Cart
|
This week I spoke to a number of college audiences. When I told them about that warm, fuzzy feeling people have for fellow alumni, many of them just didn’t get it. I guess it’s one of those things you need to experience and not just talk about. The first time they see a door open for them in the business world as a result of that common bond, they’ll probably say, Hey, Wayne was right!
LinkedIn’s recently enhanced Alumni feature is the perfect place to begin new relationships with people who have walked the same hallowed halls. You won’t believe the incredible things you can now do with this feature.
There are two ways to access this feature. Click Contacts on the top toolbar, and then scroll down and click the name of any school you have listed on your profile–or you can just click the name of a school on anyone’s profile. Yes, this means you now have access to the alumni of schools you didn’t even attend! And we’re not just talking colleges here. It works for high schools, specialty schools, etc.
Ca$h In On This Powerful Tool
Every school’s Alumni page includes an awesome filtering system that helps you find the perfect fellow alumns to reach out to. Click the right arrow to gain access to all the filters.
The filters include:
Once you have selected your filters, LinkedIn displays a mini profile for all individuals who meet your filtering criteria. Without leaving the page, you can send a message to any first-degree connections or use a personalized message to connect with anyone on the list. Pretty cool, don’t you think? I am amazed that this is still free.
Some of the searching capabilities have always been available through Advanced People Searching, but it is much easier to do it here.
Initially you will see fellow alums who attended the school during the same years you were there. For schools you didn’t attend, the default is 1900 to 2020. But you can put in any range you prefer.
If you’ve been looking for a way to sort people by age range, this is your ticket. If you sell products or services to a targeted age group, use the age range on the top right to find alumni who are probably in that age range. Granted, it isn’t exactly an age search because not everyone gets an undergrad degree at age 22, but it should still provide some valuable information.
Use the Search profiles keyword box to really zero in on the right alumns to reach out to.
Attention Recent or Soon-to-be Grads
Use the Alumni feature to figure out who you might want to network with to help you find that first great job. This feature, along with some of LinkedIn’s additional profile sections (Test Scores, Courses, Honors & Awards), will help you stand out from the crowd and discover the perfect job for you.
I think after you test drive the Alumni feature, it will become one of your favorites. And I love success stories. Let me know how reconnecting with fellow alums helps you and your business.
|
|
Congratulations! You have one of the top [insert one of these four numbers: 1%, 5%, 10% or 20%] most viewed LinkedIn profiles for 2012.
Lots of people got this email from LinkedIn in the past week. Yep, I got one, and here are some of the many emails I received from people in my network:
Wow, could this be true?
 Is this a scam?
I am so proud. Thanks for all your help in achieving this great honor.
If this is true, why haven’t I gotten a bunch of business from LinkedIn?
I didn’t get a letter. Why not?
My letter said 10%, and I know I have more connections than others who got a 5% letter.
With all these views, you’d think someone would have offered me a job by now!
What Does This Really Mean?
First of all, thank you to all who attributed your recognition to my teaching, my tips, and/or my book. I am honored that you consider me your go-to resource for everything LinkedIn.
I think this was a brilliant marketing message designed by LinkedIn to help us all feel better about the time we are spending on their site. Bravo to whomever came up with this idea. Give that person a raise!
I took a look at the profiles and activity of a few people who received the notice. If some of those people are in the top 10 or 20 percent, I am guessing there are a lot more people doing absolutely nothing on the site than I would have thought. I didn’t share this thought to burst your bubble but to encourage you and say you’re probably way ahead of the curve–and that’s a good thing–but don’t get too comfortable just because you’re near the top of the heap.
Why Are People Looking at Your Profile?
There is a direct correlation between how active you are on LinkedIn and the number of times your profile is viewed, and LinkedIn has always given preference to people who are more active on the site. It is part of their search algorithm. But not only is it important to be active on LinkedIn. It’s the right activity that will produce results.
