7 Ways to Use LinkedIn for Business

Last month I talked about 7 ways to use Twitter for business. Companies can easily be excused for not knowing how to leverage Twitter - after all, Twitter is very new and is being used in countless ways. LinkedIn, on the other hand, has been around since 2003, has well defined business applications, and is being used successfully all around the world.

1. Create a Solid Profile. This takes a good deal of time - more than preparing a resume. But a strong LinkedIn profile helps people find you and motivates them to connect. I think of my LinkedIn profile as a supercharged, searchable business card. Your profile may be the first or second place potential customers go to check you out. 
2. Ask a Question.  "Answers" is LinkedIn's knowledge center. People ask questions about anything and everything under the business-related sun. Asking a question delivers a twofold benefit. First, you usually get authorative answers that are hard to come any other way. Second, you get your name out into the LinkedIn network, so people can find you and connect.
3. Answer a Question. Do you want to establish your credentials as a specialist or thought leader? Answer a question in your area of expertise, and put some real effort into it. Potential customers may reach out to you strictly on the basis of seeing a spectacular answer. If the asker awards you a "Best Answer", that information appears on your profile and looks quite impressive.
4. Join a Group. Joining a Group that is relevant to your specialty connects you with potential customers, service providers, and collaborators. Some groups are better than others in terms of participation and overall usefulness, but like anything, you'll get out of a Group what you put into it.
5. Start a Group. If you can't find the right Group for you, maybe that means you've discovered a need in the LinkedIn network. Starting and managing a Group takes a bit of time, but it is one of the best ways on LinkedIn to promote your business and make connections.
6. Write an Endorsement. Recommending your connections with a sincere and well written endorsement is a powerful way to help a business associate. And, as with all social media, when you give, you get. As you receive endorsements, they become part of your profile - perhaps the strongest part.
7. Ask for an Introduction. The whole premise of LinkedIn is the idea of six degrees of separation, meaning, that you are six or fewer connections away from knowing everyone in the world. The odds are overwhelming that your network of connections, if diligently nurtured, can the door to any opportunity you can think of. When a connection introduces you, that is about the most powerful way to open a door there is.  

This list is far from exhaustive, but you don't have to do everything. Many smart LinkedIn users key in on one or two LinkedIn applications and work them hard. To me that makes sense, because there's only so much time in the day and you're bound to get better results by going deep than just skimming the surface.

The temptation to dabble in social media is hard to resist, so look before you leap into LinkedIn.