How to use Linkedin to network yourself, and your business. From a presentation to the Florida Direct Marketing Association by Jim Gilbert of Gilbert Direct Marketing, Inc. Reach Jim at jimdirect@aol.com, follow him at @gilbertdirect

1. Networking In The 21st
Century

2. •
jimdirect@aol.com
•
561-302-1719
•
Follow me on twitter: www.twitter.com/gilbertdirect
•
Linkedin: b..llP://www.linkedin.com/in/jimwgilbert
•
Blog: httg1Lgilbertdirectmarketing.wordpress.com/
@ 2009
GUbert Direct Marketing, Inc.
AU rights reserved.

3.  Which sites:




Linkedin?
MySpace?
Facebook?
Twitter
 To network:
 Yourself?
 Your business?
 Both?

4.  There is definitely an art to in person networking!
 Myself like so many other people are
uncomfortable with it (I tend to be shy in person).
 Which is why online networking has grown in
popularity, for both individuals and businesses.
 Today we’ll discuss tactics for both individual and
business networking.
 Personal first! (also applies to business)
 The current situation…

8.  It is just as
important to your
career to add
quality contacts
to your personal
network…
…as it is to excel
at your job!
It’s crucial to build your personal
“rolodex” with people who could be
influential to your future career!

9.  However the most powerful networking
site for business is Linkedin.
 A pure-play business networking site.
 Has reached critical mass the fastest with
over 30 million business users.
 Has the most robust tools for building your
personal “brand”.
 http://www.linkedin.com

10.  User type number 1 – the
casual user
 People who add their profile to
Linkedin.
 People who set up their linked profiles.
 Connect with some other people.
 Maybe get a reference or two.
 Join a group.
 And use the search function occasionally.

11.  User type number 2 – the Power
User
 Linkedin power users (the goal of this session)!
 Use their profile page like a mini website to brand
themselves.
 Use all of the features of Linkedin:
 Groups
 Q&A
 Applications
 Advanced search, References, and more…

12.  User?
 Power user?
 Don’t use Linkedin at all?
 What’s a Linkedin?

13. It’s time to become a power user
 First let’s
look at your
profile page.
 This is where
you begin to
promote
your
personal
brand.
 Your search
engine
“landing
page!”

16.  Some basics first:
 First make sure you fill in all the hotspots





Current and past positions
Education, summary and specialties
Interests, groups/associations, honors
Be as complete as you can.
Think in keywords. If someone is going to search for
YOU what keywords would they use to find you?
 If YOU were going to search for you, what keywords
would you use?
 Also make sure you set your contact settings to allow
emails (your email will be displayed)

17.  This feature gives
you an idea of:
 Who has searched
for you (many
times their name
is not listed, just
a title or general
description)
 How many times
your profile has
come up in a
search!
The goal of promoting your
business and or yourself is to
watch this space carefully
This is an excellent measure of
your networking success.

18.  Current/
past
positions
 Education

19.  Summary
 Specialties
 All are
searchable
 Use the
right
keywords
for
success!

20.  Interests
 Groups and
associations
 Honors and
awards
 Don’t skimp
here!
 Contact
settings
(set
this to display
email)

21.  Your profile page is your:
 Personal home page
 Online resume
 The place where people can get a sense of who
you are (a well rounded individual)
 You’ve already showed your talented in
your profile, now it’s time to add some
“color”!

22.  Adding “color”
 You can add up
to three different
website links to
your profile.
 Each link has
copy that can be
customized.

23.  Adding “color”
 Joining groups
tells people
where you
belong.
 You can join up
to 50 groups.
 More about
groups in the
“promote
yourself” section

24.  Adding the
reading list
application gives
people a sense
of you beyond
the business
world.
 Add in more
than just
business books.
 People can sign
up to follow your
reading list.

25.  The Linkedin
poll application
lets you poll
your contacts
and ask relevant
questions
 A great
marketing tool
to let your
connections
know how you
think and what
your interests
are!
Another application/tool
to engage others with
your personal brand!

26.  There are a few
Linkedin apps
that allow you
to tie into
blogs.
 Since I started
my blog 2
months ago
I’ve had 5,000
hits, most from
Linkedin. More
on that later

27.  Adding
Google
presentation
app allows
you to share
your resume,
portfolio or
PowerPoint
decks with
people who
visit your
profile page

28.  Ask your contacts
to recommend you.
 Testimonials will
sell your talents
better than you
ever can!
 Recommend people
you know and they
will reciprocate.
 Don’t ask for reco’s
from people who
don’t really know
you!

29.  It’s simple to promote yourself on
Linkedin.
 Tweak your profile often.
 Change your status often.
 When you do, these changes get sent to your
connections who receive email updates, are
shown on your connections home pages and/
or show up in your RSS feeds.
 To turn on RSS feeds go to the accounts and
settings page (link is on the top right side of
your profile page.)

31.  Connect with as many people as
you can!
 Use the search feature to find people you know
 Load up your address book contacts and send them
link requests
 One neat feature: once you load your address
book, Linkedin alerts you when someone in your
address book joins.
 Add your Linkedin URL to your email signature.
 Join as many groups as you can.

33.  Once you join a group:
 Post a message in “discussions” to that group telling
them who you are.
 Post relevant questions or information to your group
(but avoid being “spammy”)
 Add value to the group by answering questions (it’s a
give to get medium).
 Groups tip: Don’t just join complimentary groups, find
groups where your skills aren’t in abundance.
 Example I belong to apparel groups to discuss catalog
marketing issues along with vertical direct marketing
groups.
 Another tip: I also post links to articles I have written
in the groups, “news” section.

35.  Asking questions and providing answers is another way
to build your network and get known on Linkedin.
 Similar to asking and answering questions in groups,
be relevant and don’t be spammy.
 After a question you ask closes (7 days) go back and
rate the answers. The best rated answers gain
“expertise”. Experts receive extra promotion on
Linkedin and provide you more notoriety.
 If you have a question or a problem, this is the place to
come. You will receive great answers from some really
knowledgeable people!
 I built my blog by using this function.

37.  Researching companies
 Much information on companies
you want to partner with
 Checking references
 Find out more about who has
been searching for you.
 Case study

39.  Search for a
company
and there is
much info
you can find.
 You can even
request to
have your
company
added
 Find
employees
and contact
the right
person to
help you out.

40.  This
function is
perfect
for:
 Vendor
references
 Employer
references
 Employee
references
 Company
References

41.  In the last 3 months since I restarted my
consultancy/agency, Linkedin has provide me
with 3 new clients.
 My strategy begins with my blog:
 Are any of you blogging?
 Took me five minutes to set up with Linkedin
Wordpress Application.
 Once I set up the blog, I asked some strategic
questions in the Q&A section of linked in
 Essentially what do you think of my new site
 And a few technical questions on blog set up.

42.  All I needed for my blog was content!:
 In just 2 months I have had 5,000 hits on my blog,
mostly from Linkedin!
 Every time I published an article on my blog,
 I posted a link to the “news” and discussion section of my
group
 I also published links to MySpace, Twitter, Facebook as
well.




Everybody can blog!
Your content – go with what you know and love!
Everybody has a story to tell. Find your muse
Don’t be a yenta. Blogging has rules and legal
issues!

44.  I asked a lot of questions related to direct
marketing.
 I answered many questions and gained
“expertise” status.
 Same thing with the groups. Q&A figured
prominently to gain recognition.
 My blog URL is always in my signature of all
posts.

46.  Your profile is key – make it stand out, and tweak it often to
take advantage of update broadcasts.
 Connect to many people.
 Get recommended!
 Use the Q&A, and Groups functions strategically.
 Add in applications to provide more functionality and a
complete picture of you as a human being.
 Don’t just have a Linkedin page, become a power user.
 Blog!
 Use every site, not just Linkedin

47.  We just started groups on Linkedin and Facebook
 http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/1529377
 http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40901952757
 Look for us on Twitter, and MySpace soon
 Look for our blog and message boards on our website
 www.fdma.org

48.  27 year history of success in DM. Consumer and B2B.
 Creative, Strategic, Operations!
 GDM, Catalog and Direct Marketing Consulting, Full
Service Agency.
 Author of Profitable Cataloging column for
CatalogSuccess.com.
 Adjunct Professor of DM, Miami International
University.
 FDMA Board Member.
 Link to me on Linkedin:
http://www.linkedin.com/profile?
viewProfile=&key=11996982&trk=tab_pro (must be
signed in)

49.  Do you have any questions?
 How have you used Linkedin
or other networking sites to
build your business?

50. Thank You
Jim Gilbert
Gilbert Direct Marketing Inc.
Contact info:
561-302-1719
jimdirect@aol.com
http://gilbertdirectmarketing.wordpress.com/
Catalog Success Column