I’ve talked about some big things you can do in the past to more effectively utilize LinkedIn. Today we discuss 5 little things you can do that can make a difference.
1. Making URL’s Hyperlinked
When people respond to questions in answers or posts in a group discussion board they often include a URL. Many of these are done wrong so that if someone wants to visit the link they have to copy it and post it in the browser address bar. These URLs usually look like www.linkedintuition.com. If you want it to be hyperlinked simply add the http:// so that the format is http://www.linkedintuition.com.
Get this right and your click thru rates will increase.
2. Properly Size Photo’s
LinkedIn photo’s are 80 x 80 in size. Before posting your picture make sure it is a square picture so that when it is resized by LinkedIn it retains the proper proportion. Add a rectangle picture and you’ll look like someone is squeezing your head.
Use a graphics editor to crop your picture to a square and resize to 80×80 or 160×60, etc. It doesn’t matter as long as its square.
3. Change Your Group digests to Weekly (instead of daily)
Let’s say you took my advice in previous posts to join 50 groups. When you join a group you can tell the group how often you are open to receiving activity alerts. The default setting is daily. During the week you’ll get 250 digest alerts…one from each group each day. Change it to weekly and it will be more manageable. If you have groups that you don’t want a digest from you can choose to not receive updates.
You can also choose to not receive group announcements which the manager can send once every seven days. I would recommend allowing the periodic announcements.
Reclaim your message Inbox.
4. Send a Personal Message When Connecting
When you accept an invitation request it takes you to a subsequent page that allows you to type a message. This is a great opportunity to thank the person for the connection invitation and to communicate a message. It won’t make a difference in every case but it can have an impact. I customize each so that my response is relevant.
Does it help? Not with everyone but it certainly doesn’t do any harm. Stand out by taking the 20 seconds it takes to send a follow up message.
5. When You Ask a Question Choose a “Best Answer” or Multiple “Good Answers”
This is a common courtesy. You’ve asked a question and others have taken their time to answer it. You should make it a habit to read all answers provided and provide feedback on the quality. Often a single answer will stand out in which case you designate the answer as the “Best Answer” provided. Sometime one answer will not stand out but several will provide value. Simply choose several as “Good Answers”.
Return the favor by answering other’s questions and by recognizing answers to your question that provided value.
Wrap Up
Compared to some of the tricks and tips in some recent posts these seem relatively modest. They are important and can make a difference. They’re all simple and require little extra effort to do. These and others are included in the LinkedIn MBA available for $4.97 at http://www.linkedintuition.com/book.html.
What are some other simple things you can do that make a difference?
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About Sean Nelson
I downloaded the MBA with great intention to hang on every word, but time hasn’t permitted, so thank you, thank you for breaking it down in little bites in your posts and I can read quickly.
Great Post Sean very helpful.
Great tips Sean!
Joyce,
I’m not sure I would hang onto every word but the beauty of the LinkedIn MBA is it’s structure. The chapters are based on LinkedIn’s structure so it is a great reference resource. If you have questions about the Companies section you go to the companies chapter. Questions about Groups…go to the Groups chapter.
You can read it straight through or simply refer to it as needed.
Sean
My pleasure R. Trent.
This is all excellent advice.
The personal notes are not a “relatively modest” effort. I my 5 years experience using LinkedIn, they make the difference between a network that can help you and a collection of random strangers.
Thanks for the URL link advice, I wasn’t aware of that.
Jon
Sean,
Thanks for the helpful post. Quick question: Is there a way to hyperlink a URL in your LinkedIn profile? I put my Twitter on my profile with the formatting you recommended (http://twitter.com/Benjamin_Reed), and it did not show up hyperlinked.
Any tips?
Ben
Sean, I’ve found these posts very helpful, particularly your advice on hyperlinking. Keep up the good work!
Jon,
Its my pleasure.
Sean
Ben,
On your profile you can only use the 3 web links that you are able to add. Hyper links do not show for example in the summary section. I would still list it. In group discussions, messages you send, and in Answers is where the http:// format will hyperlink.
