Top 5 things I love about Linked In

I was talking to a client recently and she asked me if having a presence on Linked In was really worth her time.   My immediate and enthusiastic response was- YES!  After a quick conversation where I inundated her with all of the fantastic uses for Linked In, she was finally persuaded.  I decided to recap part of our conversation in today’s blog.  The benefits of Linked In require more than one blog.  To get started, I have decided to give you what I see as the top 5 things I love about participating in Linked In.  I know there are many other gems out there and I would love your ideas and feedback.

So, my top five:

5- Searching- You can use the search function to locate former colleagues, classmates, and clients.  It is really easy to use-you can search by city, company, name, Alma Matter-you name it.  I recently used this to track down several members of my law school class for an upcoming reunion.  Don’t sit back and wait for people to find you-search for the folks you want to connect with!

4- Groups-You can locate groups to join on nearly every topic, subtopic, and business issue imaginable.  Savvy users join the groups where they believe their clients, referral sources, and competition are hanging out.  Once you join a group, you can participate in the groups’ discussions and can link to other members of the group.   Go find a group that matches your professional description or better yet, the description of our ideal client.  You can join 50 groups at a time.  It is free.  Go join and try it out.  If you don’t like the group, you can leave.

3- Follow.  You can follow people and companies on Linked In.  When you elect to follow you will receive an email or notification anytime the person/company  posts something new.  Often posts are company press releases, recent news articles, or upcoming events.  Good rainmakers know that they need to stay on top of this information about existing clients anyhow.  Linked In makes it easy.  In addition to staying in touch with existing clients, you can also use this information to build rapport with potential clients.  If you see a status update regarding a recent promotion or successful event, send a congratulatory note.  If you really want to dazzle them send them a hand-written congratulatory note!  Either way, you will appear like the consummate professional staying on top of the little details. Use client updates as a way to start conversations with potential clients, maintain a consistent dialogue with existing clients, and to stay on top of important events. 

2-Status Updates.  Through the status update function you can post new info to groups, individuals, and twitter all at the same time.   Use status updates to establish yourself as an expert on a topic, to promote strategic partners, and to keep your name front and center.  Word of caution- use updates strategically.   Your professional connections do not want to know that you are buying milk, hanging at the local bar, or whether you liked the new hot film.  They do want to do know what you are reading, writing, and even conferences you have attended.

1-Thought Leadership- Without question, the best thing about Linked In is the ability to display thought leadership.  You can do this in multiple ways.  The first way is simply to use Linked In as a method to publish new articles.  Unlike the traditional method of writing an article and shopping for a place to publish, you can now write an article and post it to Linked In.  If the article fits within a group’s discussion thread, you can post it to a specific group.  If it is something brand new with no obvious connections to a group, you can simply post it to your own profile or update and invite others to respond.  No muss, no fuss, just write it and post it.   

The next way is to highlight articles you have published in other mediums.  I recently had a client that was published in a sports journal, when the article ran, she posted a copy on Linked In-exponentially multiplying her readership and showcasing herself as the expert. 

Yet another way is by participating in the group discussions.   You can monitor a group from the safety of your computer and when the topic turns to something you are knowledgeable about, you can jump in and showcase your knowledge.  It is amazing-you don’t even have to wait your turn in line.  As long as your comments are relevant, you can jump right in! 

Finally, you can show thought leadership be re-posting articles you have read with insightful comments about meaning, key take-aways, or proposing counter positions.

Like any other business development method, the key to success on Linked In is consistently.  Resist the temptation to promote your self.  Instead position yourself as an expert through your thought leadership.  Linked In is fantastic medium for you busy Moms that have trouble leaving the office.  It is not a substitute for in-person meetings but it is a great way to prime the pump!  I know there are many additional ways to leverage Linked In-send me your favorites.

Don’t forget your umbrella-I see rain in your forecast!

 About Jonelle- Jonelle Vold is a business coach that is passionate about your success.  A mother of twins, former Assistant Dean at a tier-one law school, attorney, and seasoned sales professional, Jonelle understands the challenges of high-level professionals.  Her coaching philosophy is every person has the ability to be a rainmaker by cracking their own personal code and doing business with intention.  You can reach Jonelle at jonelle@jonellevold.com, 520-225-9053, or www.jonellevold.com.   Short-Term-Massive-Action Group Coaching Classes starting on June 1, 2011, jonelle@jonellevold.com for details.