I have already received a message from one of my groups that they will no longer accept “news” posts. The reason, and it is a valid one, is that they muck up the discussions with all kinds of non relevant stuff.

If the groups allow these posts they will significantly dilute the discussion board. I believe this is not a good decision on LinkedIn’s part as it will put the group owners and managers in the position of either allowing the discussions to be polluted or doing as my group did simply refusing news posts.

If LinkedIn holds to this policy your profile is going to become a lot more important.

Why?

Because attracting customers clients and opportunities will be much more difficult without the availability of the news sections.

Not that you shouldn’t constantly review your profile and tune it to be more effective but now it may be necessary.

To help out here I have put together a collection of 7 great articles on empowering your profile.  The final PDF file is still being formatted but should be available in the next couple of days.

If you’d like a copy of this free collection of articles please add your name and email below. You will be notified by email as soon as the report is ready:

In the title of this post I put “Black Hat?” as I will let you the reader decide (Black Hat SEO techniques are things that the search engine find objectionable as they are “gaming” the system.) if this is the case. One such SEO method is stuffing keywords on the site by including them on the page in the same color as the background – so they can’t be seen. This allows one to put them on the page many times without the challenge of putting them in context.

Here’s the deal…

Let me start by saying that this technique appears to work fairly well.

Apparently the search algorithm on LinkedIn uses as a high priority the number of times you have the key word in your profile.

The proponents of this technique have discovered that by listing the keywords in the job title and then repeating that listing many times they can get more instances of the term. They are also stuffing their header headline with extra copies of the specific key word.

I visited one profile of someone using this technique who had no less than 40 listings of the same job. The listings are blank all you see is the title in the following format.

Title, Company | Keyword or words

This listing also appears in the “past” employment in the header.

In my opinion.

The Good

The good part about this technique is that it appears to work. If you don’t have a very competitive keyword you can pretty easily put yourself in a high if not first position for that search.

The Bad

This method in the SEO world is called “keyword stuffing” and doesn’t work when dealing with the search engines as their sophisticated algorithms pick it up and actually will penalize you for doing this.

The LinkedIn search is far more random and not based on such sophisticated methods thus the technique works.

The first concern I have to the technique is it makes your profile a mess. Who wants to scroll through a profile with dozens of useless listings? Do you?

If you believe as I, that your profile is a “marketing” piece; then this is obviously a serious deterioration of content with the objective of “engaging” the reader using value.

Based on the above the technique destroys not only the look and feel of the profile but the content quality as well.

My second concern is probably far more serious. This technique “games” the system – in other words the technique has only one purpose – to beat the search algorithm on LinkedIn. That purpose is completely outside the purpose of LinkedIn.

The big question here is how will LinkedIn react to this methodology when they become aware of it? The search engines reaction was to slap those who did so.

Summary

What will LinkedIn do? No one knows; but personally I can tell you I’m not going to test them to find out.

By the way the tactics and strategies I teach will get you great results without breaking or testing the rules – there are other ways to be seen and get business. Grab my free course and get started – LinkedIn Power Networking Mini Course

Tip 1: Never send a standard or default invitation

I almost felt stupid including this as a valuable tip, but I received 4 invitations this morning and 3 of them were the default text.

The first reason to follow this rule is that you will probably reduce your chances of getting IDKed by a factor of 100 as any kind of a legitimate request to connect will probably be accepted or archived without incident. This is assuming you don’t break the next rule.

Tip 2: Don’t send a prospecting or sales oriented invitation

The worst thing you can do in an invitation is ask someone for business. Your invite should be about developing a valued relationship with the other person, NOT about getting their business. Any hint of prospecting will probably cause you to be denied the connection and possibly get an IDK if you don’t know the person already.

Tip 3: Provide value

Offer the new potential connection something of value. If you want people to connect with you, just like trying to get their business, you must offer them something of value.

This might be simply your offer to help them get connected on LinkedIn, or information or resources (that are free) that you can provide them to help better their current situation.

Following these three tips will help you get connected more easily and with less chance of getting an IDK.

Searches

The first number you can look at is how many times you are coming up in the searches. You need not compare this number to others, but you can watch it carefully based on your activities to see how many times you’re appearing.

Then you can try different things to see how you can improve your search results. If you are able to put yourself in more searches you will obviously have more opportunities to get business.

This number is a reflection of the “keywords” you have used to describe yourself in your profile. Consider not only using those terms specific to your profession but terms that will capture other viewers as well.

