516.775.0435
wjcorbett@corbettpr.com
  • Podcasts
  • Video Library
  • Photo Gallery
  • News
  • Blog
Corbett Public RelationsCorbett Public RelationsCorbett Public RelationsCorbett Public Relations
  • Home
  • About
    • Bill Corbett Jr., PR Leader and Entrepreneur Publicist
  • Business Services
    • Media Relations
      • Long Island Public Relations
      • Special Event Promotion, Development and Management
      • Franchise Marketing
      • Corporate Communications
    • Crisis Communications
    • Personal Branding
    • Community & Government Relations
    • Video Production Management
  • Branding for Individuals and Teams
  • Industries
  • Clients
  • Team
    • Bill Corbett Jr., President
  • Events
  • Contact

LinkedIn – Good for business…If you use it effectively

    Home Blog LinkedIn – Good for business…If you use it effectively
    NextPrevious

    LinkedIn – Good for business…If you use it effectively

    By corbettpr | Blog, branding, crisis communications, direct marketing, e-marketing, Long Island PR, Long Island Public Relations, marketing, media relations, micro branding, personal branding, political campaigns, PR, public relations, public relations long island, Small Business Branding, social media, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Marketing Plan, Soical Media Marketing Strategies, Traditional Marketing | 9 comments | 27 September, 2010 | 0
    Bill Corbett Jr.

    William J. Corbett, Jr.

    I have been intrigued by LinkedIn for several years. The site has grown steadily in popularity: as of July 2010 more than 70 million people have LinkedIn profiles. I know that many people are actively using the site, but far more are not using it effectively, and some are not using it at all. There have been numerous informative articles about LinkedIn and lots of tips given. I have posted several dozen tips over the past few months myself. I use LinkedIn regularly; I update my profile, add links and my blog is connected. I post updates and host a number of groups, including the Grow Your Personal Brand LinkedIn Group. All this activity has allowed me to meet new people and expand my list of contacts.

    There I an ongoing debate about whom one should connect with. Should people connect with people they don’t know or don’t know well? I changed my tune on this subject earlier this year. In the past I tried to limit my connections to people that I “actually” knew in the real world. This limited my ability to grow my contact list and network. Several months ago I started to contact people with whom I had some connection with or who were members of groups of which I am part. (Note: If you are a member of a group, you can directly contact other members and request to connect.) This has enabled me to grow my contact list and create new relationships.

    For me, creating and developing my own personal brand, growing my list of contacts and keeping in touch with people are my main goals for LinkedIn. The following are some tips and strategies for using LinkedIn for your business.

     

    Growing your list: Your contact list can be grown in a number of ways. You can search LinkedIn for people you know and request that they connect with you (often you will need their e-mail address). You can even send bulk connection requests by cutting and pasting in lists of your own e-mail contacts. If the individuals you communicate with are LinkedIn members, you can quickly connect using this method. If they are not members, the message will ask them to join. If you know these people and they are in business, you are doing them a favor by suggesting they join LinkedIn.

    Growing a list can also be done one person at a time. For example, you can go to the contact list of a friend and see to whom they are connected. You can directly connect to them or ask your contact to introduce you. This direct process comes from a referral and can help facilitate relationships. Remember, once you connect, keep the conversation going.

    Caution: Often names of individuals are recommended to you by LinkedIn. These are people you may know or perhaps they are in the same industry or group. LinkedIn is aggressively seeking to prevent people from soliciting connections from people that they do not know (there has to be some mutual relationship, mutual group membership, school or employment connection). If you solicit people to connect with you who do not know you, I strongly suggest you send them a personal note asking them to connect and not simply use the standard request LinkedIn provides.  If you solicit people whom you do not know, they can report you, and your account could be limited or other actions taken. You have worked hard, so don’t risk losing your account.

    Did you know that you can download your e-mail contacts from LinkedIn?

    Follow this link for a brief demonstration video.

    http://bit.ly/cprlinkincontacts

    Join groups and show your expertise. LinkedIn gives you a tremendous opportunity to show your expertise and knowledge. Join groups and actively participate in conversations and discussions. Monitor the discussions; if someone replies to your comment keep, the conversation going or answer any questions that have been posed. Give thoughtful solutions and tactics they can adopt to overcome business challenges. Remember, showing your expertise and knowledge helps to grow your personal brand.

    Bring the cyber world into the real world and vice versa. Armed with your list of contacts, you have a powerful tool to enhance your relationships. Review your contacts to see which people you would like to meet or get to know better. Invite them to meet for breakfast, lunch, a cup of coffee or simply a conference call. An invitation to a video conference would be something different, and if you both have the technology, go for it. On the flip side, if you meet someone in the real world, keep the relationship going through LinkedIn. Send them an e-mail to connect and exchange information. Communicate via internal InMail. Why communicate by InMail? People typically get fewer InMails even though the response rate is often better, and there is much less spam to deal with. However, most people tend to check InMail less often than regular e-mail.

    Profiles and company description: We all have read boring corporate bios and company descriptions. Don’t let this happen to you; make your profile interesting, chock full of information, and try to tell a story. Remember, people recall stories more easily than a list of accomplishments. In your content on your LinkedIn site, use as many keywords as possible; this will help people find you when they go to Google, Bing, Yahoo or other search engines. If you do not have a website, or a bio on your company website your LinkedIn profile can fill this gap. And remember if you move on to a new position with a new company, your LinkedIn profile and site stays in place. Your valuable contacts will have a way to contact you should your telephone numbers or other contact information change. (Note: always keep control of your LinkedIn profile user ID and password. Remember to have profiles proofread; there is nothing more embarrassing and unprofessional than having errors in your profile or company description.)

    Don’t sell or spam: Many nonmarketing people confuse the terms “communication” and “marketing.” If you are selling anything or hosting a self-promotional event (an event where you will be charging and making money as part of your business), don’t use LinkedIn to promote it. This is considered inappropriate behavior and could cause people to disconnect with you or simply ignore you moving forward, which is the opposite of what you want to accomplish. LinkedIn should be used professionally, for discussions and as a forum to promote your expertise. If you are hosting a free event, speaking at an event or hosting an educational event, these should be promoted and used to bolster your personal brand and reputation. This is all done to enhance your personal brand and attract more followers and contacts.

    Research: Use LinkedIn to research the backgrounds of people you know and people you want to get to know. With more people on LinkedIn every day, you are likely to find information about a person or a company that interests you. You can get information about where a person lives, which school he or she attended school and the organizations he or she belongs to. This is excellent information to have when seeking to start a conversation and a relationship. Use this information. It is easily available to you.

    Quick Tips

    1. Grow your list constantly – add your own contacts regularly.

    2. Connect with people who share your interests and members of the same groups.

    3. Join groups to meet more people and become part of the discussion.

    4. Show your expertise and knowledge through discussions; it will help you grow your personal brand and reputation.

    5. Bring the cyber world into the real world and vice versa.

    6. Never sell or spam with In-Mail or with posts.

    7. Update profiles and keep control of user ID and password.

    8. Use keywords in your profile for search engine optimization purposes.

    9. Make sure profiles are error-free.

    10. Don’t solicit people whom you do not know to connect without a proper introduction or well-written personal request.

    LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for all businesspersons interested in building relationships, growing their personal brands or simply communicating with contacts. I have found these tactics to be effective for me. Let me know if you have any other effective tips and tactics. I will include them in future blogs.

    branding, contacts, Facebook, grow your personal brand, LinkedIn, list marketing, lists, marketing, media relations, networking, personal branding, personal marketing, sales, social media, social media marketing, Twitter

    Related Post

    • No-Cost 30-min Communications Strategy Sessions for Businesses Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic

      By admin | 0 comment

      No-Cost 30-min Communications Strategy Sessions for Businesses Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic and Introducing Public Relations On-Demand Corbett Public Relations has assisted hundreds of businesses through challenging times and PR crisis events. Our team isRead more

    • Now is the Time to Lead – Leadership Books and Takeaways to Battle the Business Disruption Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic

      By admin | 0 comment

      By Bill Corbett, Jr. Leaders from all sectors, especially small business owners, must rise to the occasion and fight to make it through these challenging times.  This is not a time to sit back andRead more

    • 2018 – Lessons from the Founding Fathers for Social Media and Personal Branding- July 4th Independence Day

      By corbettpr | 6 comments

      While the Founding Fathers did not have social media vehicles and platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Youtube, Flickr and Foursquare I am sure that they would have taken advantage of them as mediums for communicating with contacts, public, friends and others interested in “the cause.” Social networking and marketing did not exist, but these individuals knew the importance of publicity, having a personal brand, word of mouth marketing, networking, effective writing, publishing and public speaking. Do these skills and approaches sound familiar? These techniques and others are the same that individuals need to capitalize on today to build their own personal brands, the foundation for a success in life, in business and in any community.

    • All I Want for Christmas is…More Visitors to My Website and Blog

      By corbettpr | 2 comments

      Websites, blogs and social media pages make up the bulk of a business’s web identity and contribute significantly to the public perception of the company.  Everyone agrees that maintaining an interactive and informational web WilliamRead more

    • Steps to Become a Successful and Powerful LinkedIn User – Part 2

      By corbettpr | 0 comment

      Recently I wrote Part 1 of “Steps to Become a Successful and Powerful LinkedIn User,” in which I outlined some important strategies.  Creating a plan and strategy for using LinkedIn and creating a personal marketingRead more

    • April Fool’s Day – “Foolish” LinkedIn Mistakes to Avoid

      By corbettpr | 1 comment

      The world of online marketing and personal branding is new for many people.  When getting involved in something that is unfamiliar mistakes are bound to happen.  LinkedIn is a marketing vehicle that is not new. Read more

    • Extending the Value of Trade Show Marketing with Social Media

      By corbettpr | 1 comment

      This article originally appeared February 23, 2012 on Digital Brand Marketing Education & Interactives Social media networking and marketing allows businesses to reach and provide tremendous amounts of information to clients, prospects and referral sources. Read more

