Like the 50 million other users out there, you have a LinkedIn profile. But like most of those users, you have no idea how to get the most out of this powerful tool. While I don’t suggest to know all the ways to use LinkedIn, the following have been very successful for myself and our clients.
1. Have a clear strategy for using LinkedIn. As with all media outlets, identify what message you are trying to communicate from the outset. Check your descriptions and links to make sure they work with your overall intent. If this profile is to help you get a job, make sure it promotes your individual strengths. If it is to help your company generate new business, make sure it promotes the strengths of the company as a whole, as well as describes your role in that. The key to success with any campaign is clarity of purpose and consistency. Make sure you are interacting with your LinkedIn communities regularly (think weekly) and engaging them in your responses in order to become and remain top of mind.

2. Link up your Twitter, Blog, and YouTube accounts. LinkedIn makes it easy to connect profiles from other social media outlets and display them on your profile, either directly or through “Applications”. Keep in mind that the intent of your LinkedIn profile. While the YouTube video of your 3-year-old daughter singing, “I can do it by myself” may be adorable, it is probably not relevant to your business contacts. Keep those kinds of posts for your personal Facebook page, and keep LinkedIn strictly for business.

3. Ask & answer questions. LinkedIn provides an Answers section that allows all users to post and respond to questions. These are divided by industry, and are an excellent way to show your expertise in a matter. Because the answers section is not limited to your connections, it allows you to engage with a much larger network of people. It also helps you build connections with people you don’t share connections with.

4. Join groups. Groups introduce you to others with shared interests. You can participate in discussions with fellow group members, post articles, poll members or post jobs. These are basically sub-communities within LinkedIn and allow you to choose who you interact with. As with all communities though, it is never enough just to be there, you have to participate. An active user will be a welcome user. An inactive user is not even known. A side benefit of being in a group is that you can send other members direct messages without having to use (and pay for) InMail.

5. Refer people to one another. I know you’re looking for referrals, but the Law of Reciprocity says you have to give to get. So figure out who in your network should know each other. Several years ago, sales guru Gill Wagner let me in on his secret for becoming the go-to guy for connections – every week he makes sure to connect 2 people who don’t already know one another. This means he has to listen carefully to the needs of the people he meets so he can connect them to people who can help. In the process he has become known for having an amazing network, and he wins tons of great karma for being the guy who makes that happen. You can be that guy (or gal) too.

6. Reach out to your extended network. The power in LinkedIn lies in your 3rd degree connections. These are the people who are 3 steps away from you. Reach out to them by asking for introductions or using InMail. Of course, you must make sure you have something to say that is relevant to them (for goodness sake, don’t try to sell them in that first contact!).

7. Download your contacts! Did you know that you can download your contacts as a CSV file and upload that to your existing CRM system? No … well now you do! This way you can leverage your relationships with your LinkedIn connections through other outlets – like email newsletters, print campaigns, direct mail, etc.. And better yet, you can track your efforts right alongside your current system without having to change or duplicate that information.

8. Use your status update wisely. Changing your status means you are put on the home page of every connection you have. Make sure to change this regularly and only update it with messages that are consistent with your strategy. Ask for what you need and post what you want. Specificity allows people to connect you with the right people and opportunities.

I’m sure there are tons of additional ways to get the most out of LinkedIn, but I assure you that if you are employing all these tips, you will be richly rewarded with success. Let me know your thoughts and what I missed.