It’s a very simple process to join a Linkedin Group. Start by clicking on the Group Button on the left hand side of your profile page in Linked. You will be shown three options:
• My Groups
• Following
• Group Directory
• Create a Group
If you are not a part of any Group, select the Group Directory. You will then be taken to a search box that allows you to search the many groups that already exist. For each group you will be given a description, the number of people in the group and how long it has been in existence. To start, choose two groups that you feel would be most helpful to your job search.
When you click on a Group to join, you will be taken to a screen that will ask you several questions. These include, whether you will display the group’s logo; your email address; how often you want to be notified about digests of the group’s activities; allowing members to send you direct messages and a general consent form for participating in the group.
You can then send a message to the group leader telling them why you would like to participate in the group. You will then await, usually a day or so to be accepted into the group.
Once accepted you can now see previous group discussions, learn about the people in the group and initiate and participate in discussions.
Creating Your Own Linked Group
Linkedin also allows you to create your own Linkedin Group. This could be a group of people who professionally could be support to your job search. Or it could the group of people who are actively helping you in your job search. Once you complete this form, you will submit it to Linkedin and they will review your request for creating a group.
To be continued, your comments are always welcomed…
In its essence, all social media and social networking is a group of people who come together to have a conversation around a common topic. The internet eliminates the space and time considerations associated with traditional networking. To be successful with Linkedin Groups, you must participate in the conversation.
Spirited Conversations
Think back to some of the best face to face conversations you’ve had with friends or colleagues. What happen in those spirited conversations?
You talked about an important topic that interested everyone. People had definite opinions and feelings about the issue. Each person was involved and paid attention. Each person made contributions to the conversation. People took time to listen and ask questions. Each person respected the opinions of others, even if they disagreed.
The qualities found in a lively person to person conversation are the same qualities that you want to bring to your conversations within the Linkedin Groups you join.
A Different Behavior
Participation in Groups conversations requires a different form of behavior. It takes a different form of energy and time commitment. You can be more or less involved in the Groups, but you do have to be there consistently if you are going to gain the respect you need to have others look at you and your business.
What would you think of a person who joined a Group six months ago? Since that time, they have made three new connections. They made two comments, the last one made 5 months ago? Is that someone you would want to follow?
Because it is digital, your level of participation is open to everyone in the Group. They see how many and when you made your last contribution. If you went into a store in July that still had up their Christmas decorations, would you do business with them?
Conclusion
If you are going to be successful with Linkedin Groups, be prepared to participate in the conversation. It is not a one time event. It is an on going commitment to participate in the conversation. Participating in Linkedin Groups are a wonderful way to foster your job search. To be successful, you must participate and participate on a regular basis. You will learn much from members of a Group and they will can be extremely valuable resources for your job search.
In the next blog, I will return to Linkedin Group process and how to join a group and how even to form your own Group for networking purposes.
You have been making connections on Linkedin. Now you will take your Linkedin network to a deeper level. Inviting others to join your connections is a basic step in forming your networking and helping with your job search. If you want to be even more successful with Linkedin, you need to join several Linkedin Groups. Let me explain why.
Why a Group?
Linkedin Groups are formed around people who have a shared or common interest. ( You will have lots of choices). Beyond being interested in networking, people in Groups want to network with a specific group of people who care as they do about a topic or an issue. Here are a few of the benefits you will realize by being part of a Linkedin Group that goes beyond the benefits of normal Linkedin networking.
You can see more information about Group members than the average Linkedin members.
By participating in the Group member discussions, you get to demonstrate your expertise to others who care about the subject.
Sharing your materials with others in the Group gives more you visibility for your job search.
You can both give and receive from others in the Group discussions.
You can ask questions from Group members in a different manner than the general Answers section of Linkedin.
The real power of networking, whether in traditional networking groups, Linkedin or any of the internet social networking groups, comes from being active and participating. The real value of Linkedin comes from participating into the “people” resources of others.
