Your LinkedIn profile is your brand and when you fudge the facts they can come back to bite you. “Fake it until you make it” may be a common refrain, but so is “it’s the first impression that counts”.
LinkedIn Part 10: Providing Value to Your Network
In the original article in this series the last three ways I noted to use LinkedIn were to share knowledge and expertise, introduce connections, and recommend worthy individuals. Each of these is a way to provide value to your network, so I thought I would cover them together.
LinkedIn Presence Felt Around the World
I was looking through my stats today and the number of countries represented by those who have visited this blog blows me away. 49 countries have had someone visit this blog. The countries are listed here in order of the number of visitors from each country:
On LinkedIn Mean People Suck
With that title I probably violated several things that I recommend not doing (act professional, be careful of what you say and how you say it, etc.).
I stumbled on a blog that was titled “The Stupid Things People Do on LinkedIn”. The poster then proceeded to lash in to people that violated his perception of what LinkedIn should be and how people should behave on it. My first thought was relax it’s not your site. You’re just a another member. The second was that did this person realize that their post was part of their online brand.
What I Like About LinkedIn
I like the fact that opportunities exist and LinkedIn provides a way to find or stumble upon them. My headlong dive into LinkedIn was in response to another member viewing my profile and deciding that I could help some of her clients.
LinkedIn Part 9: Be found
Think of your LinkedIn profile as an interactive billboard. The billboard has been erected but you’re waiting for traffic to drive down the road. You can wait and hope that someone takes a wrong turn and sees you, or you can try to detour traffic past your billboard.