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LinkedIn

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LinkedIn: Unlock the profess ional tool boxYou check your Facebook® news feed before you get out of bed. You tweet

five things about your day before lunch. And you spend half an hour pinning

items to your Pinterest® boards in the evening. But when was the last time you

updated your LinkedIn® profile or started a discussion in a LinkedIn group?

Last week? Last month? Never?

Perhaps it isn’t surprising that LinkedIn is the social networking site that gets

neglected. Who wouldn’t rather hang out with friends than work colleagues?

Tweet about the awesome new band they just heard rather than the trade show

they are attending? As the “professional” social media website, LinkedIn is a

bit like the healthy option on a menu otherwise filled with greasy, high-calorie,

sugar-, salt- and fat-laden entrees.

Even those who should know better are guilty. Steven Chapell, a student media

specialist with Simpson College, argues that while LinkedIn is misunderstoodand underused, it is a site where most professionals and would-be professionals

should focus their social media time and energy. “I’ve had a Facebook account

since its first year,” he says. “I was on Twitter® before anyone knew what a tweet

was. And I’ve had a LinkedIn account for more than five years. However, I will be

the first to admit I check LinkedIn and am active on LinkedIn far less often than I

am on Facebook or Twitter, when in reality, the opposite should be true. … I tend

to spend only one or two hours a week total on LinkedIn. Yet, I find that my time

on LinkedIn is far more gratifying—and educational—than my time on Facebook

or Twitter.”1

Perhaps no one is more frustrated with the disconnect between how people

actually spend their social media time compared to how they should spend

their time than LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman. He expressed his frustration to

Wired magazine in March 2012: “Ask the average person,” he said. “They think

[LinkedIn is] a place they keep their CV online and maybe have some connections

with people they know professionally. They don’t think of it as a place to get

business intelligence, to research problems, to establish an online presence where

other people in the network can find them.”2

This Blue Paper® examines how LinkedIn is best used by both individuals and

businesses and offers tips and tricks to optimize all of the tools LinkedIn has to

offer. Let’s face it. In this economy, who can afford to ignore their professional

1 Chappell, Steven. “Why You Should Use LinkedIn More Than Facebook or Twitter.” Pro KRG. Pro KRG, 19Mar. 2012. Web. 23 June 2012.http://www.prokrg.com/why-you-should-use-linkedin-more-than-acebook-or-twitter.

 2 Rowan, David. “For LinkedIn Founder Reid Homan, Relationships Rule the World.” Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 18 Mar. 2012. Web. 23 June 2012. http://www.wired.com/business/2012/03/_homan/2/ .

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network? The latest industry news? Potential sales prospects? Whether you are an

individual looking to make connections that might lead to a new job opportunity,

a business looking for new leads or to solidify a brand, or a professional who

wants to be an active and visible participant in your industry, you will find

tools to help you achieve your goals on LinkedIn.

“What was once viewed as a social networking site for people who needed

to find new jobs is now a powerful social networking, hiring, promotional

and career development site,” says Susan Gunelius, author of The Complete

Idiot’s Guide to LinkedIn. “Most people with basic LinkedIn accounts don’t

even realize all the free tools and features that are available to them.”3

Linking in to L inkedInLinkedIn launched in 2003 as a professional social networking website (it’s older

than Facebook) and the company went public in January 2011. In May 2012, the

website reported more than 160 million users from more than 200 countries andterritories. Obviously, LinkedIn’s user stats don’t begin to approach Facebook,

which may hit 1 billion active users by the end of 2012. But for professional

purposes, comparing LinkedIn to Facebook is a bit of a quality versus quantity

argument. If the industry you work in, the company you want to work for and/or

the professionals you need to connect with are active on LinkedIn, then you need

to be active on LinkedIn. And being active involves much more than keeping your

profile up to date.

In July 2011, market research firm Lab42SM surveyed 500 U.S.-based registeredLinkedIn users to learn how they use their LinkedIn profile and how they valued

the site as a professional networking tool. Here are some of the nuggets the

survey unearthed:

• 61 percent of survey respondents reported that LinkedIn was the

social networking site they use primarily for professional networking.