Linkedin also provides you with tools to find connections from Colleagues, Companies where you have worked or people who attended School with you. Start again with the Green Button Add Connections on the left side of any Linkedin page. Click on Colleagues and Classmates. If you have listed specific companies or identified specific schools in your profile, Linkedin will search its data base to find matches for your companies and schools who are already on Linkedin. You will be given a list of names and you can decide whether they are people you want to invite as connections on your Linkedin program.
Manual Invitation
The last direct tool Linkedin offers for building your network is the Manual invitation. Go to the green Get Connected button and click on it. You will see a manual section where you can now type in six email names and addresses to invite with one stroke of the key board. I found it helpful to take some time to research the names and email address I wanted to invite and then place them in a word document. I then copy six names on a daily basis from this list and send an invitation to all the people I wanted to invite.
While you use these emails invitation to invite people to participate in your Linkedin connection, also use them as an opportunity to share with others information on your job search. Even if they do not join Linkedin, they may assist you win your job search. This systematic approach to emailing friends will be a worthwhile contact with others.
Recycling Your Invitations
On a sixty to ninety day basis, you may wish to invite again those who have not responded. If you go to your Inbox on your Linkedin Home Page and click on “Send” you will see all the people to whom you have send invitations and the status of those invitations. From here you can choose to resend invitations to specific people.
Here’s the most exciting networking tool to help in your job search and build your Linkedin network. When you use this tool, you combine your Outlook program with your Linkedin Program. You can have your Outlook program running behind your Linkedin program; or your Linkedin program can run behind your Outlook program. You can switch back and forth between programs. In a moment I will show you how to activate this Linkedin feature. First let me show how you can use it to build your Linkedin network quickly.
Emails You Receive in Outlook
Once your download this free tool, for every email you receive from a person via Outlook, there will be a Linkedin symbol in the right hand corner of the email. When you click on this, it tells you this person is a member of Linkedin, their headline and the number of their contacts. From this brief information you can decide if they would be helpful to your job search.
If they are on Linkedin, you can Keep In Contact with them or Invite them to join your network. If you click on the Invite, a screen appears with all the information and choices to send them a personalized invitation to join your network. You decide on the words you want to use or create a template to use on an ongoing basis. ( Use the Job Search message you created in the last post) Once you complete the form, you hit send and you are right back at your Outlook program.
The beauty of this tool is that you don’t have to leave Outlook to send an invitation. And it only takes a few minutes. It’s even faster if you use your own template invitation to send the person an invitation.
Another feature of this tool is that if the email you receive contains other names in any part of the address, the CC or Blind Copy, these names are shown in a separate box. You can click on them and find out if they are on Linkedin. One email I received had four additional names displayed when I clicked the Linkedin symbol. I sent out five invitations in the space of five minutes, one to each person.
The Power of the Outlook Tool
Stop for a moment and think about the power of this tool. First there is the speed and convenience of sending out invitations. Then, in any given day, I may receive dozens of emails from other professionals in my field. They are advertising materials to sell, newsletter, etc. I can click on any of these emails and invite the person to be on my network. When they receive the invite, it is very easy for them to click and say “Yes” to become a member of my network. And you can do all of this without every leaving your Outlook program. How cool is this?
Now I can invite the top people in my field as members of my network without all the work involved in personally contacting these people. When others see these experts on my network, now my credibility soars.
On the side of every Linkedin page you will find a green button Add Connections. Click on this button to begin your first step in expanding your network. This will take you to a page where you can manually add six invitations at one time. We will come back to the manual input in a moment. First we want to use Linkedin automated tools.
You will find a tab on that same page “Import Contacts”. You will click here to import contacts from Outlook, and webmail services like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, AOL and other electronic address books.
I’ve had a Hotmail account for eight years. From the choices, I clicked on Hotmail. My connection did not go through the first time (See the tip at the end of this section). The second time Linkedin connected to my entire email list in Hotmail and displayed a 193 contacts. (Since I only use Hotmail as a back up email program, I had forgotten most of the people listed on this email file.)
If a person is already on Linkedin, they will have a small blue icon after their name. This is a great place to make your first invitations to help in your job search. These are people who are already familiar with Linkedin and suitable candidates to add to your network. (Use your own set of criteria for who you want on your network).