How to Increase Your Activity
Here are some activities that will increase your views and, more importantly, your results:
Get more connections
Join more groups
Increase the frequency and quality of your status updates (individual and company updates)
“Like,” comment on, and “share” other people’s individual updates and company status updates
Be involved in group discussions
View people’s profiles
Recommend and endorse people
Make your individual profile and company profile more interesting
Most important of all, keyword optimize both your individual profile and your company page
So, if you got the letter, congratulations! Keep up the good work. If you didn’t get one, maybe this is a wakeup call. If you want to see results, get busy and start engaging in strategic activity on LinkedIn, and hopefully one day soon you’ll find a commendation letter in your inbox.
Need LinkedIn help? Come to one of my upcoming live LinkedIn classes in Pewaukee, WI.
|
|
This is the fifth and final installment of our strategic
 tour of your new and improved LinkedIn profile. I affectionately refer to the final two new features as THE MONEY! Searching Your Connection’s Database
In my opinion, researching people and relationships and then using that knowledge to “warm up” cold calls is one of the best ways to use LinkedIn. This new feature takes that process to a whole new level.
Simply put, you can now do an Advanced People Search (with all the available sorting filters) of any first-level connection’s database. So
 before you have that lunch, phone call, golf outing, fishing trip, etc. with someone in your network, search their network. Then discuss with them how their friends might become your friends. Here’s how it works:
Go to your connection’s profile.
Scroll down to the Connections box. (If you don’t see this, they have chosen to hide their connections from view)
Click the magnifying glass, type in a keyword (1), and hit the Return key. This produces a list of everyone in your friend’s first-level network who has that keyword anywhere in his/her profile.
Click “advanced search” (2), and you will be redirected to the Advanced Search screen, where you can use all the regular search filters. You can also re-sort and save. Read “Need Leads: LinkedIn to the Rescue” for details about Advanced People Searching and Saved Searches.
If you aren’t salivating over this one, you better read it again. Better yet–try it. I know you’ll love it.
In Common With…
In this new section LinkedIn has really taken “breaking the ice” to the next level. Simply scroll over any of the in-common circles, and you can instantly see what you have in common with someone–and they don’t even have to be a first-level connection.
I have already used this with success. When discussing with an event organizer the possiblity of being a keynote speaker at a national conference, I saw he is a scuba diver. We quickly hit it off on a personal level once we started talking about our diving trips.
I am not sure that diving with the sharks in the Bahamas will secure the gig, but I know I was able to quickly build a relationship with a total stranger, and that may lead to income some day. And it helps make business a lot more fun!
For more killer strategies to maximize your new LinkedIn profile, check out the recent webinar I did with my good friend Joan Stewart, a/k/a The Publicity Hound.
|
|
Before we jump into this week’s tip, I am excited to invite you to join me this Thursday, February 7 for a two-hour webinar “LinkedIn Update: What’s In, What’s Out, and Under-the-Radar Tricks to Help You Crush It in 2013.”
This webinar will be hosted by my good friend Joan Stewart, known by her friends and clients as The Publicity Hound, and will run from 2-4pm CST. We are recording it, so sign up even if the time is inconvenient, and you can watch the video replay later. As you may know, I rarely do public webinars, so this is your opportunity to join me. Read all about it and register here.
Now on to Part 4 of our five-week series on your new LinkedIn profile. Here’s a recap of what we covered in Parts 1, 2 and 3.
Week 1: Your Top Box (headline, activity updates, etc.)
Week 2: Your Professional Gallery (video, photos, documents)
Week 3: Your Unique Brand (Summary, Job Experience, additional sections)
Recommendations
You’ll like the improvements here. The headline and photo of the people who wrote the last two recommendations for each job and educational entry show up at the bottom of the entry. Thus, it’s more important than ever to get a couple recommendations for every job and educational entry.
 When looking at someone else’s profile, if you scroll over the name of a person who wrote a recommendation, you will have an opportunity to invite that person to connect, send a message, or view his/her profile.
If you have more than two recommendations and want to make sure the best two show up on your profile, you can hide any more recent recommendations. The two you want to display will then be visible on your profile. This is a bit tricky but may be worth it. Do this by going to Profile>Recommedations>job or education entry>Manage>unclick Show.