(Facebook was named by 22 percent; Twitter, 4 percent.)

• 35 percent reported that they access LinkedIn daily; 32 percent

reported that they access it a few times a week; 16 percent access it afew times a month.

• 81 percent of LinkedIn users belong to at least one group, and of

these people, 52 percent participate in group discussions.

• 42 percent reported that they update their LinkedIn profile regularly,

and 38 percent change it now and then. (13 percent admit to

3 Gunelius, Susan. “Study Reveals How Proessionals Use LinkedIn.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 9 Aug. 2011. Web. 23 June 2012.http://www.orbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2011/08/09/study-reveals-how-proessionals-use-linkedin/.

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outdated profiles, and 7 percent haven’t updated their profile since

they joined.)4 

Unsurprisingly, where you stand on the professional ladder offers a clue

to how you may use LinkedIn. The same survey revealed that:

• Top-level executives use LinkedIn most for industry

networking (22 percent), promoting their business (20

percent) and keeping in touch with others in their network

(18 percent).

• Middle managers use LinkedIn most for keeping in touch

with their network (24 percent), industry networking (20

percent) and networking with coworkers (19 percent).

• Entry-level employees use LinkedIn most for a job search (24 percent),

networking with coworkers (23 percent), along with industry

networking and keeping in touch with their own network (19 percent

each).5

In its near decade in existence, LinkedIn has become most associated with job

searching and recruiting. But it’s also developed into a site where professionals

gather to stay on top of current industry trends; discuss issues facing a particular

industry; network with coworkers, former coworkers, industry contacts and

college alumni; develop relationships with potential employers and coworkers;

promote their business and brand, especially business-to-business relationships;

and, yes, keep their resume polished.

Profile basics for everyone

As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. So

the first step for anyone who wants to maximize his or her presence on LinkedIn

is to complete a profile. LinkedIn considers these elements necessary for a profile

to be “complete.”

• A photo

• An executive summary and skill set

• Three recent positions

• Three recommendations from your connections

• Your education

You may round out your profile with links to websites and Twitter accounts,

groups and associations you are a member of, interests beyond your career and

honors and awards you have received. Here are a few tips for putting your best

and most searchable self forward on LinkedIn:

4 Pirc, Jonathan. “The Linkedin Profle.” Market Research 2.0. Lab42, 11 July 2011. Web. 23 June 2012.http://blog.lab42.com/the-linkedin-profle.

5 Ibid.

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Choose keywords for your profile with LinkedIn search engine results in mind.

You are more than your current job title, so break out of the mindset that

your LinkedIn header needs to be your job title, especially if the title lacks the

keywords others are likely to use when searching for people with skills such as

yours. Longer phrases and precise keywords appropriate for your industry will

help you rank higher among fewer search results than very general words such

as “consultant” or “strategist.” Your most important keyword should be a part

of your headline, but that word and other keywords should also be distributed

throughout your profile.

Test the effectiveness of your keywords by doing a search for people with the

keywords you think others would use when looking for a professional such as

yourself. When searching, be sure to sort by keywords, and choose “expanded”

for the view. (Find these options in the bar above the search results.) Take note of

how many results are generated with the keywords you chose. The fewer results,

the easier it is to optimize your profile so that your profile ranks high in search

results. Look at the people who are ahead of you in the search results. You will

need to exceed the number of keywords those individuals have in their profiles in

order to rank above them.

Business writer Jeff Haden reminds anyone fine-tuning their LinkedIn profile

to keep their professional goals in mind when devising keywords. “At its most

basic level LinkedIn is about marketing: marketing your company or marketing

yourself,” he says. “But that focus probably got lost as you worked through the

mechanics of completing your profile, and what started as a marketing effort

turned into a resume completion task. Who you are isn’t as important as what

you hope to accomplish, so think about your goals and convert your goals into

keywords, because keywords are how people find you on LinkedIn.”6

Get—and give—recommendations. When it comes to LinkedIn recommendations,

many of the traditional rules on professional recommendations apply. Reach

out to individuals who are truly familiar with your skills and experience,

and suggest specific stories and examples of your work that they may want

to reference. (Recommendations with your keywords will help you rank

higher in search results.) Solicit recommendations from a range of connections—

managers, coworkers, subordinates. As noted above, three recommendations

are necessary for a profile to be considered “complete,” but don’t go overboard.