You then click to identify which of these people you want to send an invitation to. In my case I choose 18 current Linkedin people as my first set of invitations. This created a list (their names and email addresses are already on the Linkedin list because it extracted the list from your webmail accounts), on the right side of the page.
Personalize the Invitation
I checked the box that says I want to “Personalize my Invitation”. I was given a screen box in which I could type my personalize invitation rather than the standard Linkedin form.
Since I was sending 18 of these invitations at one time, I wanted to make the invitation semi-personal. This is not a mass mailing nor is it a one to one mailing.
Here’s what I wrote: “I see that you are on Linkedin just as I am. I would love to connect with you. I am currently working on an e-book of tips for people using the Linkedin program and would like to send it to you. Let’ connect on each others network. Thanks.” Al
Notice a couple of things about this semi-personal note. It is more general than a one to one (you can always send out individual personal invitations). Second, I offered them something in return for joining my network. My mother taught me that whenever I visited a friend’s house, I should bring some type of treat or gift. This is my version of “visiting” someone. It is my hope that the email tips sheet will be seen as useful to the other person and an incentive to connect with me on Linkedin.
A Job Search Message
You can create your own personalized job search message. Here’s one suggested message you may find useful. “I see that you are on Linkedin just as I am. I would love to connect with you. I am currently in the process of a job search XYZ. I am using Linkedin as a tool for my job search. It would helpful to me, if we could connect and be part of each other’s network. Let’ connect. Thanks.” Al
Once I was finished with my message, I click to send the invitation. Linkedin will personalize the invitation with the person’s name. I was immediately notified that 18 invitations were sent. By the next morning I already had four responses that people had joined my network.
Because my hotmail list had almost two hundred names, I went back several times and follow the above steps until I had send email invitation to all the people I wanted to from my Hotmail list. If you have a large list you can go back to your list several times to do this process.
There are a number of choices you will make before you actually start creating and expanding your network. Your first choice involves quality verses quantity networking.
At first blush, you want as many connections as possible on your Linkedin site to be a part of your job searching process. If a hundred connections are good; a thousand is better. Going for as many connections as possible is one strategy.
Choosing to build a large quantity of network connections is popular. In sales, the expression goes, “The money is in the list!” Statistics show that at any one point in time, only 3% of any group is ready to buy, with another 7% considering a purchase. A network based largely on numbers probably has the same percentages of people helpful to your job search.
With the quantity strategy you build as many contacts as possible. Some job searching strategies are built on “the numbers game.” Go for as many numbers as possible and there will always be a certain number of jobs that will fit your situation.
Another strategy is the qualitative approach to networking building. In this approach you seek a more limited number of connections. Using your own criteria, you carefully select who to connect with on Linkedin.
If you have a hundred connections on your network and 30% of them are strong connections, then that number equals 3% of 1000 weaker connections.
Different people use different strategies. Qualitative verses quantitative. You choose the strategy you believe and feel comfortable using in your business. You can start with a quantitative strategy and switch later to a qualitative strategy.
This is another strategic decision. You can take a very active approach to expanding your network as part of your job searching efforts. You will see the tools that Linkedin provides for this purpose.
Or you can use a passive approach. You passively invite others to connect with you by adding a Linkedin Icon to your email signature or your website or your blog. Anywhere people can click and connect with you.
Some people will click and will invite you to connect with them. They take the action; you respond. That is why I call this passive network building.
Linkedin Networking Strategy Other Considerations
Many people make the mistake of waiting to build a network only when they need it. It takes time to build a Linkedin network. Start expanding now for your job search but also see this as a future network that can help you once you are in a new job.
Manage your network. You will need to sort your network, remove dead wood, repair emails, find missing people, etc. A strong network needs to be managed. This takes time.
Allow enough time and energy to create your network. It is work. It can be fun. As part of your job search, plan to expand your network daily.
When we started our Linkedin Strategy on Recommendations, I suggested your make Recommendations a critical part of your Linkedin Job Searching Profile. Now you are ready to begin getting those important Recommendations to help your job search.
