That LinkedIn Business

As a marketing advisor it's vital for me to have at least an understanding of different marketing platforms so that I can share that knowledge with my clients. Indeed it was this that led to the launch of social networking help site - www.businessblogbuddy.co.uk.

It's also essential to keep up to speed with my own marketing efforts and so on Wednesday I found myself on the excellent LinkedIn workshop run by The LinkedIn Man - James Potter.

James is a high energy and informative trainer and I have come back with reams of notes and a to do list which I am working my way through! Courtesy of James, I would like to share with seven key pieces of advice:

Never use the standard templated e-mails, it suggests you cannot be bothered to properly engage with an individual

Don't automatically accept all requests, you should have at least met or spoken to those with whom you link - and preferably know like and trust them.

Don't be a dolphin! This is someone who bobs into view for a while and then disappears again. Like all marketing keep your activity continual and consistent

A fabulous profile definitely helps but it is not the be all and end all - engagement is the key

Show and help not sell and spam

Explore and make use of the advanced search

If you get a recommendations and would like to return the favour do not do it on the same day otherwise it devalues both:

1. Because you waste an opportunity of your status update being seen on a later occasion and

2. Because you look like this is entirely for mutual benefit rather than a genuine testimonial.

I hope you found these useful, but believe me, this is just one little nugget amidst a super half day of LinkedIn advice so do get in touch with him to find out more about his workshops, his presentations and his one to one consultancy via www.thelinkedinman.com

How have you been using LinkedIn?