LinkedIn's Value: How and Why I Use It

I've been using LinkedIn for my profession and career since 2008. When I first joined and started connecting with people from current and previous jobs, I remember thinking how valuable this would have been to me if I were just starting out. After playing a bit of catch up connecting with people I knew, it seemed it was the perfect tool to build new and renew existing relationships. As my career progressed, the LinkedIn platform evolved over the next 10 years to be what it is today.

Like most other social networks and software tools, it is not perfect and has some areas that could use an overhaul in terms of user experience. For example, the job search and application function is tedious and not at all friendly if you're an active user. But aside from that, LinkedIn is useful and serves many purposes.

What I've discovered recently is that I still meet plenty of people who don't understand the tool, why they should use it or when to use it. I get it - no one wants to devote a ton of time to a social network when life is busy enough and the demands and stress of a career can take its toll especially if the job involves travel and being away from home. But I use it all the time in a fluid way to connect with others, help others connect and to maintain my personal brand in hopefully a memorable and positive way.

They say it's not about what you know it's about who you know. Yet it's really about who knows you. Perhaps both are true.

A few comments about LinkedIn people have recently shared with me are:

1. A college senior thought that it was only for job searching and was similar to Indeed.com so they hadn't completed a profile or connected with any of their fellow students who will all soon be landing jobs across the country.
2. Similarly, a job seeker who also happened to be a 20-year marketer thought Linkedin was only useful for when you were in between jobs but not when you had a job. "Why would you use it when you have a job?," he inquired.
3. A professional networker and promoter said to always bring business cards to a networking event. (That may be true but I'd rather use LinkedIn.)
4. Several executive-level job seekers, especially those who have been in one position or one company for a long time and are now searching for a job, are lamenting about how they are, for the first time, creating their LinkedIn profile as they've learned from the outplacement services that hiring managers and recruiters use it as their primary tool for finding talent. They've all said they've learned their lesson and will never again make the mistake of leaving LinkedIn dormant. They're learning now what I realized 10 years ago in terms of the value of their connections and in keeping a public business profile active.

These comments are what inspired me to write this post and share with my readers both how and why I use this social media network which is primarily for business. I spend much more time with LinkedIn than Facebook because I feel it pays off more for business networking in both the short and long run.

If your business comes from relationships, relationships should be your business. - Doug Ales

How I use LinkedIn:

• Most of the time I use the app, unless I'm writing an article or want to get detailed analyses on my post results which Linkedin refers to as "audience insights." With few exceptions, the mobile app is quite good.
• I connect with people I've met, often right on the spot. I think business cards are passé these days as much as I believe they serve a purpose in your brand efforts. When I'm at a networking event, I open up the LinkedIn app, search for the person and send them a connection request often when I'm standing with them or immediately afterwards. Most people appreciate this and immediately realize it's better. "Oh, even better!" is a typical response when someone asks for my business card and I connect on LinkedIn instead. This also works well when connecting with conference speakers when you're in the audience - they are there to make connections with their audience. People change jobs too often these days so their business email and contact information on their card will be out of date at some point - with LinkedIn, I remain connected to them throughout all their career changes.
• I use "InMail" if I want to send a message to someone I'm not connected with. And I use the messaging function to send a short follow-up note after I've seen one of my connections in person, such as "Enjoyed chatting with you today - let's keep in touch." About half the time, I include an introductory note when I send someone a request to connect especially if I do not know them or haven't met them. Most people will connect with you when you do this, perhaps not right away but eventually. You'd be surprised how much I interact with people using the messaging functionality - it works.

Why I use LinkedIn on almost a daily basis:

• To build my network for which I have over 3,200 1st level connections at this writing. I realized early on, when a couple of sales people went through my connections to deliberately get to other people for the not-so-good purpose of spamming, that I had to change the setting to make my list private. It was then that I started to realize how valuable my network was as it grew - valuable to me, and valuable to others. Maybe I was on to something. At the time, I didn't know quite what but I do now.
• To help others by sharing my connections. After what I mentioned above, you may be thinking I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth. I want to share but not make my list public for everyone to grab. But when I meet with someone and they need a few contacts or recommendations, I again pull up my LinkedIn app and am able to give them a few names or I forward a profile to them (or forward theirs to a contact and make a connection through LinkedIn). People are so appreciative when you can easily connect them with someone else who can help them in some way. I can't help everyone, that's for sure - but there's almost always a few people in my network that I know well enough who would be willing to help that person, and very glad to make a new connection for themselves. In a way, I become a facilitator.

