"What are the most important steps for me to take on LinkedIn if I have just 15 minutes?"

This question, or something very similar to it, comes up quite often in my one-on-one LinkedIn consultations. Let's face it—we're all very busy, and we want to spend our time on the things that will get us the best results.

Also, I've learned that some people are logging into LinkedIn almost daily, and most others are visiting the site at least weekly. Yes, I recognize that these people are probably moderate to heavy LinkedIn users because they booked a personal consultation with me, but the 15-minute plan I'm going to share will apply to daily users as well as people who may only log in a few times each month.
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4 simple tasks that lead to results

These tasks are quick, easy, and sure to help you grow an impressive network that will lead to business and career success.

1.  Review Who's Viewed Your Profile, and reach out to the people you should be connecting with or meeting [4 minutes].

When someone takes a look at your profile, it's like walking into your store; so be sure to reach out and ask the person how you might be able to help him/her. Just click Who's viewed your profile from your home page to access your list.

Read "Why is it Important to Know Who's Viewing Your LinkedIn Profile?" for more information about how to maximize the Who's Viewed Your Profile feature.

2.  Send customized invitations to join your LinkedIn network to people you met (in person or on the phone) since your last LinkedIn session [5 minutes].

Improving your search ranking on LinkedIn is all about connections, especially the right ones, and people you've already met are spot on. In addition to improving your search ranking, once they accept your connection request, you can then send them a direct message on LinkedIn, and they'll begin seeing some of the information you post or publish.

You have 300 characters to customize your invitation; so thank them for the call, the meeting, or for spending time with you at a recent networking event.

To include a personal note with your invitation to connect, you'll need to follow one of these two sequences:

From your desktop, search for the person's profile. When viewing his/her profile, click the blue Connect button and select Add a note.

On your mobile app, search for the person's profile. When viewing his/her profile, click the three dots to the right of the person's photo, and then select the Personalize invite option.

3.  Review and respond to your pending inbound invitations to connect on LinkedIn [3 minutes].

Because of changes to the messaging system that took place last fall, you may be missing important information from someone if you don't purposefully and methodically review the invitations that are coming into your account.

To review your pending inbound invitations, click My Network in the top toolbar, and the three most recent inbound invitations will be displayed on the top of the page. If you click Manage all, you'll be taken to your full list. If you want to message the person before accepting the invitation, perhaps inquire about the person's intent for connecting with you, you can do that from this page.

People consistently ask me where they can find a list of all the invitations they've sent. When you are in the Manage all section, you'll find the list under the Sent tab.

4.  Review important information in your Notifications tab [3 minutes].

This is one of the best new features on LinkedIn. Basically, it's your own custom newsfeed and includes information about the people in your network and the interactions people are having with any of the information you're sharing. You can find the Notifications tab in your top toolbar.

For a full discussion of this feature, check out "You Better Not Miss This Killer Feature on the New LinkedIn."

Make sure you find 15 minutes in your day to accomplish these four tasks, because it will undoubtedly lead to new and deeper relationships with people who can significantly impact your professional career.

SPECIAL OFFER

For more simple strategies to improve your LinkedIn ROI, along with a detailed critique of your profile, be sure to take advantage of my limited time offer: a one-hour, one-on-one phone consultation for just $175 (50% off my regular fee). 

I will share my computer screen with you during the call and send you a marked up copy of your profile prior to the call.

There are limited spots available, so don't delay. Book your session today by clicking here.