Ways to Get Recommendations
1. In a previous post I suggest you create a plan to identify the type and number of Recommendations you need to support your job search. See (http://successfulmarketingtools.com/wordpressblog/413/types-of-linkedin-recommendations/)
2. I’ve found a good method is to email or call a colleague and offer to exchange Recommendations. They supply one for you and you supply one for them. In this way, you can specify what each person would like in a Recommendation. You can always send an email outside of Linkedin to start this process. This is an easy way to quickly generate Recommendations.
3. In our next Linkedin Strategy for getting a job, (Expanding Your Network), I will show you how to expand your network of Linkedin contacts. You will find as you expand your networkd, you will develop a fresh group of potential Recommendations.
4. Linkedin provides you a simple process for getting Recommendations. For some Recommendations, you may need a two step process. The person who could give you a wonderful Recommendation may not be on Linkedin. So first go through the process of having them join Linkedin so they can give you a Recommendation.
The Process
To start the process go to your Profile page, Recommendation Section, and click on Get Recommended. You will be brought to a new page. Then click on Request Recommendation. Here you will be asked to choose what you want to be recommended for? (Experiences and Schools) Find the option that best suits your purposes.
Linkedin places the appropriate Recommendation with the particular Experience. If you are getting Recommendations to high light a particular skill, choose the category that is more relevant for that particular skill.
Then you are asked who you want to ask for the recommendation? You can ask up to 200 Linkedin participants. You then are invited to create your message. Even if you are sending a Recommendation request to a number of Linkedin participants at one time, they each will receive an individual invitation with their names in the heading.
The Content of Your Recommendation Invitation
In a previous post, I shared with you’re the formula for making powerful Recommendations. (http://successfulmarketingtools.com/wordpressblog/404/a-formula-for-powerful-recommendations/) Review those notes and keep them in front of you as you begin inviting Linkedin connections to give you a Recommendation.
This is a critical step for getting Recommendations. People will give you want you want, if you ask them. Left on their own people will generalize and give you glowing remarks that may have little to do with your goals for Linkedin. Share with them what you would like to hear from them. Ask them to be specific, talk about your strengths and responsibilities and the specific results or benefits you produced. Use the formula for power Recommendations.
This may make you feel uncomfortable because you are asking other persons to do you a favor. Why not ask them to do the favor that will benefit you the most? A simple statement like, “It would be helpful if you could tell people about, XYZ and how you achieved XYZ because of my efforts.” People appreciate any guidance you give them. It makes their job of writing a Recommendation that much easier.
Revisions—The Extra Step
When you receive a Recommendation, you are given the opportunity to make revisions. Use this opportunity. If there are revisions you would like, ask the person to make them and suggest what you want done. Take this extra step. People will cooperate especially if you share with them what you are trying to accomplish on Linkedin. In a job interview, I once checked some references the person gave and when they were not glowing comments, I moved on to other candidates. You want your Recommendations (since you help create them) to put you in the best possible light.
Manage Your Recommendations
Clicking on Get Recommendations will also show you a page that keeps track of Recommendations made and received. You are given several ways to manage your Recommendations.
Ongoing Recommendations
I tell small business owners to make getting testimonials for their business as ongoing effort in their business. You can never have too many customer testimonials. I give the same advice about Recommendations. You can never have too many Recommendations. Always be getting new Recommendations to keep your Profile fresh and relevant.
Remember each time you add a new one all your connections are notified that you have received a new Recommendation. If you did this once a month, your name would be visible in front of your connections. (Al Hanzal has received a new Recommendation) Your connections will see it and many would click on it to see what it says. All while you are sleeping!!
If you are going to get Recommendations to support your Linkedin job search, why not get the best Recommendations you can. They will give you an advantage over many competitors for the same job. Here’s a formula you can follow to make and select the best Recommendations.
Exciting. Most Recommendations are vanilla flavor! People get bored reading them. Make your Recommendations exciting. There is no law that says you have to be “corporate boring.” People hire people, not positions. (Later I will show you how to get others to help you create powerful Recommendations)
Benefit orientated. Making your Recommendations benefit orientated means adding an additional sentence that connect what you did with what someone might get from what you did. For example, Dan did internships with three different medical practices. These internships allowed him to see the best treatment for XYZ.
