LinkedIn provides a great way to network and if you use it correctly you can further your business and your personal brand. Here are some suggestions that will help you get the most out of your LinkedIn presence.
Keep your profile complete and current: Even though LinkedIn has many features, your profile is still one of the most compelling reasons to use the website, which is why LinkedIn is one of the best searchable databases of businesspeople available. And if you want to be found by others, you need to make sure that your data is complete and current.
Don’t use canned invitations: That doesn’t mean every Invitation has to be a lengthy personal epistle. Here are a few tips for keeping Invitations efficient but personal.
Keep it short when you can.
Make sure you know whether the person is already a LinkedIn member.
If the contact isn’t already a member, offer to help with the registration process.
Don’t expect everyone to network like you do: Setting rigid networking expectations can be a source of needless frustration and can actually prevent you from building relationships with some pretty great people.
*Do your homework: People provide you all kinds of guidance, both direct and implicit, regarding what to contact them about and how. If you’re the one initiating the communication, it’s your responsibility to communicate on their terms. And showing that you took the time to do your homework about them demonstrates a certain level of commitment to the relationship right from the outset.
Give LinkedIn messages equal importance: Many people have a tendency to treat LinkedIn communications as less important or less time-sensitive than an official e-mail or phone call.
Nothing could be further from the truth. People get jobs, hire employees, gain clients, and make deals as a result of LinkedIn-based communications. They are every bit as much a part of your essential business correspondence as the rest of your e-mail. (If they’re not, you’re connecting with the wrong people!)
Don’t spam: One person’s networking is another person’s spam. Better to err on the side of caution. There are plenty of ways to use LinkedIn productively without getting a bad rep as a spammer. Some basic rules of etiquette are
Don’t post marketing messages, job listings, job search queries, or connection-seeking messages on Answers.
Don’t automatically subscribe your connections to your newsletter.
Don’t send connection requests to people you don’t know.
Be proactive about making new connections: If you just set up a profile, connect with a few of your contacts, and then expect business to come your way, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. That’s not to say that it can’t happen, but being a little bit proactive goes a long way.
Cross-promote: Your LinkedIn profile is just one web page of your total web presence. It should connect people to your other points of presence, and you probably want to direct people to your LinkedIn profile from other venues as well. Here are some good cross-promotion practices:
Customize your LinkedIn profile links.
Include a link to your LinkedIn profile in your signature.
Link to your LinkedIn profile in your blog's About page.
Put your LinkedIn URL on your business card.
Add value to the process: LinkedIn is based on the idea that existing relationships add value to the process of people meeting each other. If all you’re doing is just passing the Introduction “bucket” down the virtual bucket brigade, you’re actually getting in the way of communication, not adding value. To add value, you have to give those Introduction requests some thought. Is it an appropriate fit for the recipient? Is the timing good?
Don’t confuse quantity with quality: If you want to track your real progress using LinkedIn, don’t measure it by meaningless metrics like number of connections, endorsements, or questions answered. Use metrics that you know directly tie to business results, such as
Leads generated
Joint venture/strategic partner prospects generated
Qualified job candidates contacted
Qualified employers successfully contacted
Interviews scheduled
Speaking opportunities
*Publicity opportunities
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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/ten-linkedin-dos-and-donts.html
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