LinkedIn Best Practices Presentation

Manage your professional identity. Build and engage with your professional network.

Access knowledge, insights and opportunities.

Overview of LinkedIn1

2 Profile Creation and Management

3 Networking Best Practices

4 Groups

5 CTLGroup’s Company Page

• Launched in 2003

• World’s largest professional network

• Over 225 million users

• Mobile app available

Overview

• Tailor shared info by managing privacy settings

• “Connections” = Contacts (similar to Facebook friends)

• Mission:“Connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful”

Overview

Profile Types

Basic• Full profile

• Network with other users

• Participate in groups

Profile Types

Paid• All of the basic options

• Email non-connections

• Save searches and search results

• See full names

• Enhanced customer service

Profile Types

Profile Management

• Can be created / updated by you, admin, or Marketing

• “Live” document– Evolves as your

career progresses– Keep it current

Profile Management

• Spend 20 minutes/week on Profile and/or participating in Groups– Maintain visibility– LinkedIn’s ongoing updates

Profile Management

Profile Essentials

Profile Essentials

Keep it focused, top-loaded

Use a professional photo

Profile Essentials

• Married women may wish to include maiden names– Adjust privacy settings to determine public access

Profile Essentials

Profile Strength

• Beginner

• Intermediate

• Expert

• All-Star

Profile Strength

• Achieving 100% (“All-Star” status) is important– LinkedIn search

results – higher ranking– Google search results

• Tip: Customize your Public Profile’s URL to be your actual name

Profile Strength

• To accomplish 100%, you need to include:– Industry and Location

– Current Position (with description)

– 2 Past Positions

– Education

– Skills (minimum of 3)

– Profile Photo

– At least 50 Connections

Profile Strength

Profile Creation

• Include link to a company or personal website • E-mail address, other contact Info• Twitter account• Customized URL

Highlights

• Like a mini-blog/ newsfeed

• Post news, speaking engagements

• Link to articles• Latest activity such as

adding information or connecting to people (customizable)

Activity

• Describe yourself in a personal way, demonstrating your character

• Describe your accomplishments– NOT a list of duties

• End with brief description of your work

• “Specialties”: most

important key words relating to your profession to be linked to in a site search

• Keep this section professional, engaging and clear, focusing on your objectives

Summary

• Separate entry for each position at each company

• Company logo auto-fill• Time frames• Describe

accomplishments and experience; not a list of duties

• Edit display names of companies if they need to be confidential

Experience

Benefits• Connections can quickly

ascertain your abilities• Automatically

categorized in a group of professionals with the same expertise

• Reinforces the professional brand, or type of “thought leadership” you are trying to convey

Skills & Expertise

Basics• “Endorsements”

– The more endorsements, the higher ranking

• Be specific– “Materials Consulting” &

“Proposal Writing” instead of “Consulting,” “Writing”

• Be honest

Skills & Expertise

List all college degrees

Education

• Honors & Awards

• Organizations

• Connections– Customize visibility

Other

Networking Best Practices

Home Page• Share an Update

– Share industry information: links, articles, etc.

– Update Title/Position; Promotions

– Attach an Image

• View Connections’ updates / customize


Connections• Network/Contacts

– View by Tags, Companies, Titles, Locations, etc.

– View time since last conversation

– Remove:• Hover over contact• More• Remove Connection


Connections• Network Statistics

– Home Page/Your LinkedIn Network

– People– Shared Connections– Contacts of Connections– Size of Network


• Send and accept invitations only to people you know/have met

• Personalize requests

• Who’s Viewed Your Profile


Recommendations

• Choose carefully – Appears on their profiles,

which contains everything they present about themselves; reviewed by readers of your profile

• Write sparingly to retain value

• Swapping recommendations reduces value of both recommendations– To return the favor, wait

awhile before doing so

Recommendations

• Clarify that you are not doing this as a representative of CTLGroup – Clarify opinion was

formed at another company, etc.

– Reason: May appear that CTLGroup endorses the individual; potential liability situation

– If you are unsure, check with Marketing

Recommendations

Groups

Groups

Groups

• Great opportunity for networking, visibility, and sharing professional knowledge

• One of the best ways to deliver to and gain value from other users

• CTLGroup staff encouraged to participate in relevant industry-related groups

Groups

• Select what order Group memberships are displayed on profile– Interests/Groups/

Reorder

• Select what Groups appear on your profile, other settings– Profile/Groups/Visible

Groups

• Be professional, kind, polite, and respectful of other group members.

• Remember that your comments reflect your own knowledge as well as the reputation of CTLGroup.

• Engage in group discussions and get to know people before requesting that they become one of your Connections.

Groups

• Do not directly promote CTLGroup’s services

• Forum for thought leadership and discussion, not direct marketing

• Do not post CTLGroup job listings (this is handled by HR)

• Avoid messages that: advertise job opportunities; recruit candidates; feature resumes and applications; self-promote one’s availability for positions

Groups

• Avoid Spam messages and postings, including:– Multiple unsolicited messages to group members. Can

result in being removed and blocked from the group.

– Posting the same discussion repeatedly to promote product, service or company

– Posting irrelevant commercial comments in discussions

– Posting comments in discussion moving it to the top of discussions

CTLGroup’s Company Page

CTLGroup’s Company Page

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