LinkedIn - More Questions :: More Answers to Some of the
Most Common LinkedIn Questions
By Drew Zagorski
February 2009
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The questions about LinkedIn just keep on coming…
Q: What are a few good strategies to use to grow your network on LinkedIn?
A: I would recommend you email people in your address book and ask them
if you can connect with them on LinkedIn. Either invite them to invite
you, or ask for permission... but you should get a number of good contacts
quickly. Also, if you have a newsletter, mention it in there. You can
also put your LinkedIn URL in your signature, or on your Web site,
which could be a subtle hint that you are open to invitations.
Q: Is there a downside to writing too many recommendations
for other people in your network? In other words, will the "recommender" appear
indiscriminate?
A: I don't think there is a problem with you writing too many recommendations,
[providing] they are sincere and add value. I've heard from many people
that recommendations are just a reciprocal thing and it really isn't
valuable. I don't necessarily agree with this. I read recommendations
and see if there is depth, specifics, and real credibility. If it's general
or vague, I disregard it, but if it's specific, and the person giving
it seems to be in some position of authority, it adds value (at least
to me).
Q: So is there a "right" number of
recommendations to have per job/per profile? On LinkedIn, can you have
or give too many recommendations?
A: I don't think you can have too many, although there comes a point
where there is information overload and perhaps you can weed out the
ones that don't add value. You should try to get recommendations from
your contacts at different jobs, not all from the most recent.
Q: How can one politely turn down a request for a recommendation?
A: There is a way for you to bulk-request recommendations... so, when
I get a request for a recommendation I assume it's from a bulk-request.
I simply ignore the request if I don't know the person, or I reply
and say, "We haven't worked together in a capacity to let me know
how you work, or what you do. I'm not comfortable recommending you
yet, but as I get to know you better I'll keep this in mind."
Q: Can you turn off the recommendation feature? Is there someone who
monitors negative postings?
A: When someone recommends you, you determine if that recommendation
is shown or not shown on your profile. So if you don't want any recommendations
showing up on your profile, just don't show them. It's 100% up to you.
Q: Are the answers/questions section indexed by search engines or just
the main profile sections? Are LinkedIn questions/answers searchable
on Google?
A: I am not sure, but as far as I know the only thing that a search engine
is going to pull is a profile. As a rule of thumb, if you post or answer
questions, always include a link back to your web site.
Q: As many of us use LinkedIn both for business and private purposes,
it sometimes is difficult to balance interests and your visibility. A
profile written for business prospecting may look different from a profile
written for attracting job offers. Do you have any thoughts on how to
balance both?
A: LinkedIn is not Facebook... It's not a really social, fun place where
you share pictures of your dog and honeymoon and vacation. I would keep
the profile focused on your professional life, and careers, and accomplishments.
Your friends will respect that, as this is what LinkedIn was designed
for, and [it's] how people use it.
Q: Some folks ignore invitations from people they do not know. Should
folks accept these invitations?
A: It depends.... For some people it will make a lot of sense connecting
with these people. How will you use LinkedIn, what are your objectives,
etc.?
Q: Is it OK to disconnect people from your network?
A: It is absolutely OK! Realize that when you disconnect, the person
you disconnect from does not get a notice (at least right now) that
you disconnected. They will only see their network is smaller.
Q: Are there downsides to using LinkedIn? For example, do connections
on LinkedIn ever pilfer clients, or is that a concern?
A: There are unscrupulous people doing dumb/bad things. Go into it with
your eyes wide open, and be careful, just like anything else you do online.
And then, try and nurture the relationships and really get to know your
contacts better! If you are worried about someone's ethics, don't connect
with them.
Q: Is there a sequence of actions to take each day or each week to maximize
LinkedIn's value (e.g., check inbox, review network updates, answer/ask
question, etc.)?
A: It really depends on how much time you should spend in the system.
Some people only accept invitations once a week; others go in daily and
just accept them as they come in. As far as things to do to be proactive,
I'd recommend:
* Responding to inbox things (introductions, invitations, inMails,
etc.)
* Checking Answers to see if there is something you can answer
* Posting on Answers (no more than once a week).
Q: Is there a benefit to B2B companies on LinkedIn?
A: There are a ton of people who work at B2B companies. Go search for
your competitors to see what they are doing on LinkedIn, what their
employees profiles look like, etc. That will help you determine if
you need to be there.
Q: How can you view people from different countries, or a particular
industry?
A: In the advanced search there's an option to limit your search results
to a specific country or industry.
Q: If I have my own business, but also work as a 1099 with other companies,
how can I best set up LinkedIn to show I am actually two different entities?
A: You should only have one profile, and just make sure your summary
states your two different roles. It's not uncommon at all.
Q: Do you recommend paying to upgrade? Why?
A: Usually not. If you are in a role where you need to do a lot of people-searching
(recruiters, sales, bus dev, etc.), and communicate with them, then
it may make sense. But I get plenty of value out of LinkedIn with a
free account.
These answers were provided by Jason Alba, founder of JibberJobber.com,
during a recent webinar.
Drew Zagorski is the Principal of LeftBrainRightBrain
Marketing. You can reach him at drew@lbrbmarketing.com.
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