LinkedIn Best Practices

Hunter McKay

Utilize LinkedIn to:Enhance your personal profile and SEOOptimize connection opportunities with

journalists, editors and current/potential clientsUse LinkedIn as a resource for relevant content

consumption

What’s the primary use of LinkedIn?“Professional networking website”

Networking opportunities Relevant content consumption Job opportunities

Takeaways: expand your professional network and be exposed to content that is relevant to your field

What Not To Do:Choose a bad profile photo

“I Love Cruises” “I Joined The Circus” “I Took This With My Flip Phone”

“I Love To Party and I Want Everyone To

Know”

What Not To Do: Include irrelevant information

What Not To Do: Include every skill under the sun

LinkedIn Profile BasicsMake sure you have an appropriate photo

Make sure your experience is relevant and up-to-date

Include any blogs or articles you have written

LinkedIn Profile Basics Include relevant skills, but be specific

PR: Strategic communications, media relations, crisis management, Google Adwords, webinar management

Marketing: Inbound/outbound marketing, social media marketing, online/product marketing

Video/Digital: Video production/editing, music composition, portrait photography, Adobe Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.)

Improve your SEO by:Customizing your URL

linkedin.com/in/mckayhunter

Improve your SEO by:Adding anchor text that includes relevant websites

pinkstongroup.com yourblog.com

How should I connect with others on LinkedIn?Connections

Groups

ConnectionsSegment people you know

and how you know them

GroupsShare content

Find and answer questions

Make business contacts

Apps for LinkedInUse Evernote to save business cards

Premium account required for unlimited cards $5.99/mo or $49.99/yr

Apps for LinkedIn IFTTT (If This Then That)

Create “recipes” that connect apps and automate actions

Apps for LinkedIn

“If a new job or employee is added by a company you follow, send an email.”

Apps for LinkedInLead Gibbon

Access to email addresses on LinkedIn

Apps for LinkedIn

Apps for LinkedIn INstant Search

http://instant.linkedinlabs.com/

Paid Account Benefits:See who has viewed your profile

Full profile access

Advanced search options

InMail privileges LinkedIn messages have an 85% open rate over basic email; so

tapping into these InMails can be a big advantage to starting conversations more quickly.

How to Browse Profiles AnonymouslyGo to Settings

Click “Privacy”

Scroll to “Profile viewing options”

How to Browse Profiles Anonymously