Skills & Expertise
Endorsements can be received
 for each skill or expertise. The most frequently endorsed skills are at the top of the list. This new section has created a lot of angst among LinkedIn users, but I believe it’s here to stay. So try to capitalize on this opportunity.
LinkedIn ranks your skills by the number of endorsements you’ve received. Your skill with the most endorsements is at the top of the list. Because most people will simply look at the first few entries, you will want to focus on including the skills that are currently important to you. Getting lots of endorsements for skills you have but aren’t currently using may not be very productive.
People will use the Skills section to compare you to your competitors, and I suspect this section will be incorporated in LinkedIn’s search algorithm. So you better take it seriously.
Groups
Your groups are listed in alphabetical order, and the logos of your first seven groups will be prominently displayed. Sometimes people will choose to hide religious or political groups. That’s your call. But LinkedIn groups are extremely important, and I always belong to fifty–the maximum LinkedIn allows.
For more information about groups, check out LinkedIn Groups: Are You Missing This Opportunity?
.
Following
You can follow news and companies, and seven of each will be displayed on your profile. If you are following your competitors, their names and logos may appear here. Since you don’t want to give your competitors free advertising, you’ll need to follow a few more companies, and then their names may drop off your front page.
Join me next week for my final thoughts on the new LinkedIn profile.
|
Does your new LinkedIn profile display your worldwide brand clearly and in a way that people would choose you over others of similar education, experience, and background?
If you cannot confidently say yes, then read on. This is Part 3 of my series on the new profile features and changes to the LinkedIn site. Be sure to check out Part 1 (Top Box) and Part 2 (Your Professional Gallery) for more great suggestions.
Note: When you are in “Edit Profile” mode, the up-down arrow (1) allows you to move that section to a different position in your profile. Moving a section closer to the top of your profile will indicate greater importance and improve the likelihood that people will see it.
Summary Section
To add videos, articles, slide shows, etc. to your Summary section, click the (2) icon and upload your media. Your media files will then be displayed in what LinkedIn now calls your Professional Gallery. Including media in your Professional Gallery will increase your credibility and differentiate you from your competitors.
For a more in-depth explanation of the Professional Gallery, see last week’s blog post.
Job Experience Section
In addition to the name of your employer, the company’s logo is now displayed (3). In your Job Experience section, list all jobs you have held. The company logo will appear next to each job entry, and this is a very visual way for people to quickly see the kinds of companies you have worked for.
To learn more about maximizing this important section, check out “Experience Section: Use Your Past Experience to Ensure Your Future Success.”
Additional Sections
These sections are now much easier to access. Add any that 
are appropriate in your circumstances, describe them well, and add a link to a website if possible. Including information about your expertise and unique knowledge will greatly enhance your credibility. The graphic to the right displays all the available optional sections.
Education
In addition to the basic descriptions of your education, you can now include videos, presentations, slide shows, etc. in this section to provide tangible evidence of your expertise. Think outside the box about what you might include here, like industry specific educational events, personal development workshops, etc.
Interests
Add several hobbies and interests that show a bit of your personal side (but remember–it’s not Facebook!). Any information included here will appear in a new section titled In Common With… In this new section you can move your cursor over the circles and see what you have in common with a particular person.
Advice for Contacting
Previously LinkedIn provided a standardized list of contact preferences. This has been replaced with a new section titled Advice for Contacting. Make it easy for people to contact you by sharing your preferred method of contact (email, phone, etc.)
I hope this overview has sparked some new ideas of ways you can improve your profile. Check out Part 1 (Top Box) and Part 2 (Your Professional Gallery) to learn more ways to spruce up your profile and ensure a prosperous new year.
|
This is Part 2 of my tips to take advantage of your new LinkedIn profile. Last week I shared important strategies relating to the top section of your profile. This week I will concentrate on one of the best new features for displaying your individual expertise and credibility.
