MANAGING YOUR PRACTICE
NETWORKING
LinkedIn Can Boost
Your Business
Use this free service to develop an online profile that
works for you around the clock.
Julie Britt
If you think online social networks are
just for kids, you’re missing an opportunity to develop your small business and
add vital professional connections. Many
adults and businesses use the internet to
connect with like-minded individuals,
promote their work and locate business
opportunities. In fact, one networking
site, LinkedIn, www.linkedin.com, was designed for business professionals and is
growing rapidly, according to a new book.
Millions of professionals use the site to
Connect with industry professionals
Once you’ve created your profile—the
meatier the better—you can link to other professionals, and they can link to you,
Butow and Taylor write. The bigger your
network, the more business opportunities you can locate. You can connect with
people you’ve worked with, people you
went to school with and people who share
common activities and associations. For
example, entering “NAIFA” in the search
field reveals NAIFA members and groups,
ENTERING “NAIFA” IN THE SEARCH FIELD
REVEALS NAIFA MEMBERS AND GROUPS,
AND “LIFE INSURANCE” CONNECTS YOU WITH
OTHER INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS.
seek clients, get and provide recommendations for businesses and individuals,
and reconnect with former colleagues, according to How to Succeed in Business Using LinkedIn, by Eric Butow and Kathleen
Taylor. “LinkedIn subscribers jumped
from more than 1. 7 million users to more
than 4. 9 million users—a jump of more
than 189 percent—between October 2006
and October 2007,” they write.
You could log on, develop a profile
and explore the site’s features on your
own, but the authors take you step by
step through the process and provide
tips for making the most of your connections. Butow owns a web design
company, and Taylor is an executive recruiter. LinkedIn is a free service, but
you can get additional services for various fees.
and “life insurance” connects you with
other industry professionals. If you market your financial products and services
to small businesses, LinkedIn can connect you to a network of them.
The site also offers opportunities for
collaborative business research through
participation in discussions and question-and-answer sessions. “The more questions you answer, the more you become
recognized as an expert in the LinkedIn
community, and that leads to more opportunities for you,” the authors state.
Butow and Taylor offer the following
tips for taking advantage of LinkedIn’s
benefits for businesses and professionals:
• Stand out online. A well-developed
company profile can set your company
and its vision apart from your competitors and provide free publicity. For exam-
ple, LinkedIn has developed a partnership
with Business Week through which the
magazine will provide links to company
profiles mentioned in articles.
•Highlight your knowledge. With
a profile, you and your employees can
answer questions posed by other users,
showcasing your expertise to potential
clients. This can help establish you as a
thought leader in your area, which could
encourage prospects to contact you.
•Stay connected. Remember that
LinkedIn is a networking site, and you
need to keep in touch to reap the benefits.
You can link to new, current and past clients, colleagues, classmates and friends.
The larger your network, the more prospects, potential employees and business
partners you can find. Watch their status
updates and update your company’s status regularly.
•Keep up with industry changes.
You can start an online discussion group
to monitor trends. In addition, you can
learn about and publicize conferences,
and discover new products and services.
• Locate service providers. You’ve always believed in the benefits of word-of-mouth promotion and referrals; now
you can gain this advantage online. On
LinkedIn, users can recommend service
providers and find those who have been
recommended by respected people.
• Find job prospects. Through your
network, you can advertise your open
positions, find candidates and recruit
employees. If you’re looking for a job, you
can promote your accomplishments, locate open positions, and investigate hiring managers and companies.