Profile Views

Another number you can look at for great information about your profile’s effectiveness is how many people are viewing your profile. Obviously, as above the more people that read your profile the better off you are.

Besides the searches your profile is probably getting viewed by people who’ve been referred to you and more often based on your Mini Header which shows up next to your posts in the question and answer forums, discussions or news posts in the groups.

Your mini header is literally an advertisement for you or your company and there are many things you can do with it to improve your results. Don’t limit your thinking, this is just as important, if not more so, for the job seeker.

That’s Not All

Taking this to the next level occurs when you use your profile to effectively move readers to your website. This requires the website have the proper components to leverage this traffic.

With these things in place you can now see an additional level of results from your profile – how effective it is at driving people to your site.

Summary

Don’t underestimate what can be done with just the simplest data discussed here. You have the ability using these numbers to increase both the amount and quality of visibility you’re getting on LinkedIn.

From Flyn

If you haven’t gotten my FREE “LinkedIn Power Networking Mini Course,” you should seriously consider doing so. The information you’ll get will help you to immediately improve your results on LinkedIn. Click Here

ONE: Create a powerful profile that engages the reader by providing direct value
(I can help you here come to my free webinar next week.)

TWO: A profile that brings readers closer to your business.
(If you can get people to investigate you, you won’t get business.)

THREE:  Grow/have the largest possible network
(Gives you visibility and accessibility to others.)

FOUR: Develop lots of valued connections
(A valued connection is one that is connected due to the value you provide or have provided them.)

FIVE: Make sure you have a healthy level of activity on LinkedIn so you are visible to others.
(This would include participation in the question and answer forum and group discussions.)

SIX: A pure networking pro active engagement policy that helps you grow both the number of people in your network and the quality of those relationships.
(If you aren’t actively growing both connections and quality you will have to attract all of your business. This is a workable but slower route.)

SEVEN:A marketing strategy for your business (specifically for your website) that supports and engages those you attract. “Engages” in this context means putting you in direct communication with the readers.
(It does no good to bring people to your website if you don’t engage them. To read more about this read my article on list building www.flynpenoyer.com/list-building.)

Doing all of these things correctly is a surefire way to get lots of business from LinkedIn. Consider the following options to help you master these skills an be more successful on LinkedIn:

Read this blog.

Get a charter membership in my Power Networking Profit System for LinkedIn course. You can get started for just $1. www.onlinebusinessnetworker.net/charter

Get my new enhanced LinkedIn Mini Networking Power course (FREE) www.onlinebusinessnetworker.net/minicourse

However, there are different levels of quality of visibility. One of the biggest advantages LinkedIn has over a website or a resume is social proof. Social proof is where we use what others think to be correct or good to make our decisions.

The question and answer and group discussion forums gives you the chance to show your level of expertise and business savvy. This happens when you give high quality answers and others start to agree and complement you on what you’ve said.

In networking you will find that people like to attach themselves to “bright” people. More importantly they like to be connected to people who appear to be “valuable” in some way.

The point is that as a salesperson you should be participating in questions that give you a chance to show your expertise or general business wisdom. If there aren’t questions on subjects you think your prospects would be interested in, you should post such questions.

One note about posting the questions; make sure they don’t sound like a prospecting lead in such as – What problems are you having with your manufacturing…?” or “What kind of help do you need with your marketing?” These types of questions tend scare participants away where opinion questions are far more popular.

These kinds of activity will attract connections. Not all of them will be prospective clients, but they will all increase your visibility and help to establish you as a knowledgeable and valuable connection.

From Flyn

Another key way to attract and help yourself get business is by having a powerful profile. You still have time to register for my upcoming free webinar “LinkedIn Profile Strategies” coming this Wednesday at 1PM PST.  Click here to register

With the link feature you have more room in the status field for copy and the link feature allows you additional copy as well.

To start you must have some sort of a value offer on your site. This could be an educational or informative video, an article, white paper, or even a useful resource such as an educational quiz.

Once you have created or picked the resource (make sure it’s NOT sales oriented) simply put some information about its value and the link in the “Activity Status” section of your header. This can be edited from your Home page.

Since the link has its own text you could potentially change your “Activity Status” message and leave the link to stand on its own. The fact that the status is posted to the updates means you will get continual visibility from this activity and for your value offer.

