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Health & Fitness

BLOG: LinkedIn; Social Network or Business Outreach?

Tyler provides you with tips for getting the most out of your LinkedIn profile.

By now, just about everyone in the professional world has made a profile on LinkedIn. But are you using that profile in the best way possible to get the most out of it? The power of LinkedIn isn’t just the profile, it is the people. There is so much emphasis on creating an organic and dynamic profile that people forget that LinkedIn is about outreach. It’s about sharing information and becoming a thought leader in your own community.

Here are some tips for using LinkedIn to fully benefit your business and ultimately yourself:

  1. Groups that are similar to you are your competitors and you won’t get any business by just connecting with them. You want to join groups that are similar to you so that you can network and participate in discussion panels, but don’t let those groups become your only groups because they still are your competitors.

  • Just because you are allowed to join 50 groups doesn’t mean you should. Find a select few and become active within that group.

  • Write your summary in first person. Never in third person.

  • Always remember to include your contact information. Most users say they want to be contacted but never provide a way for others to actually contact them.

  • When making your headline, choose words that are relevant to your skills that most people would use to search for your profile.
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    Join us, The Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce, at the “Breakfast with Champions” on Thursday January 24, 2013 with special guest, Scott Plum. Scott is determined and committed to helping others and developing their skills and expanding their strengths for a better tomorrow. This event will focus on refining your LinkedIn skills to get the most out of your profile and to help you connect with potential business connections.

    Tyler Rydberg
    DCR Chamber

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