Some experts recommend no more than a dozen. A few strong recommendations

are preferable to many fluffy ones. “Recommendations add color and depth to

a LinkedIn profile, fleshing it out while avoiding any, ‘Oh jeez will this guy ever

6 Haden, Je. “6 Steps to a More Marketable LinkedIn Profle.” Inc.com. Mansueto Ventures LLC, 7 Dec. 2011.Web. 23 June 2012.http://www.inc.com/je-haden/how-to-market-yoursel-with-linkedin-profle-6-steps.html?nav=next.

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shut up about himself?’ reactions,” Haden says. “So ask for recommendations,

and offer to provide recommendations before you’re asked. The best way to build

great connections is to always be the one who gives first.”7 

Show off your warm, professional, approachable self. As LinkedIn has grown,

there has been some debate about adding photos to profiles. After all, no one

would attach a photo to a traditional printed resume for fear of setting oneself

up for discrimination without even getting through the door. But most experts

now answer the photo question with a qualified yes. “LinkedIn profiles without

[profile] photos are far less effective than those that include one,” says

Louise Fletcher, cofounder of Blue Sky Resumes. “There’s something about

seeing that faceless icon in a long string of search results that makes it

much more unlikely a recruiter will click on your profile to read more.”8 

Fletcher offers these additional recommendations:

• Have the photo taken professionally if possible. Make sure it’s

well lit and in focus.

• Use a headshot. The photo should be as close to a square as

possible because it will be cropped square when you upload it

to LinkedIn.

• Wear professional clothing in your photo. Appropriate clothing

will depend on your profession, but Fletcher prefers a smart,

business casual look over a traditional corporate headshot, which can

make a person appear unapproachable. “In short, your LinkedIn profile

should make the same impression on people as if you were greeting

them personally,” Fletcher says. “Make it friendly, warm, approachable

and professional.”9

Developing connect ionsWith a complete profile that maximizes keywords, it’s time to invite people

relevant to your professional goals to join your network. LinkedIn will search your

email contacts for people you already know, but before you send an invitation to

everyone you’ve ever had reason to exchange an email message with, consider

that this may be a time to cast a smaller but strategic net. As with your real-life

professional network, success lies in building mutually beneficial relationshipsover time, rather than quickly amassing a high number of weak connections.

Like many LinkedIn users, Angel Ramos, author of How to Stand Out in a

Competitive Job Market , created a LinkedIn profile in 2006 and then never

7 Ibid.8 Fletcher, Louise. “Why You Must Post a Photo on LinkedIn (and Which One to Choose).” Blue Sky Resumes.

Blue Sky Resumes, 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 23 June 2012.http://www.blueskyresumes.com/blog/why-you-must-post-a-photo-on-linkedin-and-which-one-to-choose/ .

9 Ibid.

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utilized the site until 2011, when he received an invitation to connect with a

former classmate. He decided it was time to start using LinkedIn more effectively,

but describes his first few months as “a major epic fail.”

“Just like many job hunters, my first instinct when utilizing LinkedIn was to see

what people can do for me,” he says. “This was the wrong attitude to take and

the reason why so many people have trouble yielding results.”10 Ramos concluded

that he should start building his network by researching the industries, companies

and individuals he identified as his targets for potential employment and

professional development. LinkedIn itself can help with this research through its

Company Pages and search capabilities. (See more on Company Pages later in this

Blue Paper.) The key is to form a network of professionals with whom you can

offer as much value as you receive. Here are some guidelines for forming a solid

LinkedIn network:

• When you invite someone to join your network, avoid using the

LinkedIn standardized message: “I’d like to add you to my professional

network on LinkedIn.” Add a personal note instead, indicating your

reasons for wanting to connect with this individual and how you are

familiar with this person if he or she won’t immediately recognize your

name. Remember, LinkedIn is about building relationships, not just

collecting connections.

