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  • 1.KELLERWILLIAMSR E A LT Y 101Getting Startedwith LinkedInBrought to you by Keller Williams Realty

2. K E L L E R W I L L I A M S R E A LT Y P R E S E N T S :101Link up with LinkedInRecruit agents, meet new clients and generate referrals through digital networkingLinkedIn is where social media meets business networking, and as of July 2010, itsusers numbered more than 70 million. LinkedIn can help you make better use ofyour professional network and help you generate leads. Facebook may have moreconsumer members, but LinkedIn is the leading business networking site on the Web.By setting the stage to network efficiently in the digital world, you can further yourreal estate brand online, exchange information with colleagues and stay abreastof topics your contacts are discussing. Getting started is easy and offers you aninexpensive way to market your real estate expertise online.In this guide, youll learn about LinkedIn and how to do the following: 1. Establish your image 2. Build your network 3. Effectively manage yourcontactsLinkedIn Quick Facts: More than 70 millionmembers in over 200countries A new member joinsapproximately every second About half of all members are outside the United States Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are members1 3. K E L L E R W I L L I A M S R E A LT Y P R E S E N T S : 1011. Getting Started on LinkedInA. Sign Up for LinkedIn AccountJoining LinkedIn is free. Just go to LinkedIn.com, look for the Join LinkedInToday box and enter your first and last name and email address, then choosea password. LinkedIn also offers premium versions. You can choose a Businessaccount for $24.95 a month, a Business Plus account for $49.95 a month, anExecutive account for $99.95 a month or a LinkedIn Talent Advantage accountfor recruiters (cost varies).Essentially, the Business,Business Plus and Executiveaccounts give you access tofeatures and functions that letyou send more invitations toconnect, send mail throughLinkedIns internal InMailsystem, conduct referencesearches, and complete othernetworking-oriented tasksyou cant do with the freeaccount.We suggest signing up for the free account first, then determining if you needthose extra features. 2 4. K E L L E R W I L L I A M S R E A LT Y P R E S E N T S :101B. Create Your LinkedIn ProfileYour LinkedIn profile is a summary of your professional experience, interestsand capabilities. LinkedIn calls it your public face on its business network.Your profile is what other LinkedIn members see when they search for you orwhen they search for keywords you use to describe yourself. You can choose tomake your profile public so nonmembers can find you, or keep it private.Remember: If you make your profile public, search engines like Google will list it in relevantsearch results.You may find that your LinkedIn profile ranks first on Google when you typein your name, so be sure to take the time to create a solid one! You control what people see.To create or edit your profile,click the Edit My Profile tabon the LinkedIn home page.This quick overview offersyour name, location, currenttitle, past positions, education,recommendations, and links toyour Websites, in summary. Ifyou click View My Profile, thisis what people will initially seeabout you. LinkedIn stressesthe importance of a completeprofile to maximize yournetworking possibilities.As you move through your profile setup, youll see an area where you can add aprofessional photo. This allows people to quickly identify you. Much like the phonebook, its common for there to be many people with the same name. Adding aphoto lets your network know its really you. 3 5. K E L L E R W I L L I A M S R E A LT Y P R E S E N T S : 101Below your name, you have the opportunity to include a headline. Many people dontspend much time considering this part of the profileand thats a mistake. Much likea newspaper headline grabs the attention of its readers, your profile headline cancompel connectionsand potential connectionsto take a few minutes to get to knowyou better. The goal of the headline is to help you stand out from the real estate pack.Instead of writing, Real estate agent with 15 years of experience, get more descriptive.Heres a good example: Client-driven real estate agent helping buyers in Los Angeles findtheir dream home.With this headline, youve demonstrated a commitment to customerservice, and focused on the area you serve. At a glance, readers can discover your motivationand goals, whether its a specific neighborhood, real estate type or other niche.In the Summary section of the profile, summarize your professional experienceandyour goalsso your network can get a quick glimpse of your background and interests.Think of this as an elevator pitch. This section also offers a Specialties field that letsyou list your real estate niches, the neighborhoods you work or related skills.Tip: Like Facebook, you can selecta Vanity URL for your publicprofile. This gives you a custom Webaddress you can use to promote yourprofile in emails, on business cardsand on your blog to make it easierfor people to connect with you. Youcan also download a code that letsyou display a LinkedIn logo in youremails or Websites, which will directindividuals to your LinkedIn account.In the Experience field, share your professional experience. Much like a rsum, youoffer the company, title and dates of employment. You can describe what the companydoes and what your responsibilities and accomplishments were. By making this ascomplete as possible, you