Gone are the days of the really cool LinkedIn applications (SlideShare, Box.net files, Amazon Reading List, Google Presentations, etc.). Lots of people were hopping mad about this elimination, but the news is not all bad.
The replacement for many of these applications is all in one handy dandy place called Your Professional Gallery. I refer to it as The Big Differentiator–because differentiating yourself from the rest of the pack is one of the main objectives of a well-crafted LinkedIn profile.
In your Professional Gallery you can share hyperlinks to various media, such as video, images, documents, and presentations. Most media file types are supported by this feature, but they must have a specific URL or web page. Of course, the best place to send people is your website, but other good sites include You Tube, Google Docs, Scribd, and SlideShare.
Professional Gallery hyperlinks can be placed in your Summary, Experience, and Education sections. I like this much better than the old applications features, because the hyperlink is displayed right in the applicable profile section. And adding information to your Professional Gallery is fast and easy.
Go to the top toolbar, scroll over the word “Profile,” and select “Edit Profile.” Go to the specific profile section in
An image of your content should appear. The Title and Description fields will automatically fill with information from the web page, but you can change or delete this information if you prefer.
Here is an example of how I display various types of media in one of my Experience sections on my LinkedIn profile. The descriptors of my files and links should help get your creative juices flowing as to what you might include in your gallery.
The Professional Gallery is a great place to include those all-important calls to action on your profile. For more ways to call your readers to action, check out “Best Ways to Use Calls to Action in Your LinkedIn Profile.”
What other ways are you using your Professional Gallery?
LINKEDIN SURVEY
This is the last call to participate in this year’s LinkedIn user survey. It will take you just a few minutes, and upon completion you can request a copy of the results and learn how your uses and habits on LinkedIn compare to those of other smart folks. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of the group–and register to win a fantastic prize.
|
| Are you being a Debbie Downer about your new LinkedIn profile? Change can be hard. Some of my favorite applications have disappeared. But, boy, there is some incredible opportunity here.
In the next few weeks, I will be showing you how these changes can help you find your next big customer, investor, strategic partner, vendor, donor, or job opportunity.Let’s start at the top. I will show you my profile in the view mode (Top tool bar>Profile>View Profile), not the edit mode (Top tool bar>Profile>Edit Profile), where you will be making the changes by simply clicking the pencil icon next to the item you wish to change. 2. Summary of your current and previous experience. If the jobs are not listed in the order you prefer, just use the up-down arrow to reorder your entries. I will share more detail on the Experience section in coming weeks. 3. Photo. It’s bigger and therefore more important. Does your photo clearly display your brand in the marketplace? A 20-year-old photo of you and your Harley in front of a tavern probably doesn’t do that very well — unless you sell Harleys or own the tavern! And even then, I’d probably save those types of photos for Facebook. Also, if your photo doesn’t fill up the entire square, resize it or choose a different photo. 5. Websites. This is also harder to find, but it’s still one of only a few opportunities on LinkedIn to include a hyperlink. It’s a bummer that people now have to click the Contact Info icon to see your websites, but it’s important to include three websites with strategic descriptions. Don’t use the default “My Company,” etc. To learn more about effectively using this profile section, check out “Websites: Your “Link” to Future Opportunities.” 6. People You May Know. This is more conveniently located for easy access. I’m sure LinkedIn put it in this great spot so you would use it more often. Connections are the “gas in the tank” on LinkedIn. Always be on the lookout for great new additions to your network. To learn more about who you should be connecting with, read “LinkedIn Connections Strategy: Do You Have One?”
Check back next week for Part 2. And if you’re near Milwaukee, join me on January 22 for my special live class “Crush It In 2013 With the New LinkedIn Profile.” If you enjoy the information I share each week, help me gather more great information by completing my short LinkedIn User Survey. Near the end of the survey, you can register for a chance to win my full LinkedIn DVD training library and sign up to receive a full copy of the survey results. Thanks! |
| How are other people using LinkedIn?