The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity. Keith Ferrazzi

• To learn and stay abreast of the latest business news, technologies, strategies and advice. Between the articles that my connections write or post, and the news posted on company pages that I follow, I get a daily dose of the best news that most relevant to me. I have always felt this gives me a competitive advantage because the average person won't scan and read the articles that I read on my downtime, which might be early in the morning, at lunch or in the evening perhaps while watching TV. But aside from that, I find it to be the best source for learning and growing for myself. I do enjoy using the Flipboard app yet don't use it as often since it is limited to the purpose of content curation.
• To share relevant or unique news. When I run across an article that is well written, has terrific strategic graphics, makes a relevant point or is about the latest in technology, I often hit the share button and either add my perspective or pull out a quote from the article itself that resonated with me because it will likely resonate with others. In essence, I'm curating content for my connections who may not have the time to find the interesting nuggets that will help them learn or be a better leader, for example. Of course, if I worked for a company that issued thought leadership content in the form of research, articles, blog posts, I'd be posting those on a regular basis mixing those posts in with other content. This would help draw attention to and build my company's brand within my network. And this isn't just for marketers or sales professionals. In my humble opinion, it's everyone's responsibility to promote their company particularly if they are selling business-to-business (B2B).
• To make appointments for an in-person meet-up. Because the LinkedIn messaging is relatively informal and because there are many people like me who are heavy users of the app, it's easy for short messaging to set up a time for coffee. Many people including me are moving away from email as much as possible and using texts or short messaging apps like Slack to communicate with teams and to collaborate on projects. Unfortunately, if someone sends me an email it is likely to get buried with the onslaught of all the other emails I receive or I'm not going to respond to it as quickly as a text or short message. These days, email and voicemail for networking are almost as archaic as a business card.
• To practice writing on various topics. This will be my 8th article on LinkedIn's publishing platform. While I wish I had written many more, it does require some time and effort for which I find to be more difficult when I'm busy at work. But I enjoy writing as it's important to share what I've learned. There's also the aspect of becoming a thought leader, and being known for helping and advising on certain topics. While you can write on any topic that is interesting to you, my advice is to focus on topics that you want to be known for. For example, I recently came up with an acronym for the topics that I'm most interested in. It's S.M.I.L.E. which stands for Strategy, Marketing, Innovation, Leadership and Entrepreneurship. And, yes, I'm trademarking that! TM! SM! I'm most passionate when learning and writing about these topics. And that makes me smile.
• To participate in the conversation that others in my network are starting. Whether you like or, better yet, comment on or share someone else's post, you are helping to bring that content to life when you engage in a thoughtful way. Adding your perspective is a terrific way to participate on the LinkedIn platform because it should be more of a two-way conversation which causes others to join in as well. Being the one to initiate the conversation goes a long way in helping the person who is posting the content to get feedback and know that people are "listening" - i.e. reading and enjoying the content, even if you offer an opposing view. That person who you're helping might be a client, a vendor or a referral source.
• To build my own personal brand. As a marketing strategist who has also taught personal branding and social media classes, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how important LinkedIn is to building and maintaining your personal brand. This week I attended the Venture Forum's Virginia Venture Summit and I said hello to one of the sponsors whom I haven't seen for quite a while. He gave me a big handshake yet he commented "I feel like I see you all the time" because he's connected with me on LinkedIn. He also happens to be a recruiter who is well networked in the business community particularly in finance which means he has a different skew to his LinkedIn network than mine. Engaging on LinkedIn helps to keep my name out there so that people know me and what I'm all about. I can't possibly reach as many people on a continual basis face-to-face. I don't have the time and neither do they. That's not to say face-to-face meetings aren't important and critical to your success - no social network should ever take the place of those - but its kind of like sending flowers when you can't be there in person. By the way, I often receive 400 or more profile views per quarter depending on my activity so having a complete and updated profile is essential to building your personal brand. That's a topic for another post, I suppose, since it does take effort and ongoing attention.
• To find jobs and talent. LinkedIn Jobs is one of the best ways to apply for a new position. Especially because of the "Easy Apply" functionality that makes it, well, easy to apply in one step as well as the Career Interest settings which you can turn on or off depending on whether you're actively looking for a new opportunity. While I won't spend too much time on this aspect of LinkedIn because it's quite involved, please remember that the best time to look for another job, especially if you're looking for a jump up in responsibilities or salary, is when you currently have a job. Recruiters are always searching for talent and could contact you first which is yet another reason to update your profile and keep it current - being recruited is the ultimate way to find a new opportunity and puts you in the driver's seat for negotiation of the best compensation package of salary, bonus and benefits. I've also used LinkedIn extensively myself when I've been in hiring and interview mode - most hiring managers will do the same, with or without resume in hand.

So, what does all this get me? Well, if nothing else, it gives me confidence that I can more easily solve problems for my organization and other people because I know a diverse group of people to reach out to at a moment's notice. And I'm not starting from scratch to build a relationship with someone who can quickly look at my LinkedIn profile and my activity feed and generally "know" me and what I'm about. That saves a lot of time because when we do connect in person or by phone we don't have to start the conversation from square one. But there's so much more. I couldn't begin to bottle up all the benefits I've received over the last 10 years as a result of being active on LinkedIn. If you want to move your business and your career forward, and to protect yourself in case of downtimes, perhaps even equivalent to insurance for your career, carve out at least an hour each week to build and maintain a LinkedIn presence. Or just do what I do and use the mobile app making LinkedIn and connecting a part of your daily routine.