Are you really using LinkedIn? Not, do you have a profile and occasionally accept a connection invite? If you're a Splat you should be on LinkedIn just about everyday. Here is how a few Splats are using this business networking tool to get new business:
Check profiles of the people in your next meeting or networking event. Patrick Agostino of Resolve I.T. not only checks the LinkedIn profiles of people he has scheduled meetings with but also the profiles of the attendees of networking events he plans to attend. He connects with individuals he is interested in speaking with before the event and arranges to meet there. This way his networking efforts are much more focused and less up to serendipity.
Set up people searches. Amy Graver of Elements Design uses LinkedIn's advanced search functionality to help her find the Marketing Directors she wants to network with. She has a saved search with criteria for the person's title and location within a specific radius. This way she can easily see when a new local Marketing Director becomes part of her LinkedIn network as her connections grow.
Participate in Groups and Answers. Every Splat I spoke with testified to the benefits of participating in relevant groups and answering questions. Being helpful is the key. Don't spam everyone by constantly promoting yourself and your company. Post interesting and relevant articles to groups to start discussions, comment on other people's posts and answer questions. By being helpful you are also demonstrating your expertise and customer service. Many good connections have been made this way and have lead to new business.
Quality vs Quantity of connections. The age old debate, when the quantity of connections increase to over 500, 1000, 2000 does the quality of those connections decrease? Sean O'Rourke of Syzygy 3 and Dave Hatter of Libertas Technologies have differing opinions.
Sean will not connect with people he does not know. This helps him to connect with the right people and makes the best use of his time in building these relationships. He applies a strict etiquette not only when connecting but also in how he engages with his network. Sean does not aggressively approach his connection's connections and always wants to be respectful and maintain trust. He's also gotten direct business from his status updates since his updates are going to a very targeted audience.
Dave is a networking powerhouse with over 2500 connections and believes in connecting online and in real life with as many people as possible and making the most positive impression by helping, not pestering. He spends about an hour a day on LinkedIn. With such a vast network, if he is interested in connecting with someone at a specific company, a search is always fruitful with 20-30 results. Once he finds people he would like to be introduced to, Dave always calls his direct connection to chat and ask for introductions. Since he is comfortable managing a high volume of information, he finds value in every activity, profile update and status update.
One approach is not necessarily better than the other. One approach can be better than the other for every individual based on what suits that person more. Both ways can be highly effective when done well and within the spirit of good social networking.
Optimize time spent on LinkedIn and the benefits. Dave Hatter had a few more good tips.
- Stay up to date by scanning the RSS feeds for all network updates and specific Answers categories.
- Keep your Outlook contact information up to date by using the Outlook Toolbar. Any changes a connection makes is automatically updated in Outlook.
- Engage on LinkedIn with your personal brand in mind. Generally being helpful leads to discussions and new connections. Don't expect everything you do to directly generate business leads.
LinkedIn is a valuable business social network that every Splat should be using. Take the time to figure out what works best for you and will help you to keep on billing.