GUEST POST: How to use LinkedIn to network.

I, like many of you no doubt, am a member of the social media site LinkedIn (which is kind of the "Facebook" for business people). I keep hearing and reading how people have used it to get advice, recruit and find jobs and build their business. But have just never figured out how - which considering how addicted I am to facebook, Twitter etc is amazing.

So here is a guest post from Simon Lewis (Editor of Only Marketing Jobs) that tells me (and you) how!

He writes:

"We all know that LinkedIn rules the earth. Well, it is certainly trying to do so. Business folk circumvent this networking platform at their peril, for avoidance renders them conspicuous by their absence.

But just like any other product, LinkedIn is only beneficial if you know how to use it. Virtuous it may be but just how much can it improve your personal development opportunities and, anyway, how do you use it to network?

First, let’s look at what you could do:

Courses of action

Suppose you are a jobseeker looking for marketing jobs. What would be your usual course of action?

1. Register your details with a couple of selected recruitment agencies.
2. Type “marketing jobs” into Google and see what comes up. You may also wish to determine a specific location.
3. From this you’ll get a selection of advertised vacancies from job boards and recruitment agencies. Or aggregators pointing to the same.
4. You may be an executive, in which case you’ll probably grab the Guardian on a Monday or, perhaps, you’ve already subscribed to a trade journal or two.

Whilst on the face of it these proactive job hunting methods are admirable, they are nothing new. All your competitors are doing this; and right now there are many of those.

So here’s what you can do with LinkedIn:

Before you start, make sure your public profile is complete and up-to-date. And this includes your photo. There is little point engaging in the social media space and hiding under the sofa. Show people who you actually are, not what you want them to believe. Where’s the transparency in that?

Next there are your recommendations. Who can endorse you? Of course, these need to be business references, not something your ‘professional friend’ cobbled together. Ideally you’ll have a collection of suppliers, clients, peers and managers.

Are you a blogger? Do you have your own blog page? If so, set it to RSS into your LinkedIn profile – provided, of course, it complements (rather than contradicts) the image you’re trying to portray.

What we’re trying to get at here is that your profile is your sales platform. You have no idea who views your page each day and if you get it wrong you could be missing out on some great opportunities. Because unlike the four channels mentioned above networking is a two-way process. You need to visible to people looking to find you as much as you need to be proactively punting yourself. By getting it right, you really can maximise your exposure on LinkedIn.

Once ‘social you’ has been established you can confidently commence your networking, which means putting yourself in front of as many relevant people as possible. And if you are jobseeker you’ll be tracking down premier recruiters and, of course, direct employers.

Join a LinkedIn Group

One of the most constructive ways to network via LinkedIn (and any other digital space for that matter) is to join relevant groups. This is where your peers, recruiters and potential employers hang out. There are 1000’s of groups on LinkedIn so choosing the right ones can be a bit trial and error. If you are a marketer, for example, you would join a marketing group. Common sense. Many groups are densely populated by friends across the pond, and whilst the US tends the lead the way technologically, they don’t half mind nattering about themselves.

Contribute to the Group

Once you’re in the groups, take part. Social media encourages an altruistic culture so you should be giving more than you receive. Start discussion and join in others, offering advice and passing on your knowledge. People soon realise who the good guys are and you will be surprised who starts connecting with you. If you have an interesting news piece, share it. Benevolence this may be, but this is part of the networking. Play the game right and you will be rewarded by the bucket-load.

LinkedIn offers you the chance to send messages directly to the people with whom you wish to engage. You already share common ground so with some clever content you can easily break the ice. You can request people to join your network and they will oblige if they see some relevance. By offering the opportunity to connect with your contacts you will initiate a two-way beneficiary. Again, it’s about being authentic and transparent.

LinkedIn search functions

There are various search functions you can implement to find the people you want. The same process will help you uncover companies in your [skills] area that would be worth researching. Before/after you apply for a job (via LinkedIn or not) why not seek some advice from people who are either working there now or who have in the past. This will help you prepare your application and, where necessary, tailor your cover letter. It will also provide useful knowledge at interview stage.

Make an impact

Don’t forget that the fundamental rule of networking is impact; leaving your contact wanting more. You need to be as proactive as you are reactive; ensuring your online presentation is as good as it is during the offline meetings LinkedIn will undoubtedly afford you. "


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