LinkedIn, It's as easy as 1, 2, 3

LinkedIn, It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3

I hear time and time again, I don’t understand linkedIn or how to use it. Well I’m going to make it very simple for you, like 1,2,3. LinkedIn’s sole purpose is to build professional relationships by exchanging information, ideas and creating opportunities. This is one of the many tools for your social media arsenal.

Let’s get started.

Step 1 – sign up it’s FREE! Go to LinkedIn and create a login and password.

Step 2 – Get your resume and start filling out ALL the fields. Now on the side there’s a %, so you can see where you are in the process of completion.

To complete your profile you need:

1. Fill out all the fields in the Profile

2. Start making connections

3. Get a minimum of 3 Recommendations (usually

through your connections)

Your profile will take time, so be patient.

Step 3 – Some cool features and strategies.

As you’re filling out your profile you’ll notice a section for adding Applications, which is a great feature to add your blog, slideshow, events, polls… It’s a way to showcase what you’ve done. Remember LinkedIn is about getting the word out about YOU or YOUR company. This is the place to showcase what you’ve been doing or are doing. Below are just a few out there and the great news is LinkedIn adds new applications so keep checking back.

Another cool feature is if you’re on Twitter you can now connect your twitter account to linkedIn as well as 3 other websites you may be on. For example, our company has a separate blog website, a YouTube channel as well as our company website. So it’s a great way to drive traffic to your other sites.

Now some strategies:

After you’ve filled out your profile, here are some tips for working on your connections and recommendations. Start with your address book, see how many connections you can get from there. Next, start joining other networking groups. Go to Group Directory and put in your keywords to groups you’d like to join e.g. engineering, social media, video production, recruiting, healthcare…. you get the point. Start joining the groups you’re most interested in connecting with other people. Did you catch that … connecting, so this is another great resource for finding new connections.