10 LinkedIn Tips for Your Business

10 LinkedIn Tips for Your Business

You’re probably on LinkedIn and using it to gain new connections, but are you tapping into the power of LinkedIn to support your business? Here are 10 simple techniques that you can use on LinkedIn that will help.

1.           Modify your LinkedIn “Headline” to promote your business with a tagline or offer. This “headline” follows you around LinkedIn.

Modify your LinkedIn "Headline" to promote your business.

2.           Search your business name or product keywords using “SIGNAL” http://www.linkedin.com/signal/

Use LinkedIn Signal to search for keywords, company mentions, and more.

3.          Add Your Company Profile on LinkedIn (FREE!). Include video, contact person, product/services, recommendations from clients, and post company updates. People can “Follow” your company updates.

Add your Company Profile onto LinkedIn - free!

4.           Personalize EVERY invitation to connect. Include a frame of reference and explain why you wish to connect.

5.           Check out your competition: profiles, company pages, signal. Let them inspire you.

6.           In “ANSWERS,” answer questions and AIM LOW. Demonstrate your expertise.

7.           Add a professional photo (head and shoulders) to your profile. Be confident.

8.           Post Company Events (FREE). Reach business professionals on LinkedIn.

9.           Use all 3 Websites on Your Profile – but select “OTHER” and rename them with specific description.

Ex: Not “BLOG” but instead select “Other” and type: “Marketing Tips”

Ex: Not “Company Website” but instead select “Other” and type: “Walsh College”

10.       Be a Lifelong Learner: check out and follow connections’ reading lists for recommended books.

Presented on Tuesday, August 28, 2012 at the Grosse Pointe Inforum Affinity Group

Brenda Meller is an Inforum member, co-leader of the Inforum Troy Networking Group, and Director of Marketing Manager for Walsh College. She frequently speaks on Social Media through the Walsh College webinar series. Join upcoming LinkedIn 101 and 201 for Business Professionals webinars (free) at www.walshcollege.edu/Webinars.

Let’s Connect! www.linkedin.com/in/brendameller

How and Why You Should Use LinkedIn Events

LinkedIn has a great free tool that allows any LinkedIn user to create and promote personal or business events to your networks. If you haven't used this yet and you or your company holds events such as these,

• Webinars
• Open Houses
• Networking Events
• Customer Appreciation Day
• Education Workshops
• Business Training

you need to start using this immediately.

It's simple to use - FREE - plus gives you the ability to amplify your event by promoting it through social media.

After you're logged into your LinkedIn account, click the "MORE" dropdown then select "EVENTS"

You're now on the Event Home Page. Click on "CREATE AN EVENT"

Follow the step-by-step instructions to enter your event information.  IMPORTANT: FILL IN ALL FIELDS. I use my personal photo if the event is featuring a speaker or presenter. Or use your company logo if it's a company event (Your marketing person will thank you).

Add in additional details describing your event. In this example, I'm creating an event page that I'll use to promote this blog. Select an Industry if it applies to the event. Otherwise, skip that field. IMPORTANT: use the "labels" field like you would meta data, and include keywords and phrases to describe your event and the content. Also include a website where people can learn more about the event, the organization/company, or you. In this example, I'm using my blog address. Use every field. It's free promotion for your event, your company, or you. 

This step is NOT optional, in my opinion. Share your event message with your networks!

I'll tweet it and add in hashtags to describe the event. In this example, my hashtags are #LinkedIn, #EventPromotion, and #EventPlanning. This will help my event to get picked up by fellow Twitter users searching for my keywords.

I also will post on my Facebook page for my friends to read. In this message, I'm giving a shout out to Dana who asked me how to post events on LinkedIn, who was the inspiration for this blog.

That's it! In a few days, Google will have picked up your event and people searching Google will be able to find your event too.

So in just a few minutes, you've created an event that can be promoted FREE across your networks on
LinkedIn (let's connect - www.linkedin.com/In/BrendaMeller
Facebook
Twitter (follow me www.twitter.com/BrendaMeller)
plus, it's publicly searchable on Google.

Happy Event Planning!