Using LinkedIn to Build your Business

There are all kinds of social networks popping up on the world wide web – everything from Facebook to Foursquare – you name it. But, if you have a strong desire to network with professionals in your field, LinkedIn is the social network for you. But take note, it's not as easy as it looks. So, we've put together the top ten tips for networking with business professionals through LinkedIn.
Top ten tips for using LinkedIn to Build your Business:

1. Complete your profile.


Setup and complete a profile. If you use your profile the right way, you will right-of-the-bat provide a gateway for potential clients, employees and industry partners to contact you. Be very thorough and provide a lot of information in your LinkedIn profile. The more complete your profile, the easier it will be for people to find you through search engines. Make sure your summary is complete and include a professional photo of yourself to increase your credibility. Add skills to your profile to highlight your expertise and make it easier for other users seeking certain abilities.

2. Promote your LinkedIn profile.


Add a hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile in your email signature, post it on your business cards, and add a link to your profile on your web site. Download the free icon set at Yootheme.com and add the professionally designed social icons to your web pages so visitors can easily visit your LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter profiles.

3. Create a company page.


Build visibility for your business by creating a company profile in LinkedIn. Company profiles give members an opportunity to view information about a company. A company profile should include a description, number of employees and the industry it operates in. Develop your company profile with a logo, locations and add a feed from your company blog.

4. Grow and monitor your network.


Import your existing contact lists from your e-mail client to find out which of your contacts are already on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a powerful tool for networking because it automatically recommends people you might know based on your details and existing contacts, and you should regularly scour through your existing contacts for people you might want to connect with. Offering to connect with a variety of people is a great idea because it shows customers you are online, builds trust and credibility, and gives you a competitive edge – many of your competitors are probably not engaging customers in the same way.

5. Engage with your connections through LinkedIn Groups.


LinkedIn allows members to join 50 groups. Join groups with a high membership. This gives you the opportunity to engage with like-minded people who can provide you support and answer business-specific questions. Joining groups that are related to your industry or other small business matters is also a great way to make new connections.

6. Get recommendations.


Trust on the Internet is crucial to a business. Given the number of options web users have, you're actually asking site visitors to do you a favor when they visit your web site. And they're more likely to perform a favor for you if you establish trust on your web site. So, add trust-building elements to your web site – elements that not only encourage the performance of an action, but make the site visitor comfortable in the performance of that action. One way to build trust is to build a list of LinkedIn recommendations.

Recommendations are the most looked for feature when viewing a new profile and are a great way to secure new clients. Recommendations enhance your professional credibility and create a great impression on people reading your profile. Ensure you request LinkedIn recommendations from happy customers willing to provide testimonials. Satisfied customers are the best source of new customers.

7. Search for and recruit the right people.


Use LinkedIn's search tools to find people best suited to your business. LinkedIn provides a search tool that is very powerful and customizable. You can search, for example, for Texas web designers with whom you want to connect with your web hosting firm. Save your search and LinkedIn will email you the list of candidates from the search results on a regular basis. Once your receive the email of prospective connections, send each one a customized, personal email explaining the reasons why you would like to connect and how your relationship can be beneficial to both of you.

8. Improve productivity through LinkedIn mobile.


Accessing LinkedIn through smart phone app's enabling you to update your profile and search for others on LinkedIn to help recall and connect with business acquaintances at events and conferences. You can use the LinkedIn mobile application to find background details of the person you are meeting on-the-go, putting you in good stead for a great introduction and conversation points.

9. Integrate your Twitter feeds into LinkedIn.


To sync your LinkedIn and Twitter accounts, begin by checking the Twitter box under the Network Updates box on the homepage and follow a few simple steps. Access your LinkedIn profile settings, and click "manage your Twitter settings". By linking your LinkedIn and Twitter accounts, you are able to add a new dimension to your professional conversations.

10. Share your blog articles with your LinkedIn groups.


LinkedIn recently added a new feature that allows members to share and discuss news with LinkedIn groups. I can not emphasize enough the power of this tool.

Build your business with LinkedIn.

LinkedIn profiles can increase page rank in Google, which leads to more visitors to your company web site. LinkedIn allows you to make your profile information available for search engines to index. Since LinkedIn profiles receive a fairly high Page Rank in Google, this is a good way to influence what people see when they search for you.

Choose a quality web hosting provider. Build a professionally designed web site. Then, add a blog to your web site and build your article base by regularly adding quality, original articles each week. If you can't write, hire a copy writer to populate your web site and blog with new content a few times a week. You will quickly discover the cost versus benefits equation tips in your favor. Or write a few lines on what's going on in your industry – an upcoming seminar, symposium or trade show. In other words, keep your site visitors up to date with the latest news.




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