LinkToPro.com

Submitted by Tina Arnoldi, LinktoPro.com Contributor

@tinaarnoldi

Is LinkedIn yet another social networking site you don’t necessarily have time to use?  If you’re on Facebook , why bother with yet another account?  That’s what I thought initially.  I resisted it for a while and finally thought it was time to see what it’s about and am glad I did.  It’s where learned about LinktoPro.com!

LinkedIn is generally viewed as more business oriented than Facebook and is a useful tool for managing professional connections.  It allows you to create an online resume which is helpful for a job search and letting contacts know about your specific skills.  It complements your LinktoPro profile.

In the Fall of 2009, LinkedIn hit 50 million users (TechCrunch).  If you’re ready to join the 50 million users on LinkedIn, below are some suggestions for getting started.

Setting up your profile

Like any other social networking site, you create a profile when registering your account.  Decide how much personal and professional information you want to add.  You can always start with basic information and add more to it at another time.   Although LinkedIn will suggest a URL, you can select your own.   Using your first and last name can help with your search ranking and looks professional when sending your link out to people.

Making connections

Once you set up your profile, you’ll see some suggested connections based on your geographic location.  You can also seek out potential connections by importing your email addresses so LinkedIn can search for existing users.

It’s up to you to accept or decline invitations to connect.  LinkedIn is not a popularity contest.  If you don’t know the sender or don’t feel you know the person well enough, you are under no obligation to accept an invitation.  Think about whether or not you are comfortable endorsing that person, which you are quietly doing when you include them in your network.

You can certainly accept an invitation from someone you don’t know when it is a good business opportunity.  Or, in my case, I have several people in my network that I have never met, but “know” them through online communications and am comfortable endorsing them.

What to share?

Think carefully about how much information you want to make public, meaning anyone can type in the URL and see information about you.  Market yourself by sharing links publicly when you want to be found, such as with your twitter account.  Sharing your current or past job titles will give people a broad view of your skills.  However, think carefully about making your phone number or phone number public to just anyone.

Join groups

Developing new business relationships is facilitated by joining LinkedIn groups based on interest or affiliation.  Check the group directory to see which groups are available.   Take advantage of the discussion boards for additional networking opportunities.  Look for questions you can answer and take the opportunity to ask some of your own.
Asking and answering questions

Outside of groups, you can search the answers section to find questions posted in your areas expertise.  It’s important to offer something and not only make it about you, which is an important point in all social networking sites.  Also, make sure you’re really answering the question appropriately and not just engaging in self-promotion.  When you do post a question, make sure you thank people for their time.

Setting up your profile with appropriate privacy settings and making initial connections are the first steps to take.  Once this is done, see if there are questions you can answer and look for groups in your field of interest.  As you spend time on LinkedIn, you’ll come across other features beyond what’s mentioned in this post.  Overall, you’ll find it’s a social network that’s worth your time!

Editor’s note – You can meet some of our team on LinkedIn too!

Tina | Michelle | Marken | Mark | Molly | Laura | Karen | Nilesh | Brian