Memo: LinkedIn Best Practices

MEMORANDUM

To: The Glam Fam

From: Zachary Goldman

Date: 29th June, 2020

Subject: Memorandum regarding LinkedIn best practices

LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool that allows users to connect with potential employers and share experiential knowledge. As per the Unit 2.2 requirements, I have compiled a composite list of best practices which I hope will be helpful to you as we move through this unit of the course.

1. Add a professional profile photo: Experts agree that a professional profile photo is imperative to being successful on LinkedIn, and that this may include paying for photos to be taken if you don’t already have them (Patel 2015; Dodaro 2017; McKissen 2019).
2. Don’t Invite people to LinkedIn: LinkedIn has a “People you may know” page which draws from your list of email contacts. If those contacts are already on LinkedIn, there will be a “connect” button. The option to “Add to network” is for people who are not already connected on LinkedIn. In order to avoid email spam, it is wise not to use the “add to network” function (Patel 2015; McKissen 2019).
3. Customize your Invitations & Send a Welcome Message: LinkedIn has an option through the “people you may know” function which allows you to blaze through your contacts with ease. Doing so will send an automated message to the recipient which will seem like spam and rather lazy (Patel 2015; Dodaro 2017; McKissen 2019). It is far better to personalize your invitations to connect tailored to the specific purpose, rather than to use the automated function. Similarly, it is recommended to send a personalized welcome message to each new person you connect with (ibid).
4. Update Regularly (but not too much): LinkedIn will reward you for posting regularly, as this will keep your profile at the top of the search list. Sharing things like updates, links to projects, and liking the status of your peers will allow you to get the most functionality out of the site (Patel 2015; Dodaro 2017; McKissen 2019). However, remember that posting too much will make you seem overzealous and will clutter your LinkedIn feed. As Patel notes his Forbes article, “LinkedIn isn’t Twitter” (ibid).
5.  Introduce People: LinkedIn is a tool which relies upon Social Capital in order to function. A successful LinkedIn profile will help introduce people to potential employers and operate as a “business matchmaker” for yourself and your connections (Dodaro 2017).

These are only some of the best practices I have found through my research into LinkedIn. I am sure you will find best practices that suit your needs as we move through this portion of the course.

Thank you.

Sources:

Patel, Neil. 2015. 15 Surprising Rules You Should Know Regarding LinkedIn Etiquette. https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilpatel/2015/05/21/15-surprising-rules-you-should-know-regarding-linkedin-etiquette/#28b214f86b0e. Accessed on June 29th, 2020.

Dodaro, Melonie. 2017(2014). LinkedIn Etiquette: 20 Do’s & Don’ts. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140417174121-34888774-linkedin-etiquette-guide-20-do-s-don-ts. Accessed on June 29th, 2020.

McKissen, Dustin. 2019. Here’s an Example of the Perfect LinkedIn Profile Summary, according to Harvard Career Experts. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/25/example-template-of-perfect-linkedin-profile-according-to-harvard-career-experts.html. Accessed on June 29th 2020.