5 Ways to Get the Most from LinkedIn

May 3, 2012 by Jeune Ortiz

For B2B, no other social media platform can top LinkedIn for helping to create relevant connections and promote business. Here are five top ways for you to get the most from this important social media platform.

1. Build Relationships

You’ve probably heard the saying, “People do business with people they know and trust.” The quickest way to build trust is by establishing relationships. LinkedIn gives many ways for people to connect with each other. But the most overlooked opportunity is during the invitation process. Accepting an invitation to link-in, is where the relationship building starts. Instead of simply accepting the invitation, write a note to say thanks, ask a question, or get to know the other person a  little better. All relationships whether online or offline start with a simple conversation.

2. Follow the Reciprocity Rule

Recommendations are another great way to let the LinkedIn community know the quality of information and services you offer, but it can be awkward to ask someone to write a recommendation for you. Instead, write the other person a  recommendation first. Not only is this a generous gift, but if often inspires the other person to do the same for you.

3. Answer and Ask Questions

At first glance, the Q&A portion of LinkedIn is a nice way for people to find answers to questions they have. However, answering questions is a powerful way for you to show off your expert knowledge and build credibility and visibility within the community. By asking questions, you’re not simply finding answers, you are actually drawing out experts that you can connect with.

4. Give Valuable Information

Connecting with others on LinkedIn should not be about cultivating the largest audience possible so you can advertise to them. It’s about creating a community of professional business people that may want to do business with you and that you may want to do business with or recommend to others. It’s okay if you need to mention your company’s cutting-edge product because it really is the answer to another persons question. But first and foremost, you need to focus on solving their problem before you try to sell your services.

5. Avoiding the Time Suck

Building relationships on social media platforms takes time away from the other important tasks you have to complete each day. To ensure your efforts on LinkedIn don’t become a burden try these time-saving tips:

• Set a timer so you limit your activities to only 15 – 20 minutes per day.
• Only focus on one task like: completing your profile, answering and asking questions, writing recommendations for others.

Get the Most from LinkedIn

To get the most from social media, you have to get involved, develop relationships, and above all provide helpful information to those who are seeking it. If you’re looking to get more from social media contact us! We can help manage your social media accounts and get you started down the road to building your own community on LinkedIn.

Category: Social Media | 2 Comments

About the author: Jeune Ortiz is VP of Marketing and Creative Director at future-ink. With more than 20 years of experience in graphic design and marketing, Jeune brings extensive knowledge and creativity to each website and internet marketing solution to grow your business.

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