1. Presented by, Peter A. Williams, CFA
SOAR Conference “What Do You Need to Know About LinkedIn?” March 8, 2018
Presented by, Peter A. Williams, CFA

2. I. To Succeed on LinkedIn, Use LinkedIn as both a “Social Network” and as a “World Class Database”
How Many here are on LinkedIn? Raise your hand if you have greater than 100 connections?, 200?, 300?, 400?, 500?
I’ve been a heavy user since – I use it to:
Prepare for meetings
Research people, companies, and topics
Figure out a way to contact/connect with someone I’ve identified
Build relationships
***Most importantly – people are using it to find me and to learn about me

3. LinkedIn Search Example searches – Boolean operators **Save Search**
LinkedIn Search: “Manager” AND (Purchasing OR Procurement OR “Supply Chain” OR Buyer)
1st and 2nd level connections
Aviation & Aerospace, Airlines/Aviation, Defense & Space
**Save Search**
Show “Create Search Alert”
Follow Up – check their profile:
to see who in your network can introduce you
Look for conversation starters – e.g. similar interests, previous employers, schools, LinkedIn groups, community service interests
LOOK AT PEOPLE ALSO VIEWED LIST
Send a direct message if in a common group
Send customized invite to connect

4. LinkedIn Search
Example searches – Search an Individual Connection’s Contacts
Select Individual Profile – select “See Connections” link
1st and 2nd level connections
Owner OR President OR CEO OR Founder
Industry: Information technology
John Yates profile

5. LinkedIn Search University Search
Especially valuable for keyword research
Mercer University

6. II. LinkedIn’s Search Secret
***This is also the universe of people that can find you by searching LinkedIn***

7. LinkedIn Search
BASIC PRINCIPLE: YOUR SEARCH RESULTS WILL INCLUDE ONLY MEMBERS WHO ARE 1ST-LEVEL, 2ND-LEVEL, AND 3RD-LEVEL CONNECTIONS OF YOURS (YOUR “LINKEDIN NETWORK”) AND MEMBERS WHO BELONG TO GROUPS YOU DO
INTRODUCE PRINCIPLE OF LINKEDIN SEARCH: YOUR SEARCH RESULTS WILL INCLUDE YOUR 1ST-LEVEL, 2ND-LEVEL, AND 3RD- LEVEL CONNECTIONS (YOUR “LINKEDIN NETWORK”)
***Only those people will find you in LinkedIn search

8. LinkedIn THE STARTING POINT FOR SUCCESS USING LINKEDIN IS TO:
BUILD YOUR PROFILE; AND
BUILD YOUR NETWORK
Self-Explanatory
The name of the game is getting people to your profile, then motivating/inducing them to take the next step and reach out to you personally to take the relationship off-line
FIND PEOPLE: BE FOUND
SO: THE FORMULA FOR LINKEDIN SUCCESS IS (1) BUILD YOUR PROFILE; (2) BUILD YOUR NETWORK

9. III. How to get the key areas of your profile right

10. Your Profile – It’s No Time to Blend!
The name of the game is getting people to your profile, then motivating/inducing them to take the next step and reach out to you personally to take the relationship off-line
LINKEDIN WANTS YOU TO HAVE:
A FULL/COMPLETE PROFILE
A STRONG PROFILE
AN ACTIVE PROFILE

11. Your Profile Most Important Sections Picture Headline Summary
Current Job Description
Recommendations and Skills/Endorsements
Percent Complete
YOUR PICTURE – LinkedIn reports that profiles with pictures are 14x more likely to get viewed

12. Your Profile
Professional Headline, or “Branding” Headline

13. Your Profile Professional Headline, or “Branding” Headline Key:
Where it appears
Every time your profile is viewed
When you share an update or long-form post (LinkedIn Pulse),
When your profile appears in search results
Does your headline encourage people in your target market to want to read more about you?
Does it include important keywords?
120 characters including spaces
Headline should be what you do, what you want to do, or what you want to be known for
The default is your job title
This headline is Descriptive/functional and very straightforward
Another effective approach is the keyword approach

14. Your Profile Professional Headline, or “Branding” Headline
Headline should be what you do, what you want to do, or what you want to be known for
I took a simple keyword approach
Spoiler Alert: LinkedIn search loves the word “expert”

15. Your Profile
Summary
YOU MUST USE THIS SPACE! IT IS “PRIME REAL ESTATE” IN LINKEDIN SEARCH
Include what you hope to be found for – 2000 characters incl. spaces
Be personal; 1st person is recommended; don’t duplicate job descriptions
Akin to an elevator pitch; describe your perfect customer
Include a call to action
LinkedIn says profiles with Summaries get 10x the views of those without
This is where you connect what’s at the top of the profile with the rest of it
What drives you?
What’s your specific skill set?
What are you great at?
What are you most passionate about?
What do your former bosses say about you?
What do your professors say about you?
What do you feel passionate about even if it doesn’t seem relevant to business?