That is one of the most frequently asked questions at my training events. Well, it’s that time of year again…survey time…and I need your help! In order for all of us to benefit from the data, we need a large group of participants. The survey will take only a few minutes to complete…and one lucky participant will receive a fantastic prize…my complete LinkedIn six DVD training library ($249 value). Last year nearly 500 people participated, and I hope to double that number this year. Check the box near the end of the survey, and I’ll send you the complete survey results. To show you the kinds of great information you’ll help me gather, I’ve attached the infographic I prepared based on the results of last year’s survey. |
I usually point people to the results of my annual LinkedIn user survey, because then the answer comes directly from their peers. |
|
Have you ever lost your cell phone (and all your contacts)? Had a toasted hard drive? Accidentally deleted a critical file or document?
Then you know the importance of backing things up.
Here are three quick steps you can take to safeguard your LinkedIn account and avoid a potential future disaster.
Save Your Connections List
This one is critical. If your LinkedIn account is compromised in any way and your list of connections is deleted, you can replace it in a matter of minutes.
Also, if you would like to add your LinkedIn connections to a new or existing mailing list, this download will be very helpful. (Be sure to follow your company’s CAN-SPAM policy when adding names to your email list).
 To create this backup list, go to “Contacts” on the top toolbar and select “Connections.” Then click “Export Connections” on the bottom right.
Next, choose the appropriate format — Microsoft Outlook (.CSV file), Outlook Express (.CSV file), Yahoo! Mail (.CSV file), Mac OS (.VCF file) or vCard (.VCF file) — and hit the “Export” button.
The information you will receive is the connection’s first name, last name, company, title, and email address.
Save Your Profile
If for any reason your profile is partially or totally deleted, you can quickly restore it if it’s been properly saved. The saved version is also a handy summary to share with people when you need a quick resume. This step will be a bit different depending on whether you have the new version of the profile or the old version.
New Profile:
Go to “Profile” on the top toolbar and select “View Profile.” Near the bottom of your top box you will see a light blue “Edit” button. Scroll over that and select “Export to PDF.” You will get a PDF version of your profile (minus the picture and any applications) that you can print and, more importantly, save.
Old Profile:
Go to “Profile” on the top toolbar and select “Edit Profile.” At the bottom of your top box you will see the the “View” box. From the pull-down menu, select “Export to PDF.” After clicking that, you will get a PDF version of your profile (minus the picture and any applications) that you can print and save.
By the way, you can do this for any profile, not just your own.
Change your password
Let’s not forget this summer’s LinkedIn password debacle that affected over six million accounts. Do this one now!
Click “Settings,” which pops up when you scroll over your name on the top right of any LinkedIn page. After you enter your password, you will be taken to the Settings page. Select the Account tab and then choose “Change password.”
.
Now you can rest peacefully, knowing your LinkedIn account is securely backed up.
|
|
This past week quite a few people were
. My inbox suggests there are lots of concerns (I lost all my applications!) and questions (What should I do differently in light of the new profile?). . I will do my best to address those concerns and questions in the coming weeks–after I have some time to digest what’s there and formulate some strategies to help you take full advantage of all this potential. . For my local followers, I will be having a special live event, Crush It In 2013 With the Help of Your New LinkedIn Profile, on January 22 in Pewaukee, Wisconsin to share my can’t-miss new profile strategies. Space is limited, so register early. This one will probably sell out. . In the meantime, I’d like to address an equally important strategy, and that is deciding who should be in your network: . Is it better to have an enormous LinkedIn network that includes hordes of strangers or a smaller but tight-knit network of people you know and trust? . After all, this is the starting point for everything you do on LinkedIn. But whatever the current state of your connection strategy–nonexistent, incomplete or clearly defined–you need to be aware of the advantages and dangers of your decision. . Download my article The LinkedIn Connections Conundrum: Who Should Be In Your Network? and find out:
. Get your strategy in place, and be on your way to growing a powerful network that will provide new opportunities you can turn into revenue. |
upgraded to the new and improved LinkedIn profile. It sounds like everyone will have the new profile by year end.
Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble
1800CEORead
Download a free chapter.
LinkedIn
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest 
Google+
RSS Feed
