In LinkedIn for Business Chapter 1 , I gave you the first 7 steps to using LinkedIn as a tool for growing your business.  The first 7 steps focused on getting your LinkedIn account set up, completing your profile and making connections.  Now that you have set up your LinkedIn profile, it is time to start using the tools available to you through this social networking platform.  In this Chapter I will cover steps 8-15 on how to continue to use LinkedIn to not only grow your business but to Start Building Your Brand by utilizing some basic brand building techniques.

8.  PROMOTE YOUR ACCOUNT

Once you have completed your LinkedIn account, you should promote your profile wherever you can.  Some examples would be to post a LinkedIn Icon on your website and connect your Linked In account with your other social networking feeds.  As you print new business materials, include your LinkedIn profile URL on your business cards, stationary, sales flyers and the like.  You can also add your URL to your signature line for your email to increase your profile visibility to all of those you email with on a daily basis.  Mine says: “Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/IPWatchdog_Too.” This gives people the ability to see all of your experience and other credentials without having to ask you for more information.

If you use the same email signature in both your personal and professional email correspondences, it also makes you more “available” to those who may not have been looking for your services at that specific time.  Think of times where you’ve corresponded with people and out of curiosity clicked on the link to their business.  You are not alone.  Many others will do the same.  And for each person who connects with you because they were curious, you now have access to all of the people they are connected with as well. Always keep in mind that making and keeping connections is one of the most important aspects of building your brand.

9. TARGET YOUR MARKET

One way to target your market is to conduct market research and gain knowledge with surveys.  Upon completion of your surveys, share your survey results with your contacts.  This too will add to your credibility as well as to help you learn more about what your audience is looking for.

Another way to do so is to narrow down the audience you are trying to target within your connections is by using the Advanced Search feature.  You can find this feature on the top right side of your home page next to the search box.  This feature gives you the ability to search for people by industry, company size, language spoken, seniority level, function within the organizations, relationship, time since joining LinkedIn, relationship to you, groups, fortune levels and Interests.

In fact, because of a comment that was left on Chapter 1 of this topic in regard to having too many connections, I did an advanced search of my contacts for attorney and 1^st connection and my list was narrowed down to only those who were attorneys.  I then did another more specific search using “IP, attorney” and then in another search “patent attorney.”  This narrowed my search down even more.  In so doing something it reminded me of yet another extremely important aspect of setting up your profile on LinkedIn, which brings me to step number 10.

10.  USE KEY TERMS THROUGHOUT YOUR PROFILE

In Chapter 1, I stated that you should keep your profile current and up to date.  As you continue to add content and grow your profile, be sure and use Key terms within your profile that you would like to be associated with.  When I did my key term advanced search for “IP, Attorneys” IPWatchdog’s Gene Quinn did not show up on my list returned by the search.  However, when I searched for “Intellectual Property, Attorney” and separately searched for “Patent Attorney” his profile did show up.  It is extremely important that you incorporate all key terms that you can think of that others might use to search for someone like you within your profession.  Use these terms throughout your profile so when they use the search feature, your profile is brought up in the search results.

11.  SEND AND REQUEST RECOMMENDATIONS

You have the ability to ask for recommendation from previous and current employers, employees and other business colleagues that you’ve interacted with over the years.  You are not limited to just those you’ve worked with while employed, you can also reconnect with professors you had while in school as well; particularly if your education is pertinent to your industry. Finally you can also ask customers that you know have had positive experiences with you to also give you and your products and services a recommendation as well. Increase your word of mouth referrals by asking your happy clients to write you a recommendation, which will be published on your LinkedIn profile and will be broadcast to their entire LinkedIn network.

In addition, you can write honest and valuable recommendations for others within your list of contacts.  Recommend previous employers, employees and co-workers that will show the readers of your profile just what types of things you appreciate in others that you work with.

12.  DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS

Ask questions in the Questions and Answers section to get a feel for what customers and prospects want or think.  You can ask for opinions, thoughts, facts or advice by using LinkedIn Answers. You can do this based on specific answer categories such as business development, website design and email marketing.  This function allows you to ask questions which others within your network and the greater LinkedIn network as a whole can answer. This will give you a better understanding of who the experts are within your field.  These are the people that you will want to add as 1^st connections within your network that then puts all of their connections into your network as well. According to LinkedIn, “The premise is that you will get more high-value responses from the people in your network than more open forums.”  So, grow your network and make more connections!

13.  SHOWCASE YOUR EXPERTISE BY ANSWERING QUESTIONS

You can also utilize LinkedIn Answers to showcase your expertise by answering questions that pertain to your area of knowledge and experience.  In answering the questions of others, you will show expertise without the risk sounding like an infomercial for yourself.  In order to use this function, you will need to go to the “Add an Application” link on the bottom right-hand side of your home page.

When you do choose to answer questions, use this as the opportunity to “connect” with the person asking the questions.  Do some research on that individual and find a way to tie in a personal response with something from their LinkedIn profile. Again this is a way to build powerful relationships that will grow your business.  When answering questions, be thorough and offer tips, website links with additional information, or even recommend someone who is the best expert on that topic even if it is not yourself.  Always end your answer by inviting the reader to contact you privately if they need additional assistance.   By asking thought provoking questions and giving useful answers to the questions of others, you are helping to build your credibility as an expert within your field.  The best questions and answers will give others a reason to look at your profile.   Make a point of answering not only random questions, but specifically questions in your field to “establish your expertise, raise your visibility, and most important, to build social capital with people in your network.”

14. START A GROUP

Start and manage a group or fan page for your products and services, your brand, business or industry as a whole.  When you go to your LinkedIn home page you will see a “Groups” link in the navigation bar.  When you scroll over the word “Groups”, either a drop down box will appear, or you can click on “groups” to take you to the Main group page.  There are four tabs that includes “My Groups” “Following,” “Group Directory” and “Create a Group.”

When you create a group, start by choosing a name that is relevant to what it is you are trying to accomplish. The name of your group should contain key terms that others interested in your company, products and services or industry as a whole, will use to seek your group out.  Next add your company logo to your group.  Adding a logo will accomplish two things.  First it will personalize the group giving the members of your group familiarity each time they visit or receive information from your group.  Second, and more importantly, the logo is an important aspect of building your brand.

Enter a Summary for your group.  Give others a brief description about what your group is and what your purpose is for setting up the group.  The Summary of your group will be displayed in the Group Directory as long as you put a check mark in the box to “Display this group in the Group Directory.”  Also add a full Description of this group as well.  This description can go more in to depth about your goals for the group what you’re looking to achieve or get out of the group and so on.  This description will appear on your group pages.  You can also select whether to allow any one to join through Open Access or whether to require users to request membership to your group.

15.  CREATE POWERFUL EVENTS

Hosting an event is a great way to build your business. LinkedIn has an events platform that allows you to target thousands of professionals for free.  In the LinkedIn navigation bar, under “More” click on the link for “Events.”   On the Events home page, located on the right hand some of the page is a search box to find other events, updates on events you’ve created and a box to add a new event.  You can also get to the Add an event module by clicking on the tab below the Blue Events title bar.   You simply fill in the form and click “publish event.” The best part is once someone RSVPs to your event; it shows up on the home profile of everyone that person is connected to, spreading the message for you.

Remember, The most important aspect of Social Networking is not necessarily the generation of revenue; rather it is increasing one’s visibility and building brand recognition.  By utilizing Social Networking you are making your company, products and services available to an audience who would not otherwise find you.  The overhead cost of these Networking outlets is virtually nonexistent.  Yet the visibility is invaluable.  For many, the most important aspect of Social Networking is letting others know whom you are, what you do and what you have to offer.  Social Networking is not a revenue generator in the online catalog sense.   However it is a way to build your brand and increase brand recognition by increasing visibility, showing your expertise and building a reputation based on your customer service, all while connecting you to new potential customers which in and of itself will inevitably lead to additional revenue.  Look forward to Chapter 3 where I discuss more in depth pointers on how to continue to use LinkedIn to increase brand recognition and visibility.

To Be Continued….  Again!

• The Importance of Social Networking for Business Part III: LinkedIn Chapter 3