    • Stop Using Social Media Now…If You Don’t Have A Plan

      By corbettpr | 1 comment

      Your Social Media Plan: Why you need one and first steps (This blog was origionally published on the Digital Brand Marketing Education Blog – www.digitalbrandmarketing.com ) Over the years I have conducted workshops and sat on panelsRead more

    9 comments

    • Nelbee Reply September 28, 2010 at 1:45 pm

      Great entry – it actually helped address a lot of the questions I had. When I first started I was pretty timid about trying to connect with people I didn’t really know in person – but now I have gotten past that and learned a lot! Thanks!
      You FB friend,
      Mike McGrath

      • wjcorbett Reply September 28, 2010 at 1:55 pm

        Thanks Mike, I will checked out your blog also. LinkedIn is a good place to meet people but you still need to find the right people in order to be successful in busienss.

    • Rahz Slaughter Reply October 3, 2010 at 11:13 pm

      Great insight Bill. Quality content, Thanks , linkedin can be confusing nut a very useful social media tool.

    • Jerry Allocca Reply October 12, 2010 at 2:28 pm

      Great post Bill, lot of useful tips. LinkedIn has brought me much success. I am now budgeting even more time in my calendar for online networking on LinkedIn.

    • Click For More Info Reply June 25, 2012 at 2:27 am

      This website was… how do I say it? Relevant!!

      Finally I have found something which helped me. Appreciate it!

    • twocanview.com Reply April 26, 2013 at 2:03 pm

      I usually do not create many comments, but i did a few searching and
      wound up here LinkedIn – Good for business…If you use it effectively | Corbett PR Blog.
      And I do have a couple of questions for you if it’s allright. Could it be simply me or does it look like a few of the comments appear like they are written by brain dead people? 😛 And, if you are posting on other online sites, I would like to follow anything new you have to post. Could you list of all of all your social pages like your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?

    • twitter followers Reply May 9, 2013 at 9:40 am

      Superb blog! Do you have any tips for aspiring writers? I’m hoping to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on
      everything. Would you recommend starting with a free
      platform like WordPress or go for a paid option?
      There are so many choices out there that I’m completely overwhelmed . Any tips? Thanks! twitter followers and also quick on your Twitter Profile coming from greatest Companies.
      buy real twitter followers at a discount and also quickly, Come on Fans for the profile.

    • pure green coffee bean extract walgreens Reply September 25, 2013 at 1:19 am

      Everyone loves what you guys are up too. Such clever work and coverage!
      Keep up the good works guys I’ve added you guys to my own blogroll.

    • Lyndon Reply November 29, 2013 at 6:10 pm

      Goood post. I will be facing many off these issues as well..

    Leave a Comment

    Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    NextPrevious

    About Us

    Corbett Public Relations and its founder Bill Corbett are on a mission to make businesses brand leaders and individual’s personal marketing rock stars. To empower individuals and business leaders we share comments, insights and strategies on our blog, CorbettPRblog.com.

    Archives

    Categories

    Media Relations

    Our Media Relations experts from Corbett Public Relations demonstrate and share the best practices for businesses and not-for-profits.
    Learn More

    Grow Your Personal Brand


    Our experts from Grow Your Personal Brand and Personal Brand Flix provide individuals with goal focused strategies, tactics and information to allow them to live more productive and successful lives.

    Join the Conversation Today

    We embrace freedom, the American entrepreneurial spirit and capitalism. Follow our blog and share your ideas and ask us your questions. We welcome the opportunity to get to know you and learn about what challenges you face and what inspires you.
    Join us Today!
    • Home
    • About
    • Business Services
    • Branding for Individuals and Teams
    • Industries
    • Events
    • Contact

    Recent News

    • Now is the Time to Lead – Leadership Books and Takeaways to Battle the Business Disruption Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic
    • Back to Your Future: Your 2016 Marketing Scorecard
    • OSC World’s Digital Fly Software featured on Fox 35 Orlando 6 O’Clock News – February 22, 2016
    • How To Handle Heated Political Discussions In The Office – Comments from BillCorbett, Jr.
    • How to Make Your Networking Conversations More Meaningful

    Contact Information

    Headquarters:

    2 Elbert Place
    East Rockaway, NY 11518

    Email:

    wjcorbett@corbettpr.com

    Tel:

    (516) 775-0435 ext 1

    Cell:

    (516) 428-9327

    Copyright © 2020 Corbett Public Relations | All Rights Reserved. Web Design by Fat Guy Media
    • Home
    • About
      • Bill Corbett Jr., PR Leader and Entrepreneur Publicist
    • Business Services
      • Media Relations
        • Long Island Public Relations
        • Special Event Promotion, Development and Management
        • Franchise Marketing
        • Corporate Communications
      • Crisis Communications
      • Personal Branding
      • Community & Government Relations
      • Video Production Management
    • Branding for Individuals and Teams
    • Industries
    • Clients
    • Team
      • Bill Corbett Jr., President
    • Events
    • Contact
    • Podcasts
    • Video Library
    • Photo Gallery
    • News
    • Blog
    Corbett Public Relations