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Business Growth 4
USING LINKEDIN TO
GROW YOUR COMPANY OR CAREER
By Mary Erlain
President
Peak Marketing and Sales, Inc.
O: 630.768.1422
F: 630.369.3144
m.erlain@peakmarketingsales.com
www.linkedin.com/in/maryerlain
LinkedIn is all the rage
these days. So you’ve joined, now what? LinkedIn has helped people
in their business development, marketing, sales, research and job
hunting efforts.
Here are some simple ways to use LinkedIn to your advantage:
1.
Decide what your objective is for having your profile on LinkedIn.
Are you looking to promote your business, find a job, develop leads,
do company research or get connected to a large network?
2.
Build a topnotch profile.
Using the resources available to you right now, begin to build your
profile. Use your resume, bio, company website etc. Remember;
tell your story through the eyes of the reader. Tell them, why
you! If you are looking for a job, your profile should read like an
extension of your resume. If you are the owner of your own company,
people want to see the pathway to your success. An employee inside
the company needs to tell their own story and include the company’s
credibility as the foundation.
3.
Upload your picture.
The picture is a professional headshot of you. Not the party
pictures or of the kids and you on vacation. This is business
networking!
4.
Increase your recommendations.
Trick question: How do you get more recommendations? The
answer I usually get is ASK. The correct answer is GIVE. The “give
first” principle will gain better results. Give people in your
network recommendations and you will receive them in return.
5.
Join LinkedIn groups.
Groups in LinkedIn are a powerful tool to meet your objectives for being
on the site. There are several types of groups on LinkedIn. Use the
search feature to find groups that may meet your objectives for
using the site. If you are going to join a group, just like in live
networking, to get results you must get involved!
6.
Market research on LinkedIn.
Whether you are in sales or looking for a job, research is a necessity.
LinkedIn provides both People and Company search features. Prior to
contacting a firm, search for LinkedIn members that currently work
there or have worked there in the past. Read their profiles, build
your own organization chart and become familiar with the
organization outside of their website!
7.
Develop your network.
Do you like referrals? The answer I always get is yes. 1st, 2nd
and 3rd degree connections are just web’s pathway to
referrals! If Connections are open as they are in my network, my 1st
degree connections can search them and ask for introductions.
8.
Learn to communicate in email.
When asking for introductions or sending an Inmail,
state your business clearly. When forwarding an introduction on to
the next connection, state your relationship as to how well you know
the individuals involved. Perception in the email world is left to
the words and words alone…be clear, concise and professional at all
times.
9.
Use LinkedIn Applications.
These are powerful adjuncts to building a great profile.
Applications are easy to upload and use. Not all of them will apply
to your business.
10.
Set aside LinkedIn time in your schedule.
Make this part of your weekly planning. If you are
looking for a job, a lot more time should be devoted to this site.
There are several tools that can help you in your efforts. Spending
about 20-30 minutes per week to clear out the Inbox and update the
profile is reasonable.
LinkedIn is not a replacement for face-to-face relationship development.
LinkedIn can expand our reach in the marketplace and open doors that
we never thought possible.
Zuk-Lloyd Associates, Inc. – Creative writing and art solutions.
We help
clients increase sales by turning ordinary business information into
extraordinary stories.
Contact:
Paul R. Lloyd
630-393-6516
info@zuklloyd.com
www.zuklloyd.com
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