LinkedIn is a social networking site for professionals. (You are a professional if you have or have ever had a job or a business.) There are several reasons why you should be using it, including:
- Staying in touch with your former co-workers
- Keeping up with professionals and companies that you’ve done business with
- Joining groups related to your profession
- Sharing updates related to your business
- Keeping updated contact information
You need to have a LinkedIn profile for anyone looking for your business/skill set or to re-connect with you.
There may be old friends or co-workers, for example, looking for your contact information. Or there may be recruiters trying to fill a job position.
If you’re a business owner, your profile can be the one to stand out, particularly if you have recommendations. It’s OK to ask for recommendations from your former co-workers, clients, and customers. It’s even better to give recommendations.
Your LinkedIn profile should include:
- A recent professional photo
- A link to your website or blog
- A summary of your experience or of your business
- Detail on your work & volunteer experience
- A list of skills
Once you have your profile set up, you should search for your connections and send a connection request. Make it a personalized request with a reminder of who you are / where you’ve met. Also search for groups affiliated with your industry or interests and join them.
LinkedIn will fill your news feed with a mix of profile updates, status updates, comments, and sponsored ads. It’s useful to read your news feed on a regular basis to see what’s happening with your contacts. You can make status updates too. Let your contacts know what’s new with you, your professional accomplishments, links to articles that you’ve liked, and links to your blog posts.
Plan on doing LinkedIn status updates monthly, if not weekly.
You can also “follow” companies in your industry to see their updates.
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