Top ten things to know and do on linkedin

1. Top ten thingsto knowand do onlinkedin • September 5, 2014

2. Linkedin homepage: quick overview Notifications: Indicates new messages, connections, etc. Interests: View companies you follow and groups you belong to Network: View list of your contacts Profile: Click to edit your profile People You May Know Inbox: Click to access messages & invitations Settings: Click photo to access privacy & account settings Dropdown menu for Search box: People, Companies, Groups, etc. Home: Homepage w/ main news feed Advanced Search Menu Bar Status Update

3. Linkedin homepage: quick overview Who’s Viewed Your Profile: Basic (free) accounts can see five most recent; premium accounts have access to full list Network: Shows your total number of connections & how your network has grown Newsfeed

4. Top ten things to know and do on linkedin • Complete Your Profile • Turn On/Off Activity Broadcasts • Customize Your Profile’s URL • Personalize Your LinkedIn Email Requests • Add LinkedIn to Your NP Bio & Email Signature • Export Your LinkedIn Contacts to Microsoft Outlook • Create a Status Update • Utilize Advanced Search Feature • Be Social • Make It Part of Your Calendar • Why linkedin? • Google loves linkedin: LinkedIn’s strong Search Engine Optimization component means that your LinkedIn profile often appears as one of the first five results in an online search of your name. • Powerful & Varied Platform: Build your brand, expand your reach, and share your knowledge, all in one location. • Largest Online Network of Professionals: In February 2013 LinkedIn hit the 200 million member mark.

5. 1. A complete profile is a strong profile • Why Complete Your Profile? • According to LinkedIn, users with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn. • The main reason to complete your Profile is to ensure that you will appear in LinkedIn search results. If you don’t have a 100% complete Profile, your Connections or Groups don’t matter, you will be INVISIBLE when searched. • An incomplete Profile suggests to the person viewing your Profile that you don’t use LinkedIn very much and could discourage him/her from connecting or reaching out.

6. 1. A complete profile is a strong profile • There are four levels of profile completeness: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert and All-Star. Unless you are an All-Star, you will not appear in a LinkedIn search. To become an All-Star you must complete the following: • Your industry and location • An up-to-date current position (with a description) • Two past positions • Your education • Your skills (minimum of 3) • A profile photo • At least 50 connections

7. 1. A complete profile is a strong profile How can you tell what level you’re currently at? Go to your Profile page; there is a “Profile Strength” box visible on the right side of the page. This is only visible to you.

8. 2. Turn on/off your activity broadcasts • Upload or edit your profile picture • Update your profile’s headline • Add a new current job position • Add a new current school • Add a new link to a website • Recommend someone • Add a connection • Follow a LinkedIn company page • Follow news • Join a LinkedIn Group • When you make changes to your profile, an update is sent out to your network alerting them that a change was made to your LinkedIn profile. These updates are a great way to stay top of the mind with your LinkedIn connections. • LinkedIn Updates are sent out to your connections if you:

9. 2. Turn on/off your activity broadcasts • There may be times when you want to make multiple edits to your Profile and you’d prefer not to overwhelm your connections’ newsfeeds with your changes. By turning off your activity broadcast temporarily, you can silently update your LinkedIn profile without letting the world know. • To do this, go to “Settings”, and under “Privacy Controls”, select “Turn on/off your activity broadcasts.” Another overlay window will appear allowing you to uncheck the option. • (Note: I would suggest turning it back on when you’re finished.)

10. 3. Customize your profile url Your current Profile URL • By default, your LinkedIn profile URL will consist of random alphanumerical characters. However, you can elect to have a customized profile URL by going to Settings > Edit Public Profile > Customize Your Public Profile URL. Pick the name you would like to display on your vanity URL. (i.e. ‘linkedin.com/in/JackDoe’) Customize here

11. 4. Personalize linkedin email requests Always choose one of the first four options • When trying to make a connection with a fellow professional, you have to send them a request. The request is already standardized but it’s always a good idea to personalize the notes. Default message – Customize!

12. 5. Add linkedin to your np bio & email signature • To add the LinkedIn icon to your NP bio page, email your request to Lauren Iacono • To add LinkedIn icon to your email signature, contact the Help Desk

13. 6. Export your linkedin contacts to outlook • On the main menu bar, hover over “Network” and select “Contacts” from the drop down menu. • In the lower right corner of the page, click “Export Connections” • In the drop down menu, select “Microsoft Outlook (.CSV file)” and then click “Export.” This will create a .CSV file. When prompted, click “Save” and save the file to your desktop.

