Using LinkedIn to...Gain useful information about and increase your knowledge

There are two sections where you gain information. Join groups and get involved with discussions or click on ‘More…’ view answers and you can post questions or respond answers!

Using LinkedIn to - Find someone who supplies...

Say you’re looking for a new stationery supplier within 50 miles of your location but you’re only interested in directors or owners. Click the ‘More’ button and on the dropdown list comes ‘Advanced Search’ Type in your criteria and see a list. If it has a number against their name it means they are in your network or are known by someone in your network. Check them out through your contacts to check if they are worth dealing with. We can of course do this offline too but often using LinkedIn can be much quicker.

This is just one of many LinkedIn tips and ideas included in our "How to Get the Best out of LinkedIn" training program. We now run in-house training, web seminars and public seminars on this exciting business development tool. For more information, please visit http://www.linkedintraining.co.uk/.

Why you network = Why you use LinkedIn

In my opinion, LinkedIn is for you because it’s …

· proactive business development
· a great way to raise your personal profile
· your best personal marketing tool
· an effective use of your networking time
· brilliant for cross selling
· a help to reinvigorate relationships
· a comfortable way to grow your network
· going to get you more new business
· for people who don’t like networking
· it’s here to stay

I have studied LinkedIn for 12 months now and realise that when you understand its power, it’s as close to real live networking as won’t make a difference.

Im sure most of you will agree that we attend business events to;

(In alphabetical order)

• Find a new employee for your team
• Find out what the competition is doing
• Find someone who supplies….
• Gain useful information about…
• Get known by others
• Get others to know what you do
• Help others with their business challenges
• Increase your knowledge of…
• Introduce Jack to Jill for their mutual benefit
• Make new friends both social and business
• Meet key people and decision makers
• Raise your own and the company’s profile
• See if an existing client needs other services
• Spot potential new business

All of these can be done using LinkedIn also!! Over the next couple of weeks, I will be looking at each of these in more detail, and showing how you can incorporate LinkedIn into your existing networking strategy, starting with;

Finding out what the competition is doing...

Not only does LinkedIn focus on individuals but also on companies. When you click the ‘More…’ button and click ‘companies’ you see will see a detailed overview of companies, including a search facility, plus you can browse companies by industry and those in your extended network. A great way of keeping up to date with the latest developments in your industry.