Use LinkedIn For More Than Just Building Connections

LinkedIn made some major improvements in 2014. There were times a few years ago when I wondered if LinkedIn was going to stay in the game. Many businesses moved their resources over to Facebook for a time, but I am beginning to see them slowly migrate back to LinkedIn, which I think is a great move. LinkedIn pulled through. It has once again become a very strong place for companies to network and grow their businesses.
LinkedIn Isn’t Just for Quick Research
I recently heard a group of experts at a painting conference discuss social media tools and best practices for painting contractors. They spent a lot of time talking about Facebook and Twitter, yet when it came to LinkedIn, they spent probably no more than a minute or two. In my opinion, they barely brushed over it as a place to look for a job or do a little research about a prospect before a sales call. (Two great ways to use LinkedIn, by the way.) Oh, but LinkedIn is so much more powerful than just being an online résumé or research tool. Yes, with recent changes made by this social media giant, you, as an individual, can really build your personal or business brand. PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: One piece of advice before I share a few of the best practices: BE AUTHENTIC! Do not try to be someone you are not on LinkedIn, or any social media platform for that matter. Building a brand online takes years unless you happen to be one of the lucky few people who have some secret sauce that goes viral overnight. Don’t count on that! The more you can connect with your audience in a real and genuine way, the more you and your company will become a trusted resource for your product or service. People buy from people they like and trust. It is not always about the price tag. Here are a couple of the things you can be doing to grow your business on LinkedIn:- Post quality status updates: You don’t need to let your connections know you are eating popcorn and watching hockey. No, leave that for your friends on Facebook. Instead, you could take a picture or video of a safety meeting you are having with your team.

- Be sure to respond to comments you receive, and say thank you to compliments.
- Use the “new” blogging / article tool to post your best stuff: LinkedIn now has a place on your profile you can write articles, like a blog. My suggestion would be to take only your best articles, type them up with a nice featured photo and post them. These articles will be tied to your LinkedIn Profile. This is where you can build your authority and credibility with your audience. Anyone using LinkedIn for research will see your updates and articles and hopefully know you are an expert in your specialty.

- Join and Get Involved in Groups: A great way to meet people on Linkedin is by being involved in Groups. Keeping in mind the suggestion I mentioned above about being genuine and authentic, just be sure you practice the 80⁄20 rule. Spend time listening (reading) what others have to say. Do not be the chatter box here. Engage with folks when only necessary!
- Spend Time Reaching Out To Others: If done in a genuine way, this can be a great way to build your brand and credibility. I have seen many people on LinkedIn try liking, commenting and messaging in a spam-like manner. Use your best judgment when engaging and don’t be annoying.
- Get Your Team To Use LinkedIn
- Build Your Connections: It is perfectly ok to not have every connection in your local market. Unless the person who is trying to connect looks like they will become a spammer, go ahead and connect.
- Update Your Profile: You do not need to go overboard here either, but having a quality profile that shows what you do now and the things you have done in the past can be very helpful when someone wants to view your profile. Make sure your main description of what you do is clear. It is up to you if you want to list all your past jobs, but I personally think it is best to keep things short and concise. I would wrap up your profile by getting a few endorsements (reviews).