For the last several months I’ve realized that my LinkedIn strategy has been less than brilliant.
Translation: It totally sucks, lacks imagination and consistency, and serves my marketing efforts about as well as a bipolar Congress does the health care crisis.
Solution: Get over to Amazon and buy How to Really Use LinkedIn, by Jan Vermeiren, with the assumption that the author (a networking expert) really knows what he’s talking about . . . AND, the book is new enough to still be meaningful. Mission accomplished.
But, what did I learn?
Leverage the Power of LinkedIn
Although you can learn the basics of LinkedIn, the real power of Vermeiren’s book is using LinkedIn’s existing tools to leverage the power of the network. I think many of us solopreneurs sit out here in cyberspace, forgetting that every person we contact or who contacts us becomes part of our network. Imagine the most intricate spider web you ever saw out back in the garden.
Filled with advanced techniques as well as the fundamentals of effective networking – - this book preaches what I have long believed to be true – - building relationships begins with you, not the other guy. Reach out and help, and you’ll get more people reaching back to you than you thought possible.
I’m particularly fond of the charts on pages 31-33, that show at a glance which part of LinkedIn to use to accomplish specific goals. For example, if you want an introduction, use the introductions tool; if you want to maintain existing relationships use personal messages or share ideas in Discussions and Answers.
There are plenty of advanced strategies, with a separate section devoted to:
- finding new customers
- finding a new employee
- finding a new job or internship
- finding a new supplier or partnership
- finding expertise
I also liked the section on free tools to use when working on LinkedIn, particularly browser toolbar and widgets.
I’ve already highlighted and side-noted my way through How to Really Use LinkedIn, and am calendar-ing how to best implement both basic and advanced strategies. Because I’m just starting out, I can’t speak to how effective the strategies will be, but I do feel for the first time that I’ve been able to wrap my head around more of LinkedIn than ever in the past.
Anyone else read this one? Would like to know what LinkedIn strategies you feel really helped.