• When you accept an invitation from someone else, acknowledge the

invitation with a personal note as well. Small business and social media

consultant Jeff Korhan says that he always thanks the people who

reach out to connect with him. “If they happen to mention why they

are connecting, you should acknowledge that as well,” he says. “More

than anything, acknowledging your new connections is a courtesy. And

that’s something that is often remembered.”11 

• To broaden your network beyond your existing

professional connections, ask your first-level contacts

for introductions to specific individuals among their first-level contacts.

Request an introduction by choosing that option below the yellow

“Connect” button visible when you view the profile of the person you

want to make a connection with.

10 Ramos, Angel L. “How to Strategically Build Your LinkedIn Network Today! | LinkedIn Tip Tuesday.” The New  Approach. The New Approach, 12 Apr. 2012. Web. 23 June 2012.http://romjaystobrooks.com/how-to-strategically-build-your-linkedin-network-today/.

11 Korhan, Je. “3 Invaluable LinkedIn Tips.” 3 Invaluable LinkedIn Tips. Je Korhan, 12 Oct. 2011. Web. 23 June 2012. http://www.jekorhan.com/2011/10/3-invaluable-linkedin-tips.html.

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• When accepting invitations from others, give some thought as to

whether you prefer a network that is more open to anyone who asks or

a more closed network based on your professional and LinkedIn goals.

Do you want to tailor your LinkedIn network to specific individuals,

companies or industries? Limit it to people you already know and trust

in real life? Or will you accept invitations from someone you truly don’t

know personally? (Do be aware of phishing scams.) LinkedIn considers

anyone in your network to be someone you trust. Some LinkedIn users

take a more open approach, connecting to people with whom they

have only a tangential relationship. The argument from the more

“open” perspective is that the whole point of social media is to be

social and build those new connections.

• Join and be an active member of industry groups on LinkedIn. “By

 joining groups and participating in these groups, you will gain more

credibility as a leader or knowledgeable person in your industry,” says

social media consultant Brian Farello. “Ask questions and contribute

to conversations. If you contribute a lot to a group, you will show

up under the group’s top influencers.”12

LinkedIn for businessesJust as LinkedIn offers professionals a place to network with colleagues

and potential partners, establish themselves as experts in their fields

and find a potential employer, so too does it offer businesses the

opportunity to discover new leads, join groups in which potential

clients and partners are active, promote their brands and search for

new talent. Pamela Vaughn of marketing software developer HubspotSM reports

that “in a study of over 5,000 inbound marketers where we pitted LinkedIn

against Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn proved to be the most effective social

media channel for lead generation—277 percent more effective, in fact. As a

marketer, particularly if you’re in the B2B game, how could you not leverage that

awesome lead generation potential?”13

Dave Kerpen, CEO of Likeable MediaSM, says that for his business, LinkedIn’s value

lies in the opportunity to connect with potential clients and partners. “LinkedIn is

a great way for our business to share information and become a thought leader

in our industry,” he says. “We use LinkedIn to share blog posts, links and articles,

as well as to lead discussions about hot topics in our industry. LinkedIn is also a

12 Farello, Brian. “LinkedIn Marketing—Why Should I Be on LinkedIn?” Social Media Today. Social Media Today LLC, 24 Apr. 2012. Web. 23 June 2012.http://socialmediatoday.com/brianarello/495727/linkedin-marketing-why-should-i-be-linkedin.

13 Vaughan, Pamela. “13 Brands Using LinkedIn Company Page Features the Right Way.” HubSpot Blog.HubSpot Inc., 20 Mar. 2012. Web. 23 June 2012. http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/31889/13-Brands-Using-LinkedIn-Company-Page-Features-the-Right-Way.aspx .

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great way for our employees to form connections with professionals in our field.

Occasionally, we post job listings or links to sign up to events we’re hosting.”14

The LinkedIn Learning Center offers guides and free Web classes for building a

Company Page, running a successful group, getting the most out of an upgraded

premium (paid) account and more. A Company Page is easy and quick to set up.