16. Your Profile Popular Approach
NOTE – SCROLL BACK TO SHOW - Look at my profile for MOBILE ISSUE example
Good spacing; very logical layout
Organized
Shows passion
Written in first-person
Specialties
NOTE – BE AWARE OF THE MOBILE APP ISSUE
*****GO LIVE: Andrew Murison, Karthik Rajan

17. Your Profile Summary Worksheet
What drives you?
What’s your specific skill set?
What are you great at?
Can you list an adjective describing what you do?; another addressing how you do it? Another pertaining to why you do it?
Can you describe your perfect customer?
What would your former bosses say about you?
What do you feel passionate about – even if it doesn’t seem relevant to your business?
How are you or your company unique?
What’s your call to action? What do you want a viewer of your profile to do next?
What accomplishments are you most proud of? How do they connect to the future/your business?
LinkedIn says profiles with Summaries get 10x the views of those without
This is where you connect what’s at the top of the profile with the rest of it
What drives you?
What’s your specific skill set?
What are you great at?
What are you most passionate about?
What do your former bosses say about you?
What do your professors say about you?
What do you feel passionate about even if it doesn’t seem relevant to business?

18. Your Profile Job Descriptions
Your current job description and job title carry the most weight in LinkedIn searches
Emphasize accomplishments, not duties
Keyword, keyword, keyword
Note: search preference for keywords included in job title field
Current job description and job title carry the most weight in LinkedIn searches
Go back to search for “valuation expert” search results – show the modifications people have made to their titles

19. Your Profile Skills and Recommendations
Info only below – covered on next pages
Provides “social proof”
People want to know what other people say about you

20. Your Profile Info only below – covered on next pages
Provides “social proof”
People want to know what other people say about you

21. Your Profile Demonstrate the skills section in my profile
Now only 3 are shown; can click for more
Recommend limit to 10 or so of your best; can re-order these as well
Highly searchable – LinkedIn has RECENTLY said so!!!
You can go in and edit/re-order these

22. Your Profile
No longer associated with a specific job in the new UI; need now to scroll all the way down
***HOWEVER – may only be given by 1st-level connections
Explain Recommendations and the value thereof
Highly valued by LinkedIn; also keywords are very searchable
Request them from people you want them from
You can suggest keywords you’d like used
You can moderate these before allowing them to be posted
***Go Live - Quickly show how to request; how to offer

23. Your Profile Percent Complete – the higher the better
**If your profile is incomplete – you look like someone who doesn’t finish things**
***STAY LIVE
Important to LinkedIn algorithm – they’re telling you this
IF IT’S INCOMPLETE – YOU LOOK LIKE SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T FINISH THINGS

24. Don’t Forget
Claim your “vanity” URL – LinkedIn automatically creates author URLs
***Your LinkedIn profile is a website and is indexed by Google
***DEMO LIVE
HOW TO: Edit your profile – click Customize your public profile
Put this address:
on your business card
in your signature
In your Company press releases
In your Twitter profile
Etc, etc, etc
Demonstrate some google searches:
“Peter Williams acquisitions”
“Peter Williams SBDC”
***FINISH YOUR PROFILE – otherwise you look like someone who doesn’t finish your homework

25. IV. How to Build a Valuable LinkedIn Network
Since basic member search gives results including up to 3rd level connections plus group members, the GOAL is to expand your network
Having a larger network gives the following advantages:
You’ll appear more in search results
You’ll usually rank higher
You’ll have more shared connections & thus have easier access to the right people
Your status updates and Pulse posts are more likely to receive views, shares, likes, and comments

26. Your LinkedIn Network Expand Your Network of 1st level connections
When you meet someone, ask if they’re on LinkedIn/offer to connect!!

27. Write customized invitation

28. Your LinkedIn Network Expand Your Network of 1st level connections
Use your lists (Click “My Network”)
Review suggestions from LinkedIn – “People You May Know” (select “My Network”)
Join relevant groups and invite selected group members to connect
LinkedIn has made this real easy in the new UI – click “My Network”

29. Your LinkedIn Network
Join Maximum # of Groups Allowed by LinkedIn (now 100)
*** Note: Can privately message other group members on LinkedIn for free – Response Rate Very High ***
Explain limitations on messaging:
LinkedIn now limits messaging to 15/month; must be a group member for 4 days
4-day waiting period

30. LinkedIn “300” Workout To Get Started….
100 connections or new connections
100% complete profile
100 groups

31. V. Make Your Profile an Information Hub for Your Target Market

32. LinkedIn Activity
Updates/Shares
Long-Form Posts – LinkedIn Pulse

33. Wrapping Up
Do you have actionable ideas about how to improve your profile and your professional brand? And how to use LinkedIn to stand out?
Can you efficiently locate business prospects using LinkedIn?
Are you ready to take it to the next level with engagement?
Now what? ”

34. Let’s Connect on LinkedIn – I’d Enjoy the Opportunity
THANK YOU!!
Let’s Connect on LinkedIn – I’d Enjoy the Opportunity