Article #700: Thank you all!

I joined LinkedIn in October 2005 ... and did almost nothing with it for a lot of years. I dabbled, kind of, but ... I had no real idea how to make LI work.

But in 2014, Social Marketing Solutions founder John White, MBA, somehow found me and invited me to join a small LI group he had formed. He also told me to start getting noticed on LI because, at least at that time, darn few editors, copyeditors, or proofreaders were advertising their services.

What did get busy mean?

Write several articles every week.

“On what???” I asked in horror. Grammar? Is there a duller topic than that one? Who the heck was going to read about American grammar?

But I took his advice, and for the next two years I wrote five articles every single week, mostly on communication skills including ... yup, American grammar. I slacked off after that, only writing two or three each week, although I always created my Friday Funday one.

Fast-forward to today, July 14, 2020.

This is article #700! Back then, I couldn’t even imagine this.

But as I have learned to help myself succeed here, getting 95% of my clients either through direct connections or a referral from another LI member, I have also enjoyed the engagement of so many others who have taken the time to both read and comment, almost always offering far more value than I did.

Of course, I continue to learn from John -- he’s been a fabulous mentor! -- and I have widened my LI learning experience thanks to Jeff Young, John Espirian, and Shelly Elsliger, to name just a few. (By the way, if you’re not following those four folks, you should be.)

Some of their top ideas?

1. Be visible in a positive and helpful way.
2. Always offer value to others.
3. Help others learn through your expertise; showcase it in your articles and posts.
4. Let others ask you about your business. Do NOT sell to others who haven’t asked you to.
5. Leave positive comments on others’ articles, and share their articles with your connections.
6. Ask for help if you get stuck. LI is full of wonderful pros who love helping others.

And even though LinkedIn continues to evolve, some things stay the same.

Most of us prefer to do business with those we know, like, and trust.

When we prove that we are worth knowing, liking, and trusting -- wonderful things can happen. I am living proof of that, and I’ll bet you are, too!

I appreciate all the fine folks I’ve met here, the experts in areas I’ve learned from that I never even knew existed, and the continuing possibilities I see by being here.

What would you add to this? How have you found success here on LI?

**********

Susan Rooks is an editor, a copyeditor, and a corporate trainer who uses her 25 years of experience to help all writers look and sound as smart as they are.