With all the talk about social media marketing using Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn is often pushed to the sidelines. But LinkedIn can be one of the most effective tools for B2B (business-to-business) marketing. Here are some tips on using LinkedIn effectively:
Complete Your Profile
This should be self-evident, but I still see many people with sparse LinkedIn profiles. LinkedIn tells you how complete your profile is -- so keep going until you've reached 100%. Make sure you add links, work history, education, and a very descriptive summary. Rather than a resume, think of it as a sales sheet that potential clients can read about you and your experience.
Pay Attention to Links
Avoid using the standard link types to "My Website" or "My Blog." Instead, choose "Other," as it lets you create your own label. You can set the anchor text to more relevant labels, such as "Web Design Blog" or "Ecommerce Web Design by Acme, Inc."
Edit Your Title
The title of your profile is created automatically; if you don't edit it, you're stuck with a title related to your most recent position in your experience. If you're like me, you probably have more than one "current" position. I edited mine to read "Ecommerce and Online Marketing Author, Blogger, and Speaker."
Use Keywords
Using keywords in your title, summary, and positions helps you get found in searches. Be sure to include the names of companies you work for, certifications you hold, technologies you employ, and so on.
Status Updates
It's great that there are ways to post status updates to LinkedIn from virtually every social network available, but think twice before doing it. The reason? LinkedIn is a social network based primarily on business contacts. It's not a place you connect with friends and family necessarily -- unless you also have a business relationship with them. Your contacts on LinkedIn are likely to have no interest in your late-night partying or softball games with the kids.
Instead, post status updates to LinkedIn that connect with that audience. Post relevant updates, such as links to articles or blog posts, new portfolio pieces, or accomplishments related to your firm.
Recommendations
Recommendations are a powerful feature, but one that many people misuse or abuse. If you connect with enough people, you'll eventually receive recommendation requests from individuals who you've never worked with at all. Do not do this -- recommendations only work if they're authentic. Don't recommend anyone you've never worked with, and don't ask for recommendations from people where no professional working relationship between you exists.
Do ask for recommendations from clients, colleagues, previous bosses, or anyone else that you've worked with over the past few years. One really effective way to gain a recommendation is to recommend a person, then ask for a one in return.
Applications
Use LinkedIn Applications to integrate SlideShare presentations, books you're reading, and your recent blog posts into your profile. If you travel for business a lot, also check out the TripItapplication.
LinkedIn Answers
LinkedIn Answers is an online community where members can ask and answer questions. It's broken down into industries and categories, enabling you to find easily the areas where you may be of value. Those who post questions can rate the answers and select one answer as the "best." If your answers are consistently chosen as the best, you'll be portrayed as an expert in your field, which can add a lot of credibility.
Groups
LinkedIn Groups are communities focused on individual niche topics or industries. Some are generic, such as "Online Marketers" or "Web Design," while others are for specific organizations; "Harvard Business School Alumni," for instance. Groups are a great way to show your affiliations, and also give you a place to talk with other industry professionals. Each group has a private message board where members can ask questions. I've also seen lots of firms looking for contract work or specialists in a particular industry for a specific client. Both Groups and Answers are an ideal way to show your expertise in a certain area.
