- Join and ENGAGE in different groups - Every time you join (or are accepted) into a group, you're immediately exposed to hundreds and thousands of powerful connections that have the same interests and concerns that you do. Isn't this a no-brainer? At LearnALanguage.com, my co-workers and I have the goal of joining relevant groups, paying attention, and engaging on at least a weekly basis, if not daily. Isn't that what we do naturally? Seek out those who have common goals, concerns, issues and circumstances and get their help (or offer yours) to the mutual benefit of both parties. Join groups.
- Edit your LinkedIn URL - Without changing it manually, your LinkedIn URL will look something like this: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/edward-pulz/24/aba/970. Here's how to fix it:
- Go to Edit and then click on the small edit next to your URL (under your picture).
- In the "Your public profile URL" box on the lower-right, click the "Customize your public profile URL" link.
- Type the last part of your new custom URL in the text box.
- Click Set Custom URL.
- Now it should look something like this: www.linkedin.com/in/bwjenkins - Nice and clean. (I've heard whisperings of this improving your LinkedIn 'SEO' - though I can't confirm that as 100% accurate).
- Make your entire profile "Public to Everyone" - If you're on LinkedIn, but you don't want anyone to view your profile...... then this blog post has nothing to offer you. Isn't that the point, connect and collaborate...? The only feasible reason the block viewers is either A- you're too popular (if you're the CEO of Apple) or B- you're an HR recruiter. If you are not one of these two, let everyone see your potential and open yourself to the maximum number of future opportunities.
- Display recommendations on your profile - (HINT: you have to give sincere recommendations before you can expect to receive recommendations). This is key. Who doesn't want the chance to show all of the good things that other people are saying about you?? It's only logical to be active in making recommendations before you expect to receive them. My best advice: Be sincere. Don't pander to get a good word from a friend, but rather be excellent at what you're doing professionally and don't hesitate to point it out when someone else is doing a great job.
- Upload contacts from Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo, etc. (if you haven't done this already) - LinkedIn is great about holding your hand and walking you through every step to make sure that you have a great profile. This step is simple and easy - it just makes sense. If they're in your email contacts list, you've probably already had meaningful interactions together. Now just make it official. Go to Contacts on the top bar, and then select Add Connections.
- Add a "View My Profile on LinkedIn" to your email signature (where appropriate) - This is a great way to keep an eye on personal branding without spending so much time on it. If you're like me, you send hundreds of emails per week, so why not send a little piece of you out with it. Editing your signature is simple (and different for each service), so I won't go over that here. I've been doing it for 6 months and I've seen great results. Also consider adding a custom 'badge' to your emails/ website/ blog - Go to the "Your public profile URL" as shown above to do this. ***I'll occasionally delete that line in emails/ situations where it's not appropriate or relevant.
It turns out that I've got more to say about LinkedIn than I thought - I've got a few more keys, so if this has been helpful, stay tuned for LinkedIn Part III. As always, I'm more than happy to help answer questions and chat about your own LinkedIn strategies and issues. Feel free to leave comments, or find me on my favorite network.
BWJ
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