From Flyn

One of the things that will make all of this more successful is to have a powerful profile. I invite you to register and and attend my free webinar “LinkedIn Profile Strategies” coming Wednesday 4/27 at 1PM PST 3PM EST. Click here to register.

Your “Network Status Update” in your profile now contains the ability to add a link. This saves you characters for a better message and delivers all kinds of possibilities to point people at your content.

This is something you can use regularly to stay visible and now it has the extra power of having a link and connection to Twitter — great stuff.

See my profile for an example and get the scoop on my newest LinkedIn seminar.

I define a “LinkedIn power user” as someone who is generating opportunities and business successfully.

Participate Very Actively

Participation is the first and most important key to becoming a “LinkedIn power user” and getting more business from networking efforts..

If you are not participating and engaging others, you will not likely be a success. Since LinkedIn is a “networking” site and prospecting methods do work as well as building relationships, you need to be engaging others and creating valued relationships.

What to do:

• Ask and answer questions in the question and answer forum
• Participate in group discussions taking the opportunity when you can to engage others in conversations.

Be Very Visible

LinkedIn is in many ways an advertising media. Thus as I advertising being visible is one of the keys to generating opportunities. This is another reason participation is so important. Being a power user on LinkedIn is just as much about being active as about understanding the tactics and strategies that make things happen.

What to do:

• Update your profile and rotate your picture regularly – at least once a month.
• Make sure you are regularly getting connected to new people
• Use your “network activity update” regularly.

Continuously Export Value

You should be seen as the source of value everywhere you go on LinkedIn. Your profile should contain something of value for the reader, you should give value in your participation efforts, and you should provide value as the first communication with a new connection.

What to do:

• Answer questions with your best stuff – act like you were getting paid to answer (and you will),
• Send new connections something of value such as another connection or a resource and don’t try to sell anything. When you come across things in your connection’s profiles that allow you to make suggestions forward those to them – such as typos or things that don’t read well, or things that might be missing.

If you do these things regularly you will be a power user. You can then up your power by increasing your knowledge of how to apply networking and marketing strategies to the resources LinkedIn provides. My blog and courses will help you here.

From Flyn

If you are looking for more success on LinkedIn — your profile is key. Attend my “LinkedIn Profile Strategy” seminar — it’s FREE and you get a great report on promoting yourself for attending. The seminar is being held on 4/28 — Click Here for info.

]]> http://onlinebusinessnetworker.net/blog/2010/04/how-to-be-a-linkedin-power-user/feed/ 0 http://onlinebusinessnetworker.net/blog/2010/04/some-key-things-you-can-do-to-build-a-better-network/ http://onlinebusinessnetworker.net/blog/2010/04/some-key-things-you-can-do-to-build-a-better-network/#comments Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:47:21 +0000 Flyn http://onlinebusinessnetworker.net/blog/?p=626 Constantly building your network is one of the keys to success on LinkedIn. Networking is all about visibility and the more people in your network the more potential and visibility you will have.

The first thing you must do if you haven’t is become an open networker. For the scoop on what this means and why you should do it read the following article on my blog. The Open Networker Debate

Leverage

The first thing to consider, and especially when starting out or putting on a push to grow your network, is making an effort to go after those with the biggest networks. Doing this quickly increases your second and third levels giving you more access and visibility to others.

There are a number of ways to do this. The first is by using a very simple resource that lists the top networkers on LinkedIn (Click Here). On this page you’ll find the people with the 50 largest networks on LinkedIn. To the left is a menu of other useful items such as recommended reading and how to get on the “invite me list” which takes us to the second point.

Growth on Autopilot

If you join the open networking groups, they can be found by searching “open networking” from the group’s page,” each has a discussion item for those looking to connect – and invite me list.

If you put your name on the TopLinkedIn list and others you will probably get 5-10 invites per day.

On the other side of that is that these lists represent a place you can go to find the kind of people you wish to connect to and be able to invite and connect with them easily and reasonably safely.

Remember that you should still do a proper job inviting them – don’t send the default message. There are still some open networkers who IDK, not many but there are some.

Here are some blog articles related to this subject.

Suggestion for Your LinkedIn Invitation Acceptance Message

A Fatal Omission On LinkedIn

Don’t Use the “I don’t know you” option on invitations

From Flyn

For those of you that are serious about building opportunities on LinkedIn and haven’t grabbed my FREE power networking mini course you should do so. For information on the course go to: http://onlinebusinessnetworker.net/minicourse. The 4 reports and 8 videos will be hugely helpful to your efforts.

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