LinkedIn best practices for Small Business owners - CareerNetworkingUSA

04/07/23 LinkedIn presentation 1

Kenneth Lang and Rich Heckelmann present

How to use


About Kenneth

• Kenneth Lang has extensive IT experience most recently as a social media Project Manager, most recently at The New York Times and at Mars Global Services. He has consulted with small and large businesses on how to use LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Kenneth is also active with the North Jersey Chamber of Commerce.

• At Mars, I developed SharePoint best practices for management and vendors. At The New York Times I coordinated digital business strategies for the International Herald Tribune, the global edition of the newspaper.

• As a member of the Chamber’s ambassadors committee I’ve been tasked with working with small business owners on developing business plans and social media campaigns, while building client relationships. Hope to see everyone at a future networking event after tonight.

Rich Heckelmann Bio

•Rich is a visionary marketing executive with exceptional proficiency in marketing strategy formulation and product management built in the high technology industry. Rich has led, managed, and optimized product and program management functions for Hewlett-Packard, Kyocera and Panasonic North America, Brother and Toshiba. His accomplishments include growing revenues through development, marketing and launch of worlds first new technology products. •Rich has a entrepreneurial mindset and program execution skills refined through leadership roles involving continuous collaboration with business executives driving processes and effecting positive change. •Rich is also a founder and CMO of the CareerNetworkUSA startup which is creating a career networking tools for life. Rich is trained in Project Management and Lean Six Sigma with a focus on new technology marketing. Rich is a Graduate of Roger Williams University, 32 year resident of Wayne NJ and lives with his wife son and daughter in Packanack Lake.



What is LinkedIn?

• LinkedIn is a business networking website that business professionals use for personal and professional growth.

• LinkedIn is a tool used by job seekers, recruiters and hiring managers.

• I will discuss how LinkedIn can benefit you as either a business owner or job seeker.

• I will allow time for Q/A at the end of the presentation.


Your goals and LinkedIn

• If you are not on LinkedIn, you are significantly reducing your chances of finding business, or finding your next opportunity.

• If you are on LinkedIn and you don’t know what you’re doing with your on-line presence, then you may as well not be on LI.

• What are your goals?


Your business goals

• Grow your business

• Market your business

• Finding resources your business needs

• Hiring on LinkedIn


Tips for goal achievement

• Keep track of your progress to see if you are meeting your goals.

• Stay focused and avoid distractions.

• Re-evaluate periodically and be flexible about making adjustments.


Market Yourself

• Business to business professionals are connecting with each other on LinkedIn as well as decision makers

• People you have worked with could be singing your praises on LinkedIn.

• Use LinkedIn to find the right contacts.


Getting started

• Build a profile of yourself, what you do, who you work for, etc.

• It is worth spending some time completing your profile, because you never know who will find you – a business contact, former colleagues, prospects, potential employees and customers.

Basic Profile Content

• Your picture• Your title, or the title that you are looking for• Enter your resume information, including

dates.• A good summary that will complement your

background.


Customizing your LinkedIn URLClick Edit On the lower right hand side, click ‘Customize your public profile URL’Write your name and leave out the numbers in the space provided


Getting Recommendations• This feature can be utilized as a reference (with prior

consent) for a possible job offer.• Sample request for recommendation:

– Remind them that a LinkedIn recommendation isn’t a full letter; it takes only about 10 minutes and doesn’t need to be longer than three short paragraphs.

– Give them something specific to recommend about you. For example, “Would you mind talking about the project we did together and the role I played?”

– Suggest three specific personality or professional traits you want them to mention. For example, “Would you mind mentioning my work ethic, ability to work in teams, and depth of experience working with difficult customers?”


How to Request a Recommendation

• To request a recommendation:• Hover over ‘Profile• Click ‘Edit profile’• Scroll down to

Recommendations• On the right-hand side,

click ‘Ask to be recommended’


Expanding Your Network

• Do not use the generic message that LinkedIn provides. Instead, send a personal message, explaining why you are interested in reconnecting.

• Connect to members of Neighbors Helping Neighbors and see whom they are connected with. You can connect to ‘2nd connections’.

• Connect to old co-workers and employers of contract, full-time and volunteer positions that you held.


