Web Biz Strategy

Today we’re not talking about MySpace / Facebook / Twitter / etc.  We’ll get to those networking channels later. We’re talking about LinkedIn, because if you’re talking web business, you need to be in the game on the leading professional networking web site, and that’s LinkedIn.

If you don’t already have one, go create a LinkedIn account now. Once you’re done, or if you already have an account, read the items below and make sure you’ve done them all. Once you have, you’re off and running!

My profile is 100% complete!

1) Fill out your complete profile. LinkedIn will let you know how complete your profile is, 50%, 80%, etc. Do not stop until you are at 100%.

The algorithms that LinkedIn uses to serve up employee and employer search results include profile completeness. I’m a project manager on LinkedIn. There may be tens of thousands of PMs, so what’s going to make me show up on top of a potential employer’s search results? A few things, and one of them is my profile completeness.

Not only that, but this is now your online resume, CV and calling card. It should be your top “salesperson.” If you have professional successes and accomplishments, experience, skills, and specialties,  and they aren’t all listed on your LinkedIn profile page, you’re selling yourself short.

• Add a picture. When people like you, they’re more likely to want to hire you, that’s human nature. When someone is looking at a profile page, it’s easier for them to connect with you as a human being when they know what you look like. So put a picture up!

• Get at least three recommendations. Recommendations account for 15% of your total completeness score, at 5% per recommendation.  So without three recommendations you’ll never be at 100%. When you solicit recommendations, let the requestees know that: A) even a few sentences will be fine (this keeps them from putting the recommendation off until they have time to write something longer), and B) you’re actively looking right now, so if they could get something up sooner than later that would be a big help. Be nice and be appreciative, and definitely send a “Thank You” email afterwards.

  

These are just some of the groups that I have joined.

2) Join groups. Groups help you network, and give you opportunities to help others, demonstrate your expertise, and learn about opportunities. Join as many groups as you have professional interests. I’m in about a dozen groups currently, from marketing to SEO to project management and user experience, and will join more if I’m studying a new discipline and want to engage with that professional community.

3) Answer questions.  On your LinkedIn Home Page, on the right there is a button to “Add an Application.” Choose “Answers” and pick a topic. Repeat this process for each professional topic you’re interested in. Now questions will start showing up on your home page. Read them for good ideas and resources. Answer them, and if you provide the most useful answer, your answer will be flagged as “Best Answer” which builds your professional credibility. Your profile should be set to display your Q&A status, so it could show for example “Web Development (2 best answers)” and “E-commerce (1 best answer)”.

I use my LinkedIn profile page for cover letters. After the cover letter I say, “For more info and professional references, please visit my LinkedIn page.” This is trust building and helps what’s called your personal brand.

Ok, more on  LinkedIn to come,  for now I leave you with a very handy piece that’s linked to from the bottom of your LinkedIn home page (in case you missed it), Guy Kawasaki’s post, Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn.