HarvestHR Breakfast Briefing

How to Use LinkedIn

Do you wonder what LinkedIn can do for you and where it should sit with your business? Do you know the essential elements that come together to form a complete LinkedIn profile? Do you know where

the true benefit of LinkedIn lies?

The recruitment industry was one of the "guinea pig" industries that LinkedIn used to launch. Now in my 20th year in the recruitment industry I saw LinkedIn emerge, I saw the reluctant take up of LinkedIn in the mid 2000's and now in the last two years its meteoric rise in the professional space. It is my hope today to help you make the most of LinkedIn for business, be it for developing your brand, increasing your networks, gaining business and, if you're in a specialised field, gaining potential employees.

Now you may be thinking this is another pipe dream.

You can't actually get business from social media.

Alternatively, you’re starting to realise that your key networks are there but you

haven't "officially" arrived on the LinkedIn scene and the time is now to make your

mark!

Or you may not be able to visualise how to harness the Power of LinkedIn and need assistance to connect the

dots.

Or you just need help starting your LinkedIn

journey.

Today I’m going to bring you up to date with LinkedIn.

Then we’ll focus on getting your profile right

How to Optimise Recommendations and Skills

We’ll cover connecting, groups and thought leadership

Who has been to a networking event and hated it? Most people hate networking as they are carolled into a big room, with people they don't know,

they know that there are people that would add a lot of value to their organisation, either as a potential client or partner of sorts but they never

find them. They get talking to the wrong people and leave without making a meaningful connection.

Now, consider, the room now has all the same people. However those you are interested in have markers. Prospective clients have an arrow above their head pointing to them. Of course you are going to make a bee line for them now you can see them. Partners have a light bulb above their head so you can mingle with prospective clients and people

in your partner circles. You have strategic conversations, the people you meet value your input and you have a very warm lead to follow up the next day. Well LinkedIn provides this forum. It is likened to a 24x7 networking event that you can tap into as often or as rarely as you wish, depending on how much you really want it to work for you!

Let's dissect this First - LinkedIn gives you access to the right people if you know how to look for them Second - LinkedIn allows you to showcase how you can fill a potential client's need or have partners see what you can deliver and how to tap into your skills and capability Third - Through connecting with appropriate groups you can fast become a

thought leader in your industry by adding content to discussions on a regular basis. And groups give you the greatest chance to leverage the right connections for your business.

Let’s look at LinkedIn

Getting Started on LinkedIn

First - Some basics What you need to have a complete profile

First is Your Headline - First Line and Second LineBut…before you start building your profile

1. Questions to Consider:“Who am I targeting?”“What will I be using LinkedIn for?”

Headline

SummaryConsider your why? Why are you using LinkedIn?

Here is a summary that is a pitch!

Experience Consider the Detail. What do you want your

LinkedIn audience to know about you?

Education The more relevant your education is to your

market the more you will shine!

Skills Choose 10 most relevant and once you

connect with contacts they will endorse you.

Recommendations Testimonials are more compelling than skills

endorsements

Now…CONNECT!!

GroupsGet in with your target audience

Connect with Group MembersOnce in a group it is easy to connect with the members of that Group

Organise Your Connections The Tagging Function – By clicking “Tag” you can tag your connections by title, discipline, network or other grouping

TagsHere are mine…

Influence If you have a company page, invite your connections to follow you and you can publish thought leadership onto that page.

Influence You can also establish your own group and publish into your

group.

Influence in Mutual Interest GroupsBecome an Authority

Publish to Interest Groups and become a Thought Leader in that Group

So…Do You Want to Get Lost in the Crowd?

or…Be Found, Known & Credible

That’s the Power of LinkedIn