC FIRST.

10.          Don’t forget to use the applications

LinkedIn finally has some pretty nifty internal and open source applications to make your LinkedIn profile even more effective.  Some of my favorites are:

Check them out and utilize them!

Ok -jumping off my soap box now.  Go ahead and make those changes.  let me know if you don’t start getting more business through LinkedIn!

Oh – and invite me at http://linkedin.com/in/LinkedInExpert – I promise to accept your invitation!  vivekavr@gmail.com

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LinkedIn Tips and Tricks

Categories:

LinkedIn, Networking, Social Media

November 17, 2008

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November 17, 2008


Hey y’all (practicing for my trip to South Carolina)  So here are a few tips and tricks you might want to take into consideration when building a LinkedIn Profile.

  1. Treat your LinkedIn profile like a website. Make sure it is formatted, clean, and most importantly, filled with search engine friendly keywords
  2. Create a LI Profile Word template to create and edit your profile. This will guard against spelling and grammatical errors, and can be easily copied into other social media platforms to keep your branding unified.
  3. Keep your name clean – LinkedIn can’t find you if your name looks like this: Joe A Smith (joe@gmail.com) Smith A LION
  4. Keep your photo professional. Headshot only. LinkedIn doesn’t like logos.
  5. Keep the “What are you doing now” function updated.
  6. Personalize your “public profile” to reflect your name, your business, or your area of expertise: http://www.linkedin.com/in/linkedinexpert
  7. Personalize your websites by using “other” to reflect you business name and not just “My Website”
  8. “Experience” is not your resume. Make sure the jobs you choose to list support each other.
  9. “Experience” is a great place to list “wins”, different companies you have helped, seminars or workshops you have presented, a mini-shot of your personal website.
  10. Make sure you list your certifications and licenses as well as traditional education.
  11. Use “forward profile” function to alert people in your network of your expertise, upcoming events. (This is a bit tricky and must be reached through your public profile – make sure to edit header!)
  12. Get Recommendations!
  13. Join strategic groups – then invite strategic members to build your network.
  14. Create a group - fill with interesting and relevant information.
  15. You only get 3000 invitations in a lifetime – use them wisely.
  16. Don’t IDK!
  17. Use “Answers” sections to position yourself as an expert, get exposure.
  18. Use Answers section to get free, valuable advice.
  19. Always be courteous.
  20. “Give to” more than you try and “get from” other LinkedIn members.
  21. Be relevant!

*I am in no way affiliated with LinkedIn corporate etc etc.)

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