Q: I鈥檓 new to and have an account, but haven鈥檛 done anything more than accept a few connections. I know it鈥檚 a good tool for my business, but what else should I be doing?
A: In this age of social media as a communication tool, LinkedIn is one of the most compelling for business people.
So many users get started by creating a profile and accepting connections from those they know, but not much else.聽In fact, many people comment that they don鈥檛 accept connections from people that they don鈥檛 know.
I equate this to saying 鈥渘o thanks鈥� when someone attempts to give you their business card at a networking event.
LinkedIn is not Facebook; connecting with business people you don鈥檛 already know is why it鈥檚 so powerful. While it鈥檚 certainly possible that you鈥檒l connect with overzealous salespeople or even spammers, you can easily block or remove the connection if they turn out to be less than desirable.
Some of the more common uses of the network include researching people or companies, connecting with former colleagues, creating new relationships with potential customers and influencers, finding employees or employment opportunities and (my personal favorite) amplifying your traditional face-to-face networking activities.
Think about how many times you’ve met someone at a networking event, or just in your daily travels, who聽handed you their business card.聽What happens to that card?
Unless you鈥檙e a hardcore networker, it probably ends up in a briefcase, desk drawer or some other collection zone. It聽essentially disappears.
Imagine how useful your networking contact list would be if, when you were handed a business card, you got into the habit of immediately finding them on LinkedIn to stay connected.
With smartphone apps being such a huge part of our lives, this habit is pretty easy to adapt.聽In some cases, I鈥檒l even ask to connect on LinkedIn in lieu of exchanging business cards, because there is so much more information available than what can fit on a business card.
If you haven鈥檛 uploaded a photo and completed your profile, you can be viewed by others as someone who聽鈥渄oesn鈥檛 get it,鈥� so make sure you do.
The keywords from a completed profile will also dramatically increase your chances of being found when someone is searching LinkedIn for your specialty, skill set or industry background.
Sharing an update (like you would on Facebook) or publishing a post that鈥檚 relevant to your business is how you show the LinkedIn world your expertise and encourage engagement from others.
Think of it as your opportunity to have your own interactive syndicated newspaper column, with more than 380 million potential readers.聽What information could you share that might be helpful to your prospects or potential employers?
As with any other social network, engagement is the key, so observing what others are doing is a great way to learn the ropes.
There are many other suggestions, such as joining groups and creating company pages —聽basic tactics that experts such as Wayne Breitbarth can help you learn at .
Editor鈥檚 note: Ken Colburn is founder and CEO of .
