LinkedIn Training: How to Become a Master Networker with LinkedIn

Last Updated: <2014.04.28>

LinkedIn is one of the biggest social networks, just behind Google+ and Facebook.

OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW

LinkedIn can be very powerful tool for various professional and business purposes.

CONTENT

• Strategy – decide what you want to achieve on LinkedIn and build from there.

• Personal profile – your professional alter-ego

• Connections – strategy for connecting with others

• Engagement – setting up a profile is not enough

• Statistics and ROI – how to track your progress

STRATEGY

First step is to define your goals – what do you want to achieve for yourself or your business using LinkedIn platform?

STRATEGY

Some of the possible goals:

Increase your revenue

Generate quality leads for your

business

Convert leads into customers

Find investors for your ideas,

products or companies

Recruit the right employees

Drive traffic to your website/blog

Build your contact list/network

Sell products or services

Become a thought leader in your

industry

Get free PR

Get your company or product

mentioned in other online media

Connecting and engaging with your

current clients

STRATEGY

Success on LinkedIn does not happen instantly or automatically. It requires consistent action and effort.

STRATEGY

One of most important actions you need to take is to optimize your profile with keywords of your industry, so that people can easily find you.

STRATEGY

LinkedIn search ranking factors:

• Number of keywords in profile

• Number of recommendations

• Number of connections and shared connections

STRATEGY

Ask questions:

1. What keywords would a person use, if they would search LinkedIn for your business?

2. What kind of keywords you already have in your profile.

3. What kind of keywords does your competitor use.

STRATEGY

What do YOU want achieve on LinkedIn?

Where can YOU become a through leader?

What keywords do you want other people to find YOU with?

PERSONAL PROFILE

Having a well written, informative, keyword adjusted and full profile is of utmost importance. Treat is as your online professional alter-ego.

PERSONAL PROFILE

How to create an outstanding profile

Name lineAdd full name and no other information (do not add “LION” or other abbreviations that might hinder your searchability).

PERSONAL PROFILE

Professional headline

Make the headline informative and interesting; write the essence of who you are, who you help and how you help them.

Ex. “Online Marketing Expert | Motivational Speaker | Author of book “Motivation and marketing”; “HR Specialist | Talent Manager | We Find the Right Employees for Your Company”, etc.

PERSONAL PROFILE

Name line

Professional headline

PERSONAL PROFILE

Keywords in your current and past work experience

PERSONAL PROFILE

Keyword stuffing will not help you on LinkedIn.

Current and past work experience “keyword stuffed” with business consultant

PERSONAL PROFILE

First activity paragraph

Second activity paragraph

Third activity paragraph

Call to action

PERSONAL PROFILE

Example of a well-written summary: first paragraph.

Personal story telling “I” and authority set-up “McGraw Hill author”

Standout traits “what makes my book unique”

PERSONAL PROFILE

Example of a well-written summary: second paragraph and call to action.

Specialties – “what I can do for you”

Using special symbols to stand out

Call to action

PERSONAL PROFILE

Example of a well-written summary: specialties and additional information.

Keyword-adjusted summary.

PERSONAL PROFILE

RecommendationsThe best strategy for getting recommendations is giving them first.

PERSONAL PROFILE

10. Contact information:

In contact information add:

• Email

• Twitter account

• Blog

• Phone number

and other ways for people to connect with you and see your information.

PERSONAL PROFILE

Contact information

PERSONAL PROFILE

Example of a well-written website list. You can lead people to a landing page to collect their information

Target audience specific call to action

Benefit specific call to action

PERSONAL PROFILE

Example of a landing page.

What you ask for must be equal to what you give

PERSONAL PROFILE

5. UpdatingDo not forget to update your profile when there is new information.

6. InterestsAdd interests to your profile, it will give more personality.

7. Groups and Associations Add associations and groups of real world that you are a part of that are important to you.

8. Honors and awards Display awards and achievements to build your credibility.

PERSONAL PROFILE

How would you summarize what you can do for your clients in few sentences?

