LinkedIn: Small Business Benefits

A very smart professor impressed upon us in class how important creating a LinkedIn profile would be.  "Its a 'dynamic resume' for all the world to see and has connections Facebook could never compete with."  Those were her exact words from my notes back in 2009.  So, I jumped on the band wagon and while unsure of how truly important it would become, I gave it my all and created a comprehensive profile that I felt would at least present well to potential clients.  Little did I know what an incredible tool LinkedIn really is, especially to small business owners and freelancers.


Here are a few of the things I have learned since I began my LinkedIn journey:

1) Keep your profile public if you want everyone know what your qualifications are.  I know this isn't the most secure thing but if you only publish details that are crucial to your business (i.e. outline, skills, education and recommendations), most of it would be public knowledge anyway so it is my opinion that you are no more open to identity theft than if you purchase online from Amazon.  Again, this is what I have done and it works wonderfully for me.  

2) Word of mouth and new connections create paying work through recommendations. By simply connecting to your clients, customers, co-workers, supervisors, professors and friends (limited), you open yourself an enormous network of people from around the world, literally.  How cool is that?  I'll tell you, I've managed to land several really great clients through this technique.

Global Buzzwords in LinkedIn Profiles

3) Buzz words in your profile work to draw peoples attention but the real nuts and bolts are the recommendations.   A few strategic work and character recommendations by some influential people and your potential clients will take notice.   The above photo outlines what were deemed as overused words as of 2009.  I actually don't have "extensive experience" in my profile which it appears is an issue for North American's.  Either way, it works and I stand behind it 100%.

4) Join groups, get answers and give advice: this is another huge advantage LinkedIn has over Facebook and Twitter.   Free help from individuals who are sailing these same crazy waters as you are and maybe can prevent you from making the same mistakes they did.   Sounds like your mother's advice but really, she was spot-on so listen to Mom!   I cannot tell you how excellent this tool is, really.  I'd rather assist and get assistance for my daily hour of social media work than play with Facebook and Twitter combined.   Don't get me wrong, each has its importance and needs to be worked but for personal interest and real support factors, LinkedIn gets my vote hands down.

If you don't have a LinkedIn profile (which there are literally thousands of college students who don't because Facebook is their life), get one and join groups today!  Who knows, someone out there might just have the answer that unlocks your key to small business success....a growing list of paying clients!