open the door to more potential connections.4 6. K E L L E R W I L L I A M S R E A LT Y P R E S E N T S :101Next youll find the Education field. List the schools youve attended, the dates andthe activities or societies you participated in. Listing your education is a smart way topotentially expand your network because others who attended the same schools orspecialize in the same field may want to connect with you.As its name suggests, the Additional Information field gives you the opportunity toshare more about yourself. You might list hobbies, Websites and blogs; honors andawards; groups and associations; or other information that might help you make aconnection with people.C. Manage Your Account SettingsBefore you launch out into your business networking activities on LinkedIn, itsimportant to review your account settings. You can access this area by clicking on theSettings tab at the top righthand corner of the home page.From the Settings page, you canchange your password and yourprimary email address associatedwith the account, make privacydecisions about who can see yourprofile and status updates, anddesignate how you receive emailnotifications when people contactyou through LinkedInand muchmore.Tip: If you are getting so manyemails through LinkedIn itsdistracting you during your workday, you can choose not to be contacted via emailwith requests and questions from members. Instead, you can log in to LinkedIn andcheck your mail there. 5 7. K E L L E R W I L L I A M S R E A LT Y P R E S E N T S :1012. Build Your NetworkA. Search for People You KnowWith a rock-solid professional profile, its time to start building your network. Theeasiest way to begin is to search for people you already know. You can start withfriends, family, and, of course, Keller Williams associates. Also look for partners,customers, suppliers and others you do business with. You can even search forclassmates from your college or university. You can search in one of several ways:Use the search function at the top right-hand corner of the LinkedIn home page.When you find someone youknow, send an invitation toconnect.Check the People You MayKnow box right below thesearch box. This will list peoplethat LinkedIn thinks you mighthave some connection withbased on the connections youlaunched your account with.Click the Add Connectionslink in the top right-hand navigation. There youll find a Colleagues tab. Whenyou click it, it lets you check for people who have worked at the same companiesyou have, now or in the past. Likewise, the Classmates tab lets you check forclassmates you may know from schools youve attended.Tip: Posting your LinkedIn profile on your other social networking accounts,such as Facebook and Twitter, can also generate new connections. Also, addcustomized buttons to your blog or Website that compels your business networkto hook up with you on LinkedIn, and include your LinkedIn profile on your emailsignature. This way, everyone you email is encouraged to invite you to join theirnetwork. 6 8. K E L L E R W I L L I A M S R E A LT Y P R E S E N T S : 101B. Integrate Web-Mail ContactsClick the Add Connections link in the top right-hand navigation. This willopen up a page that gives you the ability to search your email contactsfrom Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo and AOL to find people you already know.In the Add Connections section, you can also enter email addresses ofpeople you want to invite to LinkedIn in the Enter Email Addresses box.C. Beware of SpammingMuch like going to a chamber of commerce meeting, theres a right wayand a wrong way to build your contact list. So take caution: If you sendinvitations to people you dont know, they have the option to report itto LinkedIn, and you could be banned from the service for what theyconsider spammy behavior. Be sure to mention your mutual connectionif you send an invitation to connect with someone you havent directlymet.Hint: Rather than blindly inviting people you dont knowbut would like toconnect withand getting marked as a spammer, ask for an introductionwith the Get Introduced link. This allows you to ask one of your activeconnections to make an introduction to one of their connections thatyou arent yet connected with. By the same token, dont abuse LinkedInto send unsolicited marketing messages to your contacts. This is alsoconsidered spam-like behavior.7 9. K E L L E R W I L L I A M S R E A LT Y P R E S E N T S : 1014. Start Networking A. Join Groups Be sure to sign up for specific networking groups on LinkedIn. This helps you discover the most popular discussions in real estate, and you can let your voice be heard through your comments while you also see what top influencers are saying about various real estate topics. When you join a group, you can also invite members of that group to connect with you based on your mutual interests. You can search for groups in the search box on the home page or by clicking Groups in the navigation bar across the top.Here are some of the most popular real estate groups on LinkedIn: Real Estate Connect Inman News http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=59&trk=anetsrch_name&goback=. gdr_1278016224589_1 National Association of REALTORS http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=90005&trk=anetsrch_name&goback=. gdr_1278016224589_1 Real Estate Open Networkers eRealEstateSocial.com http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=97046&trk=anetsrch_name&goback=. gdr_1278016224589_18 10. K E L L E R W I L L I A M S R E A LT Y P R E S E N T S :101B. Ask and Answer QuestionsLinkedIn Answers lets you ask a question and get answers from members of yournetwork. You might ask, Can you recommend a good title company in Boston? Yournetwork can offer suggestions. Likewise, you can answer questions people in yournetwork ask. Answering questions is a good way to deepen relationshipsand buildcredibilityin the digital networking world.Remember: If you are going to ask andanswer questions, ask insightful onesthat spark a meaningful discussion andoffer thoughtful answers that reflect yourexpertise. Asking trivial questions couldbe viewed as an annoyance, and tossingout pat answers or quick responsesdoesnt reflect your personal brand in apositive light. This is your opportunity toshine.C. Ask For and Give RecommendationsRecommendations can set you apart from the rest of the LinkedIn populationand help you make the connections you need to drive business growth. LinkedInrecommendations are considered more pure than testimonials on your Websitebecause you cant directly edit them. You can just accept them or decline to postthem.Log in to the LinkedIn home page and click the Recommendations link under theProfile tab. Youll see another link that says Request Recommendations. This is athree-step process: Identify the job for which youd like a recommendation. Choose people who would be the most appropriate to offer that recommendation. Write notes to them explaining why you need their recommendation. 9 11. K E L L E R W I L L I A M S R E A LT Y P R E S E N T S :101Hint: Keep in mind that you dont need recommendations from all of yourLinkedIn connections. The quality of your recommendations is more importantthan the quantity. LinkedIn considers your profile complete when you havethree recommendations.People always appreciategetting a strongrecommendation and itoften prompts a returnrecommendation, soconsider giving a few beforerequesting them.One strategy is to write 10recommendations every dayfor a week. You dont have towrite a Pulitzer Prize-winningparagraph. Just a few honestsentences about your connections unique qualifications will do. Odds are thatif you write 50 recommendations in a week, youll get at least 10 or 15 inreturnmaybe more. If you do this for several weeks, you could end up withdozens of recommendations on your profile.D. Make IntroductionsLinkedIn has an Introductions feature that lets you contact users in yournetwork and ask for an introduction to people youd like to be connected with.But it works both waysyou can also make introductions on behalf of others.Heres how it works: At the top of a members profile is a link to forward theprofile. You can click that link and forward the persons profile to one of yourconnections with a note of introduction. Alternatively, you can send a messageto both of your connections and suggest they connect with one another.10 12. K E L L E R W I L L I A M S R E A LT Y P R E S E N T S : 101E. Keep Your Status Up-to-DateYoull see a Network Activity box on your LinkedIn profile page. This is whereyou can share professional updates with your network. You might talk about acurrent real estate listing, a major sale, an award won, a group joined or a bit ofinformation that your connectionswould find valuable.Warning: So much of digitalnetworking means providingvalue to your connections. Dontabuse the status box as a listingmarketing tool onlyfocus onproviding helpful informationabout the industry, and pepper incomments about yourself and yourlistings in creative ways.F. Connect Twitter to LinkedInLinkedIn also lets you connect your account to Twitter. When you set your statuson Twitter, it feeds your status on LinkedIn. On your Network Activity boxthisis where you offer status updatesyou will see a Twitter symbol with a check box.Clicking through the setup process will allow you to specify which Twitter accountyoud like to sync or display on your LinkedIn profile.Warning: Chances are you have different audiences for Twitter and LinkedIn.Think before you decide to integrate them. The good news is you choose to postLinkedIn updates to your Twitter account on a case-by-case basis instead ofautomatically sending every update as a tweet. In your Twitter settings, whichare available by clicking the Twitter logo under your status box, you can chooseto Share only tweets that contain #in. So when you want to share your LinkedInstatus with your Twitter followers, just end your update with #in. 11 13. K E L L E R W I L L I A M S R E A LT Y P R E S E N T S :101G. Other Ways to NetworkYou can get creative with networking on LinkedIn with a small-time investment.For example, you can promote your blog on LinkedIn with third-party apps. Youcan also create LinkedIn ad campaigns, or even launch an event. And dont forgetto install the LinkedIn smartphone app on your BlackBerry or iPhone, so you canrespond more quickly to connection requests, questions and more.5.Where to Find KW on LinkedIn LinkedIn:http://www.linkedin.com/companies/keller-williams-realty Profile for Mo Anderson, vice chairman for Keller Williams Realtyhttp://www.linkedin.com/pub/mo-anderson/6/539/79 Profile for Jay Papasan, vice president of publishing and executive editor forKeller Williams Realtyhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/jaypapasan Profile for Cary Sylvester, executivedirector of technology for KellerWilliams Realtyhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/carysylvester Profile for Bryon Ellington, chiefproducts officer for Keller WilliamsRealtyhttp://www.linkedin.com/pub/bryon-ellington/5/128/a512