Leading Strategy

Getting Started on LinkedIn for Business

Dawn Christine Simmons (Khan) 5:25 PM
Tips for professional global networking. 
Getting started is 1, 2, 3.  
     1 Complete your profile.  
     2.Connect to Friends and Colleagues.  
     3.Participate!  Endorse and be endorsed. 

 Networking Tips 

 Helpful LinkedIn Links 


LinkedIn has over 225 Million Members Globally!  It is big business reach, with 40% of its members in the USA.  It is used by Executives, Recruiters, Job Seekers, Sales Professionals, Entrepreneurs, and Business Owners. US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that over 70% of jobs are found through networking, and if that is true, participating in the leading business network, is practical wisdom.  Why they are using it could be any number of reasons, but here are some basic statistics. 
  • 40% of Global Business Owners find new business through LinkedIn Social Networking.
  • Over 44% of LinkedIn Users work in companies with over 10,000 Employees. 
  • LinkedIn generates more leads to B2B businesses than Facebook, Twitter, or Blogs. (SocialMediaB2B) 
  • 100% of all Fortune 500 Companies are represented on LinkedIn. 
  • 96% of Recruiters use LinkedIn to search for candidates to staff jobs/fill positions   (ERE, of those using social media for recruiting) 
  • 92% of Recruiters use LinkedIn to validate candidate profiles before granting job interviews  (ERE, of those using social media for recruiting) 
  • There are more than 1 million groups on LinkedIn.

Getting Started with LinkedIn:  

1. Complete Your Profile: 

Complete your professional, with your career and education history and skills.  A complete, accurate, honest profile of your skills will speak volumes of your skills and allows you to be found in a job or business professionals search. 

2. Connect to Friends and Colleagues 

Why do people extend connections? Where the connection is good, it adds credibility and authenticity to your profile, presenting yourself as a real person with reference-able contacts. Membership with lots of connections does have its advantages as if you have more connections, your profile will show up higher in search results, and you can extend both your reach to others, and visibility by others with more connections. Connecting your profile. LinkedIn is not the same as Facebook, as a business network use real names, business smart photos, real experience, real recommendations. In Facebook and Twitter, and yes it is possible to buy "likes" and "connections", however as it is a business network, I do not recommend this for LinkedIn.  

 How much is too much, and is a "junk" purchased profile worthwhile?  Not everyone is an "open networker" willing to receive connections, from people they do not know, so that answer differs for others. Everyone answers that a little differently.  If you start with real people you work with, live near, teachers, colleagues, supervisors, managers, you will build a good foundation. Some also will join interest groups to expand their number of friends with common interests based upon location, affinity group, professional groups, university or schools attended, etc. 

3. Participate! Join Interest Groups.. Endorse and Be Endorsed 

Before you begin to participate, please keep in mind the basic function of LinkedIn is business oriented networking.  It is NOT a dating site, it is not a "job performance" site, it is not to drive SEO, it is about professional business relationships.  Participation is not posting templates, URLS or requests to invite you, participation is engaging with others, answering questions, adding value.

Here is a list of things you can do to annoy and irritate people: 

    • Don't irritate people with your first introduction being "hey click my site" before you say hello
    • Don't just post your company URL in comments to group questions or PULSE News 
    • Don't "contribute" by posting group suggestions to "INVITE ME" with an email address
    • Don't send people who you have never even talked to or worked with a survey of their skills
    • Don't tell people you never worked with that your "work evaluation" is coming up and to do a survey
    • Don't send flirt templates telling people how beautiful they are and you want to date/marry
    • Don't say hello, or first introducing yourself demanding jobs, referrals, lists of contacts, or help. 
    • Don't explain away bad business networking with that your situation or job does not require courtesy
    • Don't use a job seekers for MLM Marketing campaign, jobs and MLM  are not the same

As you begin to participate, you can create influence and business value for yourself and those you network with, by participating in ways that add value.  In groups, asking questions, and sharing best practices.

In pulse, reading current news of interest for your business, add comments related to the content.  
In your contacts list you can click on skills to endorse the skills of colleagues.  For those colleagues or connections you really value, a well written recommendation about their professionalism is helpful. When they accept your recommendation it shows up in their profile with a link to your profile and recommendations.  Recommend those you know and appreciate. You can write a note to recommend colleagues or students, teachers, or people you know and work with. 

Do not request or offer recommendations for people you do not know, nor accept written recommendations for someone you do not know, as a fake profile and recommendation can hurt more than help you.  Most think being an open networker is okay, until you consider those connected to Ross Ulbricht, creator of the Silk Road ecommerce site who the used his LinkedIn profile and made up, but real looking business for for drug trafficking and money laundering. 

Networking Tips


  • Desperate need creates desperate outcomes, compromises the good you could bring
  • Don't make assumptions, get to know people and ask questions 
  • Think WIN WIN- people don't care how much you know, show how much you care 
  • Random links sent to strangers are no acted on if it looks like stranger/phishing
  • Don't connect to people for the sole purpose of asking them to do things for you  


Helpful LinkedIn Links  



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