The Do's and Dont's of LinkedIn: A Beginners Guide
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Transcript of The Do's and Dont's of LinkedIn: A Beginners Guide
LinkedIn: Do’s & Don’ts What you need to know about setting up your profile
Presented by: Doreen Wagner
What is LinkedIn?
Why LinkedIn? 131 million users 50 million in US 170 Industries Most are professionals 66% are decision makers
Do this!Do use a good headshot
One that frames your full face Semi-professional Be sure you are smiling Use same across all social media profiles
Employers will be looking!
Choosing a good headshot
Not good, why? Better, why?
Do this!Create your headline Opportunity to tell your story!
Why you are unique Default headline- company & title
Write your own Use critical keywords Express what you are looking for
Do this!Write a killer summary
In 2,000 character or less Convey
Your strengths Knowledge and experience How you can bring value (to an org) Your professional brand
Use industry-specific keywords Consider using your 30/60 sec. intro Remember to check your spelling
“I want to meet that person.”Summary continued…
Write it to be read Consider using 1st person
As a job seeker Start out with a sentence that outlines the
type of work you are looking Remember…it’s a work in progress
Do this!Specialties
In profile this is directly below your summary Tagging yourself
Think about how others categorize & search for you Make this area keyword dense
What do you specifically specialize in? Use broad terms (online marketing) & specific terms
(Facebook marketing) Be consistent with the keywords & identifiers you
use in other materials Stumped? View other profiles in your industry
Do this!Create a custom URL
A what?!? Basically it’s a website address
Why? Unedited LinkedIn URLs:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/katie-beilke/12/25b/8b3 Make it easy to be found Increase overall visibility Easier to share how others can find you
Pick a URL that has your name or some derivative of http://www.linkedin.com/in/doreenwagner
Do this!Showcase your recommendations
Recommendations most effective when from past, current supervisors Don’t discount co-workers
recommendations! Need at least 3 for 100% profile
completion When you many, edit them and only post
the ones that represent you the best Recommend others!
Ask! Don’t wait 5 tips for recommendations
Only ask those who can give a real recommendation
Only give when you have something honest to say
Don’t demand or expect reciprocal action Don’t feel pressured to reciprocate Give specific recommendations that speak
to industry professionals, detail one or two skills, attributes, etc.
Do this!Keep your profile public
Allow others to find and connect with you Search engines ranking
This makes the use of keywords even more important
LinkedIn is ranked very high by search engines
Do this!Go whole hog: complete your profile
Sparse profiles decrease your chances of being found
When someone does find you, they have little to go on
Complete At least 10 years of job history
Detail dates, actual names of companies, job descriptions
Be sure to add all education/training Fill in any open blank
Do this!Join groups
Find others that share common interests Stay abreast of industry news People will find you Job opportunities Become an expert by answering
questions Can search within groups & connect with
members
Join groups…continuedGroups to join as a job seeker
College(s) alumni Industry related groups (HR person- join local SHRM) New North Connection
Regional, advice, job postings, local events The Undercover Recruiter
Online job & career guide Networking
DWD- R U Support FVTC- Job Seekers Network
WI Job & Career Network Job postings for WI
Do this!Treat your profile like a website
Make sure it is well formatted & clean Keep it interesting to others Ask to have it reviewed by friends/family Remember that it is never finished (just
like your resume)
Do this!Make page visually interesting
Use symbols (◊) to break up your text Add emphasis to key elements
Not that!Don’t forget who might see your profile!
Write profile for a target audience & when they find it, you’ll have the credibility you need
Don’t misunderstand connections! Consider who you will connect with
Everyone, only those you have met Find a strategy that works best for you
Not that!Don’t send canned invitations
Customize your invite Let them know who & why you want to
connect, where you met Example
“Thanks for meeting with me yesterday. I enjoyed our conversation about social media. You taught me that there will always be someone who knows more than me and that there is no one strategy that works for everyone. Let’s connect on LinkedIn and continue our conversation”
Not that!Don’t use anything in the name field that doesn’t belong as part of your name
Example Paul ([email protected]) Pablo Users will not be able to search for you This is in violation of the LinkedIn user
agreement & could possible lead you to loose your account
Not that!Don’t use default settings for websites
Customize the label Don’t use “My website” or “My blog” Tell the user where they are going when
they click on your link
Be Proactive!Gain more visibility
Add connections based on your connection strategy
Connections further the likelihood that you will be found
Write a compelling profile
Be Proactive!Give advice
In groups This shows your knowledge & gives you expert
credibility
Do Research Check out who you are interviewing with
Find common interests, connections Career changer?
View profiles in the field that you want to get into to gain insights, keywords, education
Attract. Convert. Transform.Attract
Create a compelling profile (can I say this enough)
Use groups to connect with others, industry leaders Give advice, post relevant & interesting
content
Attract. Convert. Transform.Convert
Use recommendations to showcase your knowledge & unique qualities
Attract. Convert. Transform.Transform
Leverage your connections Who knows? That stranger could be
looking for you!
Want more info? Check out these references I’m on LinkedIn Now What? by Jason
Alba
The Zen of Social Media Marketing by Shama Hyder Kabani
The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success by Wayne Breithbarth