Sean
Ok. Thanks for the quick response, Sean.
Appreciate all your tips.
Great reminders and ideas Sean. I use social media daily but seem to know the least about Linkedin. I’m always grateful for new insight and explaination.
Sean – I posted a question in a Discussion group. In following your advice, I’d like to acknowledge the person that I feel gave the best answer, but I thought that was a priviledge reserved for only the Group Leader.
If this is something I, as initiator of the discussion, should be doing, can you please tell me how to do that?
LinkedIn is a must for the professional sales person, selling at the executive level:
http://danielnenni.com/2009/06/25/professional-social-media-i-get-it/
Cheers,
D.A.N.
Sean, thank you again for the excellent advice on LinkedIn! Great article!
Sean, thank you for the excellent information.
Monica,
Thanks for reading.
Sean
Melanie,
In groups you cannot choose a “Best Answer” like in the Answers section. The best you can do there is to add a comment.
Sean
I agree Daniel.
Kirk,
Its my pleasure.
Sean
Marie,
Thanks for the thanks.
Sean
This information was very helpful! I’m getting ready to download the LinkedIn MBA. I’m looking forward to learning more! Thank you so much for these great tips!
Janice,
Thanks for checking out the books.
Sean
Great advice! Picking “best” or multiple “good” answers really is appreciated by those who take the time to answer!
Nicely done.
I’d also like to offer up: 7 Ways Linkedin.com will Improve Your Small Business http://tinyurl.com/7waysLI
Thanks again!
Sean –
Good call on the personal message. Not to defeat the purpose, but could you recommend some things to say in the message. I mean, should it still ask them to join my network? Seems kind of awkward to say “It was great meeting you. Will you join my network?” What are some good invite icebreakers?
Richard,
Thanks for the comments.
Sean
Shane,
When I am sending an invitation to someone who attended a chamber event but I did not get to meet I use the following invitation language:
“We crossed paths this morning at the xxxx chamber meeting but did not have a chance to meet. I am using LinkedIn to enhance my networking in the xxxx chamber and would like to extend an invitation to connect. I look forward to meeting you in person at a future event.”
If I see that we have common connections I would likely reference that as well.
Sean
> 1. Making URL’s Hyperlinked
> If you want it to be hyperlinked simply add the
> http:// so that the format is
> http://www.linkedintuition.com.
It doesn’t work – at least during writing the commentary.
> 2. Properly Size Photo’s
> LinkedIn photo’s are 80 x 80 in size.
Thanks for the useful information. The size of photo isn’t noted during procedure of adding photo.
> 3. Change Your Group digests to Weekly
> (instead of daily)
The daily group digests are more convenient for deleting the non-interested items from list of the later detail reading.
Yevgeni,
On your profile the only way to add links is in the website URL’s. This is talking more for answering questions, group discussions, and messages..
As far as group digests it depends on how you use groups. If you’re in 50 groups daily digests, in my opinion, will drive you nuts. If you’re in fewer groups not a bad idea. In the end its what works for you that’s important.
Thanks for the comments.
Sean
Thank you for this insightful info. I’m new to LinkedIn and have a lot to learn.
Paula,
Thanks for the comments.
Sean
Thanks for this article. These should be included in every professional’s habits. I will follow them.
Thanks A LOT!
With Best Regards
Himanshu Vyas
http://www.clevexinfosoft.com
Himanshu,
Thanks for the comments and I agree these are the little things people should be doing.
Sean
Yes,these were useful. I would like to hear more tips but at this time am not in a position to be paying for networking services.
You can find a lot of tips for free reading theough this blog… http://www.socialmediasonar.com.
Sean –
Thank you for sharing with everyone. I 100% agree with you that it is important to make urls hyperlinked. This saves the reader time and it will get the poster more clicks to the site they are referencing.
Thank you
Good stuff, thanks. SF