1. Best Practice Guide
MOI DIGITAL
Author: Stuart Morgan
Digital Marketing Director
Marketing Options
International
LinkedIn is one of the most
powerful online professional
networking tools, with over
75 million members in more
than 200 countries – and
a new member joining
every second.
LinkedIn has helped Marketing Options
International develop and nurture close
professional ties with our contacts. It’s
also invaluable for quickly accessing
expert insight from trustworthy sources.
We want to share some of the useful
techniques our people have picked up.
These are our 5 Top Tips for Using
LinkedIn aimed at people who are signing
up now, or who simply want to get more
business value through LinkedIn.
We hope they will help you to build your
professional network and maximise
business opportunities with trusted
contacts you want to be associated with.
1. Professionalise your Profile
You can make a strong quality statement
about you and your company by
completing and customising your
professional profile. Remember that
people will often check out LinkedIn
profiles before meeting someone for the
first time. So, it pays to have your profile
in good shape.
• Add a photo. Choose something
business-like, but relaxed and
approachable. Ideally you want
something recent and professionally
photographed. Keep family photos and
social snaps for Facebook or Flickr.
• Add a personal statement under
your name. Many people simply use
their job title. But it is more compelling
to put a 5-word elevator pitch such as
“Expert at managing complex projects”
or “Passionate about B2B marketing.”
• Post regular status updates about
what you are working on. Aim for at
least one a week. This will remind your
network what you do and what you’re
expert at. You can link status updates
with your Twitter feed too.
• Add a Summary and Specialties.
Here you can list out all your areas of
expertise, achievements, personal
strengths and any interesting features
of your career. These are highly
optmisable and can really strengthen
your professional credentials.
5 top tips for getting the best from LinkedIn

2. • Use keywords in the Experience
section. Think about the words you
would search for if you were looking for
someone like you! Include them in your
current position and key responsibilities
to help people find you in search
results. It could give you and
your company a competitive edge.
• Add your company website and
make the visible text more inviting.
Phrases such as “Learn about my
business” or “Read my self-coaching
blog” are more likely to get clicked –
and you can include up to three sites,
so make the most of them.
• Edit your Public Profile settings to
be ‘Full view’. This allows people and
search engines to find you.
• Personalise your URL. Change the
default LinkedIn profile URL to include
your name. This also helps people to
find you and you can use it in your
email signature and on business cards.
• Move profile sections around to
promote your strongest points.
If you are often involved in events,
have honours you want to highlight or
websites and group memberships you
want to feature, just click-and-drag
the widgets nearer towards the top of
your profile.
2. Build your Connections
Start with People Search. This is a quick
and easy way to find your existing
contacts, colleagues, partners and
clients. You can quickly build up a
network by asking to connect whenever
you find new contacts you trust. Also
keep an eye on LinkedIn’s own
suggestions for people you might know.
It’s a great way to connect with other
contacts from your career history – both
to hook into their networks and to get
recommendations for past roles. Avoid
trying to connect with people you don’t
know. This is viewed as spamming.
3. Ask for Recommendations
Get into the habit of asking for
recommendations for work or a project
you’ve undertaken. If you connect with
previous colleagues, clients or suppliers
ask them to recommend the work you
did together. Suggest something specific
you would like the person to mention
because specific, authentic and sincere
recommendations make for powerful
statements on your profile. And
always reciprocate.
4. Join and engage with
relevant Groups
Search for and join industry-related
LinkedIn groups. The icons for those
groups will show up on your profile,
letting your network know your industry
interests. Be active in Group discussions
to help build your network and your
insight.
5. Install Applications
LinkedIn has great integration with a
number of applications. Our favourites
including WordPress and BlogLink,
SlideShare and Polls. Use these
applications to link with your blog, to
highlight papers or presentations you’ve
given and much more. It all helps to
demonstrate your expertise and keep
your profile fresh and interesting.
LinkedIn is a highly powerful networking
tool when used effectively. And can easily
become an integral part of even the
busiest schedule. So, we hope these tips
help you capitalise on the potential of this
leading social application for business.
5 top tips for getting the best from LinkedIn
About Marketing Options International
Marketing Options International (MOI) is a fully integrated B2B technology marketing agency, offering results-focused direct, digital
and event marketing solutions.
With offices in London, San Francisco, Singapore and Sydney, Marketing Options International combines global reach and local
understanding to produce results-driven marketing campaigns that span evolving media, markets and territories.
The agency was founded in 1987 on the core belief that clients are served best when people share common values –
marketing intelligence, imagination, empathy and a passion for technology and delivering exceptional marketing programmes.
To learn more about Marketing Options International, visit www.mointernational.com or call +44 (0)1932 233000
For more information, please contact: Stuart Morgan, Marketing Options International, +44 (0)1932 233000,
stuart.morgan@mointernational.com
LONDON • SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY © 2010 Marketing Options Limited. All rights reserved.
LinkedIn is a powerful
online professional
networking tool