Getting Started on LinkedIn

Dr. Don RoyFebruary 3, 2015

What We’ll Cover

1. Why LinkedIn is important to your professional brand

2. Building out the most important marketing asset: Your profile

3. General LinkedIn etiquette

LinkedIn: More than “Facebook for Business”

• More than 330 million users (>100M in US)

• 1 out every 20 profiles belongs to someone in a recruiting role in their organization

• 40% of users log in to LinkedIn daily

• Removes geographical barriers to networking

Anatomy of a LinkedIn Profile

• Headline• Photo• Summary• Experience• Honors and Awards• Skills• Endorsements• Recommendations

Headline

• 120 characters maximum

• Writing an effective headline:Avoid “fluff” words (“guru” or “expert”)Don’t be boring (Avoid “Student” or simple job

title)Don’t sound desperate (even if you are!)

• 10 headline examples that break the mold

Photo

• Minimum size = 200 x 200 pixels

• Maximum size = 500 x 500 pixels

• Dress in attire appropriate for your industry

• Use a professional-looking headshot

• Use a photo of you… and only you

The Least Interesting Man (or Woman) in the World

• Users are 11 times more likely to view a profile that includes a photo.

Source: Craig Smith (2015), “By the Numbers: 100+ Amazing LinkedIn Statistics,” January 16, http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/by-the-numbers-a-few-important-linkedin-stats/.

Summary

• 2,000 characters maximum

• Your autobiography- Communicate the value you have to offer

• 3 Questions to Ask: What do I want to

communicate (to what audience, what should they learn about me, how should they feel)

What content will tell story of my values, accomplishments?

What multimedia content could enhance visual quality (video, photos, documents)

Experience

• Tell your story using the PARS method:P – What is a problem you addressed?

A – What actions did you take to solve problem?

R – What were the results?

S – What skills did you develop or strengthen to solve problem?

• Include relevant work and volunteer experience in your list

Skills

• You can list up to 50, but start with a “top 10 list”

• List should match your capabilities (greatest strength listed first)

• Employers review Skills list to screen prospective candidates for match

• Can be validated by others via endorsement

Endorsements

• Acknowledgement of your skills by others

• “Give” to increase chances that you will “get”

• Not obligated to keep endorsements received on profile

• Viewed skeptically by many because of low effort level required to endorse

Recommendations

• “Permanent” references provided by others

• Quality more important than quantity

• Only ask connections who know you well to write recommendation on your behalf

• Give to get

LinkedIn Etiquette

1. Do not use LinkedIn’s template for making connection requests- tailor request to the person

2. Do not connect with people you do not know

3. Do not use LinkedIn’s template for requesting a recommendation

4. Sharing, liking, and commenting on others’ content are ways to build influence

The Next Steps

• How to Customize Your LinkedIn Public Profile URL

• 12 Resources to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile

• How to Write a LinkedIn Summary

• 7 Tips for Writing a Great LinkedIn Invitation

• Requesting an Introduction

Questions?

• Email (Don.Roy@mtsu.edu) • Phone (615-904-8564)• Office (BAS N107)• LinkedIn (https://

www.linkedin.com/in/donroy)