How to Turn LinkedIn into a Powerful Business Tool

Mark Crawford
January 26, 2009 | COMMENTS

LinkedIn, a social networking site for professionals, will become a more vital tool for business development and recruiting as the economy continues to deteriorate. Taking enough time to develop the key information presented in your profile will give you a competitive edge in the marketplace.

“A poorly constructed LinkedIn profile, or employing bad LinkedIn etiquette, can alienate your contacts (known as ‘connections'),” writes C.G. Lynch in his article “LinkedIn Etiquette—Five Do's and Don't's” on www.cio.com. “It can also turn away potential employers interested in hiring you.”

Reputation management consultant Kirsten Dixson identified the following five key components for maintaining appropriate LinkedIn etiquette.

1. Photograph. Hire a professional photographer to provide the picture, which is usually the first thing people scrutinize on your LinkedIn page. It is well worth the $200-$300 investment. Also be careful about doctoring photos too much through Photoshop, or using a picture from 20 years ago—people will expect you to look like your photograph.
2. Summary . “Dixson recommends being very concise, engaging, and specific in the summary field of your LinkedIn page,” says Lynch. It is critical to capture your readers' interest when you tell them who you are, what you do, and why you are unique and stand above your competition.
3. Filling out your bio. Be truthful and fair. Don't lie or exaggerate. Highlight your strengths, experience, and career accomplishments. Make your bio appeal to as large an audience as possible within your target industries. “Make sure your LinkedIn profile is public—go to account settings to check,” says Lynch. This increases the number of people who can find you by searching the Internet.
4. Your LinkedIn connection list. There are two main philosophies for list-building. “LinkedIn firmly believes you should know your contacts before deciding to add them as a connection,” says Lynch. After all, your connections reflect who you are. Another group, LinkedIn Open Networkers (LIONs), believes you should add almost everyone, whether you know them or not, and build up to a network of thousands. “Dixson recommends taking somewhat of a middle approach,” says Lynch. “Work up a strategy you think makes sense for you and your profession. The key, she says, is having a consistent set of guidelines for adding connections.” Also make your connection list public.
5. Recommend and getting recommended. The recommendations feature on LinkedIn can be a powerful way to show that your work has been endorsed by influential people.

"You want managers, peers and clients to recommend you," Dixson says. "These should be people who know you well and who can really speak to your competencies as they're relevant to what you're positioning yourself for."

Though it's nice to be recommended, Dixson says it's “vital to build up your own social capital by recommending others, a key to good LinkedIn etiquette,” says Lynch. “If you go and write a good recommendation for a colleague, odds are someone will do the same for you in the future.”

This summary is from an article by C.G. Lynch published by CIO.