DO AND DON'T ON LINKEDIN
LinkedIn is a professional networking platform for individuals and businesses. Follow these simple rules to present yourself and your company in a professional and consistent way.
DO
Have a professional profile picture of yourself.
If you want to build a list of recommendations and are asking for them from contacts, it is important to provide a personal note telling them what you are looking for, and always offer to reciprocate when appropriate.
Keep it professional. This is not the space for casual conversations about your mum’s dog or how many drinks you had on the weekend.
Turn off notifications when doing a big update of your profile otherwise everyone will see a barrage of your amendments. You can disable notifications in your account.
Remember the key to social media is to add value. Adding value means sharing your knowledge; be it the love of the law or the latest accounting news, without asking for anything in return. For example, a comment on a recent legal matter in the newspaper with a link to the article.
Nurture relationships by commenting on other peoples posts where relevant.
Open your contacts list up to new connections. Hiding your contacts defeats the purpose of social media.
Don’t
Do not post about your weekend. Keep professional at all time.
When sending a group message, make sure you deselect the option that says: “Allow recipients to see each other’s names and email addresses”. No one really likes group emails.
Do not ask new connections that you have never worked with to endorse you or for a recommendation.
Do not send a message to someone saying “I see you viewed my profile”; that is creepy. If you want to connect with them, connect with them.
Do not treat LinkedIn like Facebook or Twitter, it is not a purely social platform, it is professional. Speak to contacts in the tone you would within the workforce.
The most important tip to remember is to be positive in all interactions. It is a big community and a useful tool. As the saying goes "bees are attracted to honey".
For more information on how to use LinkedIn and how your business can benefit from social media contact amanda@popcom.com.au.