14. 6. Export your linkedin contacts to outlook • Instructions for uploading file to Microsoft Outlook: • Open Microsoft Outlook. Click on the orange “File” tab in the uppermost left hand corner • Click “Options” from the left hand column • Click “Advanced” from the left hand column • Under the “Export” heading, click “Export” • In the pop-up window, select “Import from another program or file” and then click “Next” • Select “Comma Separated Value (Windows)” and then click “Next” • Click “Browse,” navigate to your Desktop, and select the .CSV file that you exported from LinkedIn. Be sure “Allow duplicates to be created” is selected so that you do not wipe out any existing contacts. Click “Next.” • Select “Contacts” from the list (you may need to scroll up). Click “Next.” • Click “Map Custom Fields” then click “Default Map.” • Click “Finish.” Depending on the number of contacts you’re importing, this could take a few seconds or a few minutes. Once the process is complete, go to your contacts window to view your imported items. Depending on whether or not you selected “Allow duplicates to be created,” you may need to manually go through and delete duplicate contacts.

15. 7. Create a status update Status update field Finished product

16. 7. Create a status update • There are two ways to share content on LinkedIn. • Option One: • Identify the content you want to share. Go to the web page of said content, then select and “copy” the web address/URL. • Go to LinkedIn’s homepage. In the box to the right of your photo (that says “Share an update”) “paste” the web address of your desired link. After a few seconds, you will see the link and any available images appear below this box. • In the “Share an Update” box, you can now delete the web address and use that space to type a line or two giving the link some context (i.e. “Our Boston office is hosting an event next week on data privacy featuring some high profile industry experts. Hope you can attend!”) • A status update will be visible to anyone, whether you are connected or not. If you’d like to change that setting, select the drop down next to “Visible To:” at the bottom of the box and select “Connections only.” • When you are satisfied with your update, click the blue “Share” button in the lower right corner of this box. Note: there is no way to preview an update before you send it.

17. 7. Create a status update • Option Two: Share directly from the website. • We’ll use a piece of content from nixonpeabody.com as an example: • Go to the page on nixonpeabody.com with the content you want to share • In the upper right corner, click the “+” icon. From the menu, select “LinkedIn” (Note: If LinkedIn does not appear, click “More” and scroll through the alphabetical list until you find it.) • This will bring up a window already populated with the link. Type a comment in the comment box. When you’re satisfied, click “Share” (Note: If you are not already signed in to your LinkedIn account, you will be prompted to do so.) • The link and your comment will be shared with your LinkedIn contacts. • ** Note: This process works for most websites. Anytime you see a LinkedIn icon at the top of an article or blog post, click it to bring up the same window and share with your LinkedIn contacts.

18. 8. Advanced search and filter

19. 9. Be social • LinkedIn is a social network and you’ll get the most out of it when you interact, not just broadcast your own news. • “Like” and comment on others’ updates • Send a message when you notice that someone got a new job or promotion • Review your list of connections and highlight those you’d like to reach out to. Work through the list by sending two or three emails per week.

20. 10. Make it part of your calendar • LinkedIn is most manageable when you make it part of your weekly tasks. Here’s a suggested schedule: • WEEKLY (15 minutes) • Review pending connection requests • Respond to messages (clean out inbox) • Post a status update • Review “LinkedIn Weekly Digest” email and send notes to connections as appropriate • Add new connections based on meetings, contact, etc. • MONTHLY(15 minutes) • Check the “People You May Know” page and add connections • Update profile to include any new articles, publications

21. 11. bonus! What to do about endorsements Ethics opinions caution against the use of terms such as “expertise” or “specialize” in online social networking tools. This specifically applies to the endorsements “Skills & Expertise” section of your LinkedIn profile. To be clear, displaying skills in this area is fine and even encouraged.It is the endorsements that are an issue. Unfortunately, you cannot delete endorsements added to your LinkedIn profile, but you can hide them. The firm recommends opting out of displaying Skills & Expertise endorsements on your LinkedIn profile. Whether you choose to do that, or hide individual endorsements, here are the instructions for both options: OPTING OUT OF DISPLAYING ENDORSEMENTS Move your cursor over Profile at the top of your homepage and select Edit Profile. Scroll down to the Skills & Expertise section and click the Edit icon. Click the green check mark next to Display your endorsements? Select "No, do not show my endorsements" from the dropdown list. Click Save. (Your skills will still be displayed on your profile. However, the endorsements from your connections will not be displayed. Your connections will still be able to endorse you, but the endorsements will not show on your profile unless you undo this setting.)

22. 11. bonus! What to do about endorsements (Cont.) HIDING ENDORSEMENTS Move your cursor over Profile at the top of your homepage and select Edit Profile. Scroll down to the Skills & Expertise section and click the Edit icon. Click the Manage Endorsements link. This is next to Add & Remove. Click on a skill in the left column to reveal the connections who endorsed you for that skill. You may need to use the scroll bar on the left side of the box to view skills further down in the list. Uncheck the box next to any people whose endorsements you want to hide. Or, check the box next to any you want to unhide. Note: You may check or uncheck the box next to show/hide all endorsements to take action on all endorsements under one skill at once. Click Save. Click Done editing in the top section of your profile.

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