Here is a basic overview of the structure with tips to take advantage of Company

Page features:

Overview tab: This is where a company shares the most important information

about itself, what makes it unique, special skills and services and so on. This is a

good place to delineate specialties using keywords that will rank the Company

Page higher in an internal LinkedIn search.

Products and Services tab: This tab offers a place for a company to showcase what

it has to offer. The possibilities for customization on this tab are vast. Some of

the options include embedding video; uploading up to three rotating, clickable

images for the tab header; incorporating a welcome message along with product

or product category listings; and even creating multiple versions of the tab to be

shown to different audiences. Viewers can share a company’s listing of product

or category with individuals or groups they think would be interested in knowing

more about the product and also write a recommendation for one or more of the

products or product categories directly on the listings.

Careers tab: If you post a job opening on LinkedIn (which does cost money to do

so), a basic careers tab appears for free, but a paid upgrade to a Silver or Gold

Career Page is required to take advantage of the extra features LinkedIn offers,

such as a clickable banner, direct links to recruiters, video content and more.

Employee tab: This tab provides information about a company’s employees,

their job functions, educational background and experience.

A job seeker looking for a specific position within a company

may review current employees to learn what kind of skills and

experience are typical for people who hold the job he or she

wants.

Analytics tab: Visible only to the administrators of a Company

Page, this data will help a company discover who its followers

are, who is viewing its page and what content they view.

14 Khazan, Olga. “How Do You Use LinkedIn or Business?” The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 06 May  2012. Web. 23 June 2012. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-small-business/post/how-do-you-use-linkedin-or-business/2012/05/04/gIQAmWPg6T_blog.html .

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Just as with personal profiles, setting up a Company Page is only the beginning.

As with any social media, businesses get the most out of their efforts by providing

relevant content and engagement. Here are some strategies for establishing your

company presence on LinkedIn:

• Many companies join groups within their industry to participate in

“internal” discussions about issues facing the industry, but for the

purposes of lead generation, a company should consider identifying

and joining groups that its potential clients are members of. By

sparking external discussions about what it can offer those companies

and periodically offering useful information that can help them solve

a problem, a business can put itself in the position of being the one

potential clients seek out.

• Post e-newsletters, white papers and other content to targeted

audiences. This helps a company establish itself as a thought leader and

helpful resource for potential clients.

• Start and manage a group to attract leads and solidify your brand as a

problem-solver for clients.

• Add a company blog RSS feed to automatically keep the page current.

• Answer questions in the LinkedIn Questions and Answers page to

further expand your problem-solving reputation and post questions

that deserve a broader audience. Find this page by clicking on

“Answers” under the “More” dropdown menu.

• Create an event on LinkedIn. This easy feature is also found under

the “More” dropdown menu.

Beyond the basicsLinkedIn offers all sorts of tricks, techniques and shortcuts to help individuals

maximize the platform’s features with little effort. Did you know you could …

Edit a website URL in your profile to reflect the website name or a keyword

rather than a string of characters. When you are in “Edit Profile” mode, choose

the edit button after the website URL. The trick is to choose “Other” from the

dropdown menu headed with the word “Choose …” and enter the name of yourwebsite or a keyword.

Reorder the categories under your profile snapshot. For example, if you prefer

that your recommendations appear above your educational profile, just drag the

header!

Reveal a maiden or former name to help people find you, or display only a last

initial to people outside of your network if you prefer a higher level of privacy. 

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Make these choices when you set up your profile. If you are editing an established

profile, choose the “edit” button after your name.

See how many people have viewed your profile and how many search results

you have shown up in. This is displayed in a box on the right of the screen on

your home page. However, seeing exactly who has viewed your account is trickier.

A premium paid LinkedIn account is required to see the full list of who has

viewed your profile. And the people who view your account can choose to remain

anonymous.

Share and print your profile, and download a PDF resume version of your

LinkedIn profile. These choices appear under your profile snapshot.