Be specific. Make the Recommendations specific and detailed. Recommendations should present your work, your specific strengths, your responsibilities and your best qualities. It’s much better to say “We realized a 19% increase in profits,” rather than “We improved profits.” Avoid the “Rah, rah, Dan is great” style of Recommendations. Readers get very little from cheerleader comments.
Credible People. Get Recommendations from credible people’s whose opinion would be respected by the reader. If you can get a Recommendation from an expert or famous people, you can add even more power to your Recommendations.
Short. Keep your Recommendations short and to the point. Use short paragraphs. Whenever possible use your key words in the text (helps search engines find you.)
Identifiers. Include the name, the city of the person, and their position in the Recommendations.
Thank you. Thank your connections for their Recommendations.
Conclusion
Think of your Recommendations as a sales person for you. Let them provide credibility and a clear message about what you have done in the past and how this will benefit a company in the present and future.
Do not take the task of getting Linkedin Recommendations casually! When you started your Linkedin job search, I suggested three major strategies.
Develop a Job Searching Profile on Linkedin
Create powerful Recommendations for your Linkedin Profile
Expanding your Linkedin contacts.
The Recommendation section on Linkedin pages is the second most viewed part on any Linkedin page. You want your Recommendations to fully support your job searching goals. Think of your Recommendations as pillars that support your Linkedin bridge.
In this strategy, we will cover the following five areas:
Why are Linkedin Recommendations so important
The structure of a powerful Recommendation
Types of Linkedin Recommendations you can use
How to give a Linkedin Recommendation
How to get powerful Linkedin Recommendations
Why Are Linkedin Recommendations So Important
You may ask the question, “Why do I need Linkedin Recommendations? I completed a Job Search Profile, why do I need Recommendations?”
You have already answered your question. YOU have completed your Profile. People expect you to say good things about yourself. What they also want to hear what other people think about you and the work you have done. Like your job resume, people expect you to high light your skills and experiences. They also want to check out your references.
In a world filled with distrust for political leaders, for major industries, for business leaders, credibility is hard to find. You are a stranger to the reader. They want to know whether you have a track record of success. Whether you can produce the promises you make. They recognize they are taking a risk by potentially hiring you or recommending you for a job in their company. They would like to minimize that risk as much as possible, so they want to hear from others on how you perform. Recommendations give you credibility.
There are two additional reasons why Recommendations are important to your job search.
Social Networking Programs
The Linkedin program is one of the many internet social networking programs. Dave Evans in his wonderful book, Social Media Marketing, One Hour a Day, says the real power of social media programs comes with the consideration phase of the buying process. He says there are three steps in the buying process: awareness, consideration and the purchase. Social media programs allow consumers to share their experiences about products. These experiences carry a larger weight than traditional media when people are considering a particular purchase.
He shares his own experience of trying to decide between a PC and a MAC computer. He went to his social networking program and asked for people’s advice. Many people shared their experiences with both types of computers. Their information helped him decide which computer to purchase.
In a job search, you are selling yourself to a business and others. A company considers you as one of many possible “buying” options. They can use the Linkedin Recommendations as a way of helping them make their “buying” decisions. More and more social networking programs are being used by prospective employers for this very purpose. Recommendations helps you stand out from others.
Linkedin Bonuses
You get additional help for your job search from Linkedin when you use the Recommendation process. Here are three bonuses that come with Linkedin Recommendations.
1. Statistics show that after the Profile, Recommendations are the most read section on a Linkedin page. People want to know what others are saying about you. If your page does not have Recommendations, they wonder, “What’s wrong with this person?”
2. When you give a Recommendation to another person in Linkedin, your Recommendation is automatically noted on the right side of your Linkedin page. It is also found on the page of the person receiving the Recommendation. Both of these items give you more visibility and an additional touch point for search engines. It also shows others that you are a person who knows how to give to others.
3. Each time you receive a Recommendation, an automatic alert is sent to all of your connections. If you have 50 connections on your Linkedin Program and add a new Recommendation, 50 people automatically get notified about it. You get added exposure with your connections with very little direct effort.
Conclusion
Securing powerful Linkedin Recommendations is one of the best things you can to foster your job searching process.
