Demystifying LinkedIn and Making it Work for You
LinkedIn is a social network used by many professionals. In fact, it has become a must-join site for any professional who wants to keep up with current technology. Therefore, it is important to create a strong profile on your LinkedIn account and maintain proper social networking etiquette to maximize your overall online identity. The goal is to share your accomplishments and aspirations with your circle of like-minded friends and acquaintances and then ask them to share your profile with their friends and acquaintances.
Here are ten do’s and don’ts for maintaining proper LinkedIn etiquette.
- Do use LinkedIn to connect with like-minded businesses. – Start by connecting with people who you have previously done business with and professionals in the same industry as your own.
- Do create an engaging profile. – Keep in mind this is like an online resume. Use your profile to highlight specific accomplishments that you are most proud of.
- Do choose a professional looking and current profile picture. – Using an old picture when you were 10 years younger and 20 lbs lighter may prompt some awkward looks when you meet face-to-face for an interview or network event. Paying a photographer to take professional pictures of you may be worth the expense since your profile picture is the first thing people notice on your LinkedIn page.
- Do use your status updates to congratulate others. – This is considered doing “small goods”. It is a good rule of thumb to congratulate others on their success just as much or more than you promote your own.
- Do write recommendations for people that ask you to (if you find them credible). – You can honor them by saying how they have impacted you personally or professionally. This is a way of showing your appreciation in written form for others to see.
- Do not expect LinkedIn to transform your business. – Keep in mind that networking is a two way street. If you would like someone to recommend your work, it’s important to maintain a personal connection with them through phone calls and personal meetings. LinkedIn is more of an online marketing tool than a guaranteed sales generator.
- Do not post a summary in the third person. – You don’t want it to sound as if you are being introduced by the Queen of England. Your goal is to build relationships, so write a first person narrative as if you are having a conversation with someone. Make it interesting and check your grammar and spelling.
- Do not add status updates that lead people to a product. – That would be synonymous with driving your car into a networking event – and announcing when you exit the vehicle – “Who wants to buy this amazing car?”
- Do not automatically link your Twitter account to your LinkedIn profile – especially if you are a frequent tweeter. Status updates on LinkedIn should be professional and positive information about your life. They should include business events you have attended and projects you are working on. Blurbs about your wild and wacky weekend plans or recent disappointment in who got eliminated on The X Factor are not LinkedIn material.
- Do not post false or misleading information or work experience. – Although you want to look your best in your profile, sharing false information will make you less credible in the eyes of individuals who know or find out your information is bogus.
Following these simple guidelines when using LinkedIn will help you fearlessly navigate the waters of this professional social network and use it to your greatest advantage.
Wishing you much happiness and success!
Patricia Rossi, America’s Business Etiquette and Protocol Coach, www.patriciarossi.com