Tag your connections and add notes to help you remember how you know a

connection. Under the “Contents” drop down menu, choose “Connections” and

then choose a connection. Click on the “edit details” and “edit tags” options to

add this information. Tagging helps keep your connections organized for times

when you want to send a message or share information with a targeted group.

Sync your LinkedIn account with your Twitter feed. Access this in the “settings”

option under the dropdown menu under your login name. However, be mindful

of the general guideline to keep most of your personal life off of LinkedIn,

especially if a majority of your tweets are not business focused. Settings within

the Twitter account management feature will help you control this.

Read and share news specifically related to your industry by customizing your

news on LinkedIn Today. Click on LinkedIn Today under the “News” dropdown

menu of your home page and find the “Customize Your News” option on

the right. From there, choose the industries and media sources that are most

beneficial to you, your network and your potential clients.

Share and save articles you find at LinkedIn Today. Share the link with a group or

individuals, or save it so that you can easily and quickly retrieve it later.

Get apps for your profile page. These third-party apps offer all sorts of features,

such as sharing your professional reading list and business travel plans, helping

you find professional events that may benefit you, helping you connect with your

network at those events and more.

Use SlideShare to share documents, PDFs, videos and webinars. LinkedIn acquired

professional content sharing platform SlideShare in May 2012. If you already have

a SlideShare account, you can import existing presentations into LinkedIn.

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Access the LinkedIn Learning Center (choose “Learning Center” under the

“More” dropdown menu). In addition to explaining site features and offering

general training resources, LinkedIn offers user guides for specific groups and

individuals, such as small businesses, students, attorneys, venture capitalists and

nonprofits.

Final ly, a few d on’tsLike a typo on a printed resume, there are plenty of ways to negate

all of your LinkedIn efforts with easily avoidable mistakes. Geoffrey

James of Inc.comSM outlines a few LinkedIn “don’ts” to be aware of:

1. Don’t post an unprofessional photo. Follow the suggestions

of Louise Fletcher above.

2. Don’t solicit fawning recommendations. “Only approve the

display of recommendations that describe actions that you

personally took, along with the specific, quantifiable effectof those actions on the organization where you worked,”

James says.

3. Don’t link to an overly personal Web page. Keep this corner of your

social media activities as professional as possible.

4. Don’t provide a trail to youthful indiscretion. James counsels that

information on a LinkedIn profile could give an individual doing

a background check enough clues to be able to perform a wider

Web search to find more information about you from other social

networking sites. “First, only provide information that’s relevant towhere you’re taking your career,” he says. “That may or may not

include your academic background (and definitely should not include

your high school information). Second, experiment with different

search combinations based upon what’s in your profile. If undesirable

stuff pops up, either figure out how to expunge it or change your

profile.”

5. Like a printed resume, don’t misspell anything. Have someone with a

good eye for grammar and spelling review your profile. Pay for this if

you have to.15

The tips and tricks outlined in this Blue Paper may seem like a lot to take in at

once, but LinkedIn has created an easy-to-use platform to help expand your

professional network and grow your business. Like anything that is good for you,

a little up-front time and effort learning about everything LinkedIn has to offer is

15 James, Georey. “LinkedIn Mistakes: Top 5 Ways to Kill Your Credibility.” Inc.com. Mansueto Ventures LLC, 13Dec. 2011. Web. 23 June 2012.http://www.inc.com/georey-james/linkedin-mistakes-top-5-ways-to-kill-your-credibility.html?nav=next.

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bound to pay off in the long run in one way or another. Most of the “rules” are

no different than old-fashioned business networking: be courteous and social,

share valuable information, help others solve problems, don’t wait until you need

something to make a connection, and so on. “Business networking is planting

seeds of opportunity that will emerge at the right time,” says small business

consultant Jeff Korhan. “LinkedIn allows you to accomplish that with minimal

effort.”16

16 Korhan, Je. “3 Invaluable LinkedIn Tips.” 3 Invaluable LinkedIn Tips. Je Korhan, 12 Oct. 2011. Web. 23 June 2012. http://www.jekorhan.com/2011/10/3-invaluable-linkedin-tips.html .