Best Practice GuideMOI DIGITAL

Author: Stuart Morgan

Digital Marketing DirectorMarketing OptionsInternational

LinkedIn is one of the mostpowerful online professionalnetworking tools, with over 75 million members in morethan 200 countries – and a new member joining every second.

LinkedIn has helped Marketing OptionsInternational develop and nurture closeprofessional ties with our contacts. It’salso invaluable for quickly accessingexpert insight from trustworthy sources.

We want to share some of the usefultechniques our people have picked up.These are our 5 Top Tips for UsingLinkedIn aimed at people who are signingup now, or who simply want to get morebusiness value through LinkedIn.

We hope they will help you to build yourprofessional network and maximisebusiness opportunities with trustedcontacts you want to be associated with.

1. Professionalise your ProfileYou can make a strong quality statementabout you and your company bycompleting and customising yourprofessional profile. Remember thatpeople will often check out LinkedInprofiles before meeting someone for thefirst time. So, it pays to have your profilein good shape.

• Add a photo. Choose somethingbusiness-like, but relaxed andapproachable. Ideally you wantsomething recent and professionallyphotographed. Keep family photos andsocial snaps for Facebook or Flickr.

• Add a personal statement underyour name. Many people simply usetheir job title. But it is more compellingto put a 5-word elevator pitch such as“Expert at managing complex projects”or “Passionate about B2B marketing.”

• Post regular status updates aboutwhat you are working on. Aim for atleast one a week. This will remind yournetwork what you do and what you’reexpert at. You can link status updateswith your Twitter feed too.

• Add a Summary and Specialties.Here you can list out all your areas ofexpertise, achievements, personalstrengths and any interesting featuresof your career. These are highlyoptmisable and can really strengthenyour professional credentials.

5 top tips for getting the best from LinkedIn

• Use keywords in the Experiencesection. Think about the words youwould search for if you were looking forsomeone like you! Include them in yourcurrent position and key responsibilitiesto help people find you in searchresults. It could give you and your company a competitive edge.

• Add your company website andmake the visible text more inviting.Phrases such as “Learn about mybusiness” or “Read my self-coachingblog” are more likely to get clicked –and you can include up to three sites,so make the most of them.

• Edit your Public Profile settings tobe ‘Full view’. This allows people andsearch engines to find you.

• Personalise your URL. Change thedefault LinkedIn profile URL to includeyour name. This also helps people tofind you and you can use it in youremail signature and on business cards.

• Move profile sections around topromote your strongest points.If you are often involved in events, have honours you want to highlight orwebsites and group memberships youwant to feature, just click-and-drag the widgets nearer towards the top ofyour profile.

2. Build your Connections

Start with People Search. This is a quickand easy way to find your existingcontacts, colleagues, partners andclients. You can quickly build up anetwork by asking to connect wheneveryou find new contacts you trust. Alsokeep an eye on LinkedIn’s own

suggestions for people you might know.It’s a great way to connect with othercontacts from your career history – bothto hook into their networks and to getrecommendations for past roles. Avoidtrying to connect with people you don’tknow. This is viewed as spamming.

3. Ask for Recommendations

Get into the habit of asking forrecommendations for work or a projectyou’ve undertaken. If you connect withprevious colleagues, clients or suppliersask them to recommend the work youdid together. Suggest something specificyou would like the person to mentionbecause specific, authentic and sincererecommendations make for powerfulstatements on your profile. And always reciprocate.

4. Join and engage with relevant Groups

Search for and join industry-relatedLinkedIn groups. The icons for thosegroups will show up on your profile,letting your network know your industry

interests. Be active in Group discussionsto help build your network and yourinsight.

5. Install Applications

LinkedIn has great integration with anumber of applications. Our favouritesincluding WordPress and BlogLink,SlideShare and Polls. Use theseapplications to link with your blog, tohighlight papers or presentations you’vegiven and much more. It all helps todemonstrate your expertise and keepyour profile fresh and interesting.

LinkedIn is a highly powerful networkingtool when used effectively. And can easilybecome an integral part of even thebusiest schedule. So, we hope these tipshelp you capitalise on the potential of thisleading social application for business.

5 top tips for getting the best from LinkedIn

About Marketing Options InternationalMarketing Options International (MOI) is a fully integrated B2B technology marketing agency, offering results-focused direct, digitaland event marketing solutions.

With offices in London, San Francisco, Singapore and Sydney, Marketing Options International combines global reach and localunderstanding to produce results-driven marketing campaigns that span evolving media, markets and territories.

The agency was founded in 1987 on the core belief that clients are served best when people share common values – marketing intelligence, imagination, empathy and a passion for technology and delivering exceptional marketing programmes.

To learn more about Marketing Options International, visit www.mointernational.com or call +44 (0)1932 233000

For more information, please contact: Stuart Morgan, Marketing Options International, +44 (0)1932 233000, stuart.morgan@mointernational.com

LONDON • SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY © 2010 Marketing Options Limited. All rights reserved.

LinkedIn is a powerfulonline professionalnetworking tool