What NOT to do with LinkedIn
Posted by Mark Campanale on Tue, Aug 03, 2010 @ 07:44 AM
by Mark Campanale, Marketing & Social Media Manager
I love LinkedIn. There are so many powerful tools in this one community that can help you meet new people, reconnect with business contacts, get questions answered by people you've never met who are willing to help you, even earn new business.
What LinkedIn is not for is - unsolicited spamming. I'll explain:
In one of my groups, I asked a question that my Marketing Dept. desperately needed an answer for. I was immediately rewarded with 18 responses, all with fantastic information; all from people whom I've never met, but were willing to help me because I was part of their community.
BUT! I was also discouraged when I recieved 2 e-mails and 2 phone calls from sales people who saw my post in the LinkedIn group and proposed their services. THIS IS NOT WHAT LINKEDIN IS ABOUT!
LinkedIn is about building solid, professional relationships. As of this posting, I have 400 connections which equal approximately 4 million professionals in my network. If the SPAMMERS knew how to use LI, they would've looked at my profile to see if they could get introduced to me through a connection we have in common - LI makes it easy with a link that reads:
GET INTRODUCED THROUGH A CONNECTION
I am far more inclined to take an appointment when someone is referred by one of my trusted contacts. It happens all the time - it's why LinkedIn is so powerful and been around for so long because it PRODUCES ROI!
The take away is, don't lurk; don't think the answer to somebody's question is your services. Find a way to connect with prospects through your contacts. You'll earn more than new business; you'll earn trust, which, in business, is the most valuable tool you can use.
This is my profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/markcampanale
Feel free to see whom we have in common or who you may know that can introduce us. I'm always willing to help other's succeed in business.
Your comments are greatly appreciated.