What are your key specialties?

How should people contact you and for what reasons?

Do you have any blogs, portfolio websites, Twitter account where others can see your professional work?

CONNECTIONS

Add everyone to your connections. Every LinkedIn connection can be a potential client/customer or someone that can lead you to one.

CONNECTIONS

To Add connections form your email service provider – go to Network > Add Connections. Enter your email address, authorize LinkedIn app to access your data and LinkedIn will show all people who are on network already for you to invite.

CONNECTIONS

• InMail messages can be used to contact people that are not in your professional network yet.

CONNECTIONS

• To further increase your network potential add the link to your LinkedIn profile to your business card, email signature, Facebook, Twitter, your website and any other online outlet.

• Identify the profiles of your key customers and clients (existing and potential), follow their LinkedIn status updates, “like” and comment on them to get a closer connection with them.

CONNECTIONS

Did you search your Email accounts for potential LinkedIn connections?

Do you have additional database/excel file of potential connections?

Are there any people you always wanted to connect and they are on LinkedIn? Write then an InMail.

ENGAGEMENT

LinkedIn will work only if you work it.

ENGAGEMENT

LinkedIn status:

• Update your LinkedIn status daily. This way you will be constantly featured on the home page of your connections.

ENGAGEMENT

Company page

• Provide full information about your company. Description of your business should be compelling, write the essence of your business, your mission and vision.

• Add specialties of your company. • Add the keywords of your industry in description and specialties. • Update your company status with relevant information at least

once weekly.

ENGAGEMENT

Well written essence of what your company does

Philosophy and motto

Call to action

Specialties

ENGAGEMENT

Join all the groups that are relevant to you and your business.

ENGAGEMENT

Owning a group can be a very powerful tool for your business and networking.

ENGAGEMENT

Group owner, managers and website of the group appear in the description.

ENGAGEMENT

To create a group go to Interests > Groups. On the right side LinkedIn has a button “Create a group”.

ENGAGEMENT

Example of a well-written group description.

Group summary and purpose

Call to actionLink to your website

ENGAGEMENT

Welcome message: When you create a group go Manage>Templates.You can send them to your landing page through template too.

ENGAGEMENT

Companies

You can find and follow different companies that are on LinkedIn.

• Follow your existing and potential client companies

• Comment and “like” their status updates to keep “fresh” in their

minds.

• Follow your competitors to see their strategy on LinkedIn and

what they are up to.

ENGAGEMENT

LinkedIn ads – reach your target audience.

ENGAGEMENT

What content you read every day that you can share with your LinkedIn connections?

What professional and interests groups on LinkedIn can you join?

Do you have company page on LinkedIn?

How can you utilize LinkedIn ads for your business?

STATISTICS

LinkedIn – track your performance with statistics.

STATISTICS

Example of profile view statistics.

ROI

ROI – increase in revenue or decrease in cost.Possible ROI metrics: • Earned Media Value vs. Marketing Spend• Lead Value vs. Marketing Spend• Brand Equity Growth vs. Marketing Spend

ROI

Counting ROI for LinkedIn will depends on your goals:1. Define success metrics of your goal. (ex. acquired/potential sales leads; acquired/potential investors; increased % of visitors in your website; increased sign-up % to your newsletter; etc)

ROI

2. Track the time/money you spend for LinkedIn. Best practice is to dedicate some portion of time Daily/Weekly to developing your LinkedIn network – adding connections, participating in groups, etc.

ROI

3. Convert the goal metrics and time spent to monetary value and compare. Equation: ROI= Benefit – Cost/Cost * 100

ROI

4. Compare the value gained to alternatives – if you would spend same time on other social media channels, going to tradeshows/business meetings; calling leads via phone; etc.

END NOTES

Compelling profile, clear goals, consistent action and engaging with community are the key elements in establishing yourself as thought leader and influencer in your field on LinkedIn platform.

“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success” –

Napoleon Hill