Mediaboss Marketing

LinkedIn is the 800-pound gorilla in the business-oriented social networking arena. If you're working, job-hunting or in school, a LinkedIn profile and presence is a must. It only takes a few minutes to create a LinkedIn profile, and the basic functions of LinkedIn are free and powerful. When you use LinkedIn for business networking, here are good-networking etiquette tips to keep in mind.

Invitations: LinkedIn is a connected network of professional people who "link in" with one another to grow their own networks and make introductions among their friends and contacts. When you meet a new acquaintance in your travels, it's polite to ask, "May I send you a LinkedIn invitation?"

Some people happily connect to anyone and everyone they meet whether there's a strong