The Lazy Person’s Guide to LinkedIn

Let’s face it, when someone sends you a request to become part of your network on Linkedin most of the time you accept it, because you don’t want those annoying emails to come every week.

I viewed LinkedIn as having little or no value until I harnessed the power of its features.

1. LinkedIn Groups is an effective way to stay in contact with professionals in your industry.  I joined a Video Professionals group where I receive tips, best practices and industry advice on various topics.  They can range from how much to charge a client for a specific project to what software or camera gear would fit a budget.  I receive a daily email digest from the group with the headlines and most active discussions.

2. Linkedin is a great way to reach prospects.

Many high level managers and prospects use Linkedin but they may not be on Facebook.If the prospect is on Facebook, offering a business solution to them on their may be out of place. When you are Linkedin your profile can provide a jump-start for your career and business by keeping it updated with your latest business moves or status updates.  It can give your potential prospect to look at what you have done and then get a deeper understanding of your product or service before you land that first meeting.

3. LinkedIn is a great way to be found by recruiters. 

This is one of the major ways recruiters find people, especially in hard to fill positions.  I know friends who get job notices often from the site and make it a point to keep their promotions and accomplishments updated on their profile.  The more targeted key words that you use in  your profile, the better chance of you being found by a recruiter.

4. LinkedIn can enhance your personal brand or Platform. 

This is an area where I think most people miss, especially recent college graduates. They upload their photo and copy and paste their resume and hope for people to contact them.  You can use Linkedin to share links to your blog, your work, and even projects you have completed on the job.  You should use the site a multimedia resume and a way to show your skills online and create solid job connections.

5. LinkedIn answers.

We have all heard of Yahoo Answers, the random site where people give advice and even Quora where advice reigns supreme, but Linkedin Answers gives you specific answers from people who are in your  industry.  Of course, like any web service you must use your common sense and not take every answer as fact.  Overall, the quality of the answers I have received have been above average.

6. LinkedIn Community is strong.  For example there are many fake recruiters that use catchy headlines and offer big salaries for jobs. I have seen “Get paid to mess around on Facebook and Twitter” and of course this headline would get many clicks, but it was fake.  The good thing is that the community is good with sniffing out people who are fake and spammers.

LinkedIn has a wealth of good information waiting for you but you have to get over the “lazy” persons mentality of  “not another social network” to manage.

Question: How do you use the world’s largest professional network? Have you benefited from and connected with professionals from the web site?  Leave your comment below

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