GlobalBX

Everyone seems to be using Linked in at the moment. If you’re going to be on any social networking site, Linked in seems to be it. But, how do you use it to its maximum potential and get business from it? 

1.   Write your profile
Make sure you’ve set up your profile on Linked in. You need a bit about your business and what you do; a bit about you and who you are; your qualifications, background and education and finally a bit about your interests and hobbies. Social networking is about getting to know the person behind the business, so don’t be afraid to let your personality come across. A picture of you wouldn’t go amiss here too. 

2.   Get connected
Invite all your current contacts to join you on Linked in. You’ll be given the option to invite your contacts from your email package when you first start on Linked in, but if you’re already on there, just go to Add Connections at the top. You can also email people directly here and ask them to connect with you. 

3.   Connect to other people
Once you’ve started adding connections, Linked in will suggest other people that it thinks you might want to connect with too. You can see this on the right hand side of your home page under People you may know. Search through these regularly and keep connecting with new people. 

4.   Start communicating
Now you’re connected to people, start communicating with them and building that relationship. Contact people directly to find out more about them. It’s only when you communicate with them that you’ll find out whether there is anything you want to take further. 

5.   Tell people what you’re up to
Post an update (you can see this on your home page) on a regular basis – by regular once or more a day is best. Tell people what’s going on in your business; about some good news; express an opinion; give some tips; promote your business – there is loads you could put on here. A word of warning though – if you’re not happy for your news to appear on the front page of a national newspaper, don’t post it.  

6.   Get involved
Linked in is all about getting involved. Join some groups, get involved in the discussions and answer some questions – you can do all of this in the search box at the top. The more you’re active on Linked in, the more people will get to know you and then of course, they’ll be more likely to do business with you. 

7.   Post your events and newsIf you’re running an event, tell people about it on Linked in; if you’ve written an article, post it for discussion in Linked in. The trick to this social networking lark is being active and the more you do, the better it will work for you. 

So that’s my quick guide on getting Linked in to start working for you. And better still it doesn’t have to be too time-consuming. You only need to spend around 10 minutes a day on Linked in to get it to work for you. So, get cracking.