FabianPattberg.com

How To Use LinkedIn To Build Your Business Network

September 3rd, 2008 - 2:49 pm

LinkedIn is the largest online networking site on the web and every person that is interested in building their professional network and growing their business can profit immensely from the usefulness of LinkedIn.

Why is that? Here are some stats for LinkedIn

Over 25 million professionals from over 150 different industries
One of the largest online recruitment and business development resources
187 % 2008 year-over-year growth (2007-2008)
Over 9.5 million page views month-on-month (May 2008)

LinkedIn is definitely one of the places on the net where every serious business person needs to have a profile.

The key to successfully using LinkedIn is to be an active member and to try to connect to as many people as possible even if you have not previously met this person.

Here are some tips and tricks on how to use LinkedIn to build your business network:

Fill out all the fields with your previous work experience, network, qualifications, etc. The more you tell about yourself the better you will be found on searches.
Upload a picture. Obvious I know. But over 50% of all profiles on LinkedIn I have seen do not have a picture of the person. A picture provides another personal touch. Use a picture.
Always keep your profile updated. This is also important as the system rates continuous user activity as a positive when it comes to be found in searches.
Join various LinkedIn groups to connect to likeminded people and invite them to connect.
If you have the money and you really begin to see the business benefit then why not become a business or business plus member. This will enable you to get more features and help you to be ranked higher in searches.
But the link to your profile in your email signature. In this way friend, business contacts will be able to go directly to your LinkedIn profile.
Invite people to connect via LinkedIn by looking them up using your Yahoo, Hotmail or Outlook contacts.
Be open and honest about yourself when using LinkedIn. It might “only” be a page on the internet but be aware that this page will also be indexed by search engines and therefore come up in your name search.

All in all is LinkedIn a fantastic resource for building your professional network so if you do not already have a LinkedIn profile then you are missing a trick.