Maximizing Your On-Line Presence: Learn How to Effectively Use LinkedIn A How-To Guide for Beginners By: Kari Welch, ICSB Project Manager Whether you are a business owner, a job seeker, or an individual who is looking to stay connected, creating and maintaining an on-line presence can be a challenge. In fact, there are hundreds of social media sites currently available for use. Social media sites connect people with a focus ranging from music discussion groups to local business review to sports interests groups. You name it! People are connected today more than ever. Obviously, the impact of social networking is enormous, and with that being said, it can often be overwhelming. This article is a follow up to the ICSB webinar of the same title that was held on May 6, 2010. This article will provide you some basic tips and techniques to build your presence online, and you will be able to quickly incorporate these tools and apply them to your online strategy.
Click here to view the Webinar Recording of our May 6 event - http://icsb.na4.acrobat.com/p93701986/
How do you get started? At ICSB, we’ve found success by using the social media tool, LinkedIn for several reasons. - Of all social networking sites, LinkedIn is one of the most widely used networks.
- LinkedIn serves over 65 million members across the globe.
- The basic service is free (you can upgrade your to a fee-for-service account, but the basic account is very well designed for an individual user or small business).
- The basic service is user-friendly. If you need additional training, the site has excellent resources available.
Tip #1: Build a LinkedIn Profile.
When you build a LinkedIn profile, it’s important to first think about how your information will be viewed, and how much information you want to be accessible to the general public. Regardless of what you decide, it is important to make sure that the information you provide on your LinkedIn profile is accurate. You also want to make sure that your profile is as complete as possible because “completeness” improves your likelihood of appearing in search results. Additionally, your profile should reflect your personal and professional interests. It’s important to update your profile to reflect your current job situation, work experience, and additional activities. Here are a few points to ensure the accuracy of your on-line profile. - Remember that LinkedIn is a network of online readers, so your text should be written for the online reader. You’ll need to create your profile with a different mindset than you would if you were developing a hard copy resume or CV.
- One area to consider is your LinkedIn summary. Typically, this is the section where you will add your professional bio. Make sure to use descriptive adjectives and verbs, and try to think of key words from your work experience that you might use to appear in search results.
- Make sure that you are updating the “additional information” section as well. This section is a good place to add key interests and areas of involvement. Remember, there are over 65 million members on LinkedIn, so if you want to stand out, this is a good place to do so.
- Don’t forget to update your Tagline. This is the line of text that will appear directly under your name, and it is often the first thing people will see.
- The “specialties” section is a searchable text area, so it is important to think of those terms which recruiters and clients are using to search and include those industry terms here.
- Your profile should be 100% complete. A complete profile gives you more credibility, positions you as a reliable contact, and improves your search page rank. The profile completion tips appear on the right side of your profile.
- Finally, your profile should include recommendations to help illustrate your talents and achievements. You can ask your LinkedIn contacts to write a recommendation for you, and you should also recommend your professional contacts.
Tip #2: Get Connected.
Now, that you’ve built out your online profile, what’s the next step? You’ll want to start building out your contacts. With key words from your work experience and education, LinkedIn will start to suggest contacts through the “people you may know” feature. This is a good way to get started, but you should also consider uploading your contacts from your personal database or email address book. You can upload your contacts from internet mail, or you can upload your outlook contacts. You can also use LinkedIn to help find your contacts through the search function. You can search for contacts by company, industry, college, etc. You can join or create groups to connect with like-minded individuals. The LinkedIn “groups directory” will all you to search for professional organizations, trade groups, and personal groups that you may already be a part of. Also, many times companies will have a group for their current and even former employees.
Tip #3: Stay Active.
The key to success in managing your online strategy is to STAY ACTIVE! And, this is also probably the most difficult part of your strategy. You may want to set a weekly reminder on your calendar to go online and add updates, post discussions, and manage your contacts. Let’s take a look at a few ways you can increase your activity: - You can update your own status. Share an interesting project that you’re working on, a new business win, or update a new job position. This information will automatically appear in your contacts’ home pages.
- You can share news with any of your connections or one of your groups. This is a great way to stay connected by sharing relevant news.
- You can also post a discussion on a groups page. This approach positions you as an active member of a particular group. Most members are passive, so it’s important to create opportunities to stand out within the group.
- Ask and answer questions through the “Answers” section. Thoughtful questions and useful answers build your credibility. You can search for questions within your field of expertise. By accurately responding to the questions within this section, you will raise your visibility and develop credibility within your industry.
Although the world of social networking and social media can be somewhat intimidating the best advice is to just get started. LinkedIn is an effective tool for users at any level. By applying our three simple steps, you will find that establishing on-line connections is easier than you think! Please contact Kari Welch at kwelch@gwmail.gwu.edu or ICSB at icsb@gwu.eduwith any questions or further information. |
