LinkedIn Tips
Arati Mejdal, JMP
Tip #1: Optimize your profile
- Upload a professional photo
- Make your “professional headline” (the words just beneath your name) as friendly as possible
- Write an About section (just above your resume) that tells about you and how you can help. Use 1st person. Speak to your target audience or client. You may include a “call to action” telling what you want them to do next.
- If you have a relevant video or slides (or other media) to share, include these in the About section and your resume
- Add an appealing background image
Tip #2: Engage Regularly
- Share public events you attend (conferences, seminars, webcasts, professional meetings, etc.)
- Post about upcoming JMP events
- Post links to newspaper and magazine articles you like
- Write a LinkedIn article (and ask others to like, comment, share)
- Like, comment on and share other people’s posts
- Put time on your calendar to engage on LinkedIn (maybe 5 minutes, 3 times a week)
Tip #3: Grow your network
- Extend LinkedIn invitations to people who are in the same LinkedIn Group
- Try to connect with people who have large networks
- Invite every person you talk to, soon after talking to him/her or even during the conversation (if you’re on the phone); you’ll remain connected even if he/she changes jobs
- Spend 5 minutes a day developing your network
Tip #4: Become more “findable”
- Put your mobile number, e-mail, etc., in Contact Info
- Enter all of your former jobs (especially with large employers) in your work experience
- Use strategic keywords (pick a few) in your professional headline, Summary, and current and past work experience
- Keywords should be what you expect your customers will be searching for
Tip #5: Boost your reputation
- Ask someone who knows you well (especially if he/she is well-connected) to write you a Recommendation
- Don’t recommend anyone you don’t know well or whose products/services you don’t know
- If you proactively recommend people, it’s likely they’ll reciprocate
Tip #6: Find prospects in Groups
- Join 5 strategic Groups
- Invite people to join Groups you belong to
- Increase your visibility in a Group by posting a new Discussion topic or responding to a Discussion topic
- Comment on and Like others’ contributions
Tip #7: Find prospects by who’s hiring
- Search for jobs that would use JMP
- Narrow by geography
Tip #8: Follow companies of interest
- Search for companies you are targeting
- Follow the company page
- Stay updated on company news and events
Tip #9: Use LinkedIn to research inbound inquiries
- Look at title, skills of person who inquired about your product or a current customer before talking live to him or her
- Use that info to make educated recommendations when you speak to people
- Use that info to cross-sell. Would that person also benefit from a different product from what they inquired about?
- Use their network to up-sell. Ex: Scientist at pharma is talking to you about your entry-level software, connect to them and use their network and knowledge to find people to sell more specialized software to or others who need your product in the organization
- Understand the org chart, who reports to who, who is the decision maker