Joining Groups

CareerNetworkUSAProfessional Organizations

Create and join in discussions


Finding Contacts in Target Companies

• In the search bar, type in the company• Follow the company• Ask others who work at your target companies

to join your network.• It may be useful to follow companies that you

worked for in the past, in order to reconnect with former coworkers, or to connect with others that may be influential in your job search.


Maximizing your LinkedIn Contacts

• When you get a new contact, email them and thank them for joining your network.

• Mention your capabilities and what you are looking to do.• Always ask how you can help.• Send periodic notes to your contacts, and always remember to thank

them for their help and ask how you can be of assistance.• Networking is a two-way street.• When you apply to a job online, search for contacts that are connected to

that company and ask if they know the hiring manager. Remind them why you think that you are the best person for the job and once again, ask if you can help them in any way.


Suggestions for you and your business


04/07/23 19

Grow your business

• First state your goal clearly-figure out exactly what you want and then see how LI can be used to help you achieve that goal.

• Quote: People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going. It’s that simple. Earl Nightingale.

04/07/23 20

Market Your Business

• Did you realize that…..• Business to business professionals are

connecting with each other on LinkedIn?• People you have worked with could be

singing your praises on LinkedIn?• Use LinkedIn to find the right contacts

04/07/23 21

Finding resources that you need

• Use LinkedIn…• If you need advice finding an accountant or

other service professional• If you want to share a newsworthy article or

idea

04/07/23 22

How LI can get you to your goals

• Joining groups• Posting jobs• Answering questions

Profile Visibility

• Photo• Recommendations• 500+ connections• The more active you are, the more likely it will

be that you will show up in searches.• Using keywords unique to your industry will

give you more visibility and will allow your profile to come up in searches more often.



LinkedIn Tip - #1

1) Your photo – Always include a picture in your profile. It humanizes you and makes you seem more approachable.


LinkedIn Tip - #2

2) URL – Always customize the URL to be your name or something memorable.

Ken’s is

http://www.linkedin.com/in/langk

http://www.linkedin.com/in/langk


LinkedIn Tip - #3

3) Be proactive - Once on LinkedIn don’t sit back and wait for something to happen.


LinkedIn Tip - #4

4) Requesting Connections – Always customize your invitation when you ask people to join your network. Include how they know you, how you can benefit them by being a part of their network, and even how you hope to work with them in the future. Leaving the default message says “You’re not important enough for me to customize this to you” or worse “You sent this to 200 people and are probably going to spam my network.”


LinkedIn Tip - #5

5) Accepting Connection Request – When you get a request to connect, accept it or consider first replying back asking why the person wants to connect. After connecting, send a follow-up ‘thanks for connecting with me’ message and propose next steps (meeting or speaking with the person)


LinkedIn Tip - #6

6) Email address – If you’re going to use your work e-mail address, always put your personal e-mail address on your profile as backup just in case you leave a company or business.


LinkedIn Tip - #7

7) Time Management – Most people who use LinkedIn only do so for a few minutes a month. It’s suggested you use LinkedIn for at least 30 minutes each day for a specific reason (research, updating your profile, etc.)


LinkedIn Tip - #8

8) Recommendations – Ask for recommendations after you do great work. Give your colleagues recommendations when they do great work. Be willing to revise them. LinkedIn also has way you can endorse others, but recommendations are considered better


LinkedIn Tips - #9

9) Update your profile – Make changes to your profile to add skills and expertise and to include any volunteer experience.


LinkedIn Tip - #10

10) Using LinkedIn Groups – Join appropriate LinkedIn groups and be part of different conversations occurring in each. An example of an appropriate LinkedIn group is the New Jersey Accounting & Finance Professionals Network.

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=1553747&trk=anet_ug_hm&goback=%2Egdr_1306005471645_1

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=1553747&trk=anet_ug_hm&goback=%2Egdr_1306005471645_1


Final thoughts

• Using LinkedIn is a process that takes time to master

• Try not to feel overwhelmed

• Connecting on LinkedIn should never be a substitute for in-person networking


Thank you!

• I appreciate the opportunity to present the basics of LinkedIn to you

• Any questions???

Email Ken at

[email protected]

or call 973-768-2796

mailto:[email protected]

Small Business & Entrepreneurship

LinkedIn best practices for Small Business owners - CareerNetworkingUSA