LinkedIn, founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003, has over 135 million registered users and is the largest business-related social networking site. The document outlines best practices for maintaining a strong LinkedIn presence, including networking strategies, profile optimization, and consistent engagement to generate leads. It emphasizes the importance of building connections, joining relevant groups, and actively participating to enhance business visibility and online reputation.

1. LinkedIn - The Story So Far
Founded in December 2002 and launched
in May 2003
As of 3 November 2011, LinkedIn reports
more than 135 million registered users
in more than 200 countries and territories.

2. LinkedIn - The Story So Far
It is the world’s largest business related
Social Networking site.
In June 2011, LinkedIn had 47.6 million unique
visitors, up 63 % from 2010
77% of users are aged 25 plus
The average household income of a
user is £70k

3. LinkedIn - The Story So Far

4. LinkedIn - Why Use It?
Create, develop and maintain business relationships
Create awareness of yourself among potential clients
and candidates (“personal branding”)
Demonstrate your competence and expertise to
establish the trust upon which business relationships
depend

5. LinkedIn - Why Use It?
Increase your Internet presence
Does a wonder to your SEO Efforts
Networking
Platform for showcasing your expertise
Create Ad’ Campaigns
Meet your clients/prospects through events
Build a company page as well as your profile

6. LinkedIn - Best Practice
Maintaining a
LinkedIn profile is
one of the most
important steps
you can take to
manage & control
your online
reputation.
LinkedIn’s high
Search Engine
Optimization
means your
LinkedIn profile
page often
appears at the top
of search engine
results

7. LinkedIn - Best Practice
Find Who You Know
Start with your existing contacts
Let LinkedIn scan your email address book to
find out who you know is on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn will NOT automatically send connection
requests to your contacts; you choose which
contacts to invite

8. LinkedIn - Best Practice
Personalise your URL
Change your LinkedIn profile URL (web address)
from the default setting to
www.linkedin.com/in/"yourname"
E.g.: www.linkedin.com/in/guyoutram
Helps people find you when they search for your
name within LinkedIn, Google and other search
engines

9. LinkedIn - Best Practice
Email Marketing
Include your LinkedIn URL in your email
signature
Add a Photo to Your Profile
Photographs personalize your profile and give
you social media credibility - Keep it professional

10. LinkedIn - Best Practice
Ask to Connect at Every Opportunity
Whenever you have business interactions with
people, ask them if they’re on LinkedIn and if
they’d like to connect
Send connection requests after meeting with
candidates and prospective clients

11. LinkedIn - Best Practice
Acquire Enough Connections
The more work experience you have the larger
your network should naturally be.
The more connections you have, the more
LinkedIn search results you will appear in (i.e.
makes you easier to be found).
Rule of thumb? Multiply your age by 10 and that
is the minimum number of connections that you
should aim for.

12. LinkedIn - Best Practice
Have a Profile Headline That “Brands” You
This is the single most important piece of
real estate on your LinkedIn Profile, and you
need to brand it as such!
Appears in search results next to your name
It’s your elevator speech in a few words.
Be creative! Think of something appealing other
than your title and company name?

13. LinkedIn - Best Practice
Fill Out As Much of Your Profile as You Can
Make Your Profile Rich with Keywords
Don’t hide - Change the settings on your profile to
“Full View”
Link to Yourself – Website, blog, Twitter feed
Give, and ask for, recommendations

14. LinkedIn - Best Practice
Update your Status Regularly and Strategically
Watch Others’ Status Updates to Initiate Contact
Join Groups
Post News within Groups
Ask Questions Strategically

15. LinkedIn - Best Practice
Answer Questions Posed by Others
Install Applications
Use the “Follow Company” Feature

16. 7 Steps To LinkedIn Success:
1 Commit to connecting
With 5 current or lapsed business associates
every day. When you connect with people, you
and your business jumps to the forefront of their
mind. When that happens, they remember you
when someone needs the services you provide.
Connecting = Forefront of their Mind = Leads.

17. 7 Steps To LinkedIn Success:
2 Join up with 17 relevant Groups.
Over the course of 30 days, Why 17? Because
it’s not 2 or 3, which is the number most people
join. The goal is to spread your visibility online
and the best way to do that is by joining 17
Groups, not just 2 or 3.

18. 7 Steps To LinkedIn Success:
3 Answer 2 questions a week consistently.
Turning answers into leads is a longer term
strategy. It may take 5 answers to generate a
lead or it may take 25 or 50.
The key will be to keep at it consistently over
the long haul.

19. 7 Steps To LinkedIn Success:
4 Start a discussion in each new Group
Every day for 5 days after you’ve joined with
them. After doing it for 5 days, you’ll have made
a few new friends in the group. If possible and
appropriate the discussion will include a link
back to your website to create more visibility.
If possible create an e- newsletter that they can
download. This captures their data for re-
marketing in the future.

20. 7 Steps To LinkedIn Success:
5 Create a direct advert
The key here is to have a landing page on your
website where you can collect people’s contact
information when they sign up for something
you’re offering. You should write and create a
simple ad for this

21. 7 Steps To LinkedIn Success:
6 Add applications on your Profile Page
If you want to make your Profile Page as
engaging as possible then adding Reading Lists
and SlideShare presentations are a good place
to start.

22. 7 Steps To LinkedIn Success:
7 Review and repeat the above steps
The key to making LinkedIn work will be
consistency. It’s not easy,
You need to be there consistently so that you
can build up a following and an audience to
generate a steady stream of inbound leads.

23. LinkedIn – Other Tools:
Find Jobs & Post Jobs
Search companies
Polls – read & create surveys
Events – Find & Post

24. Next Time:
What is Facebook?
Why Use Facebook?
How To Use Facebook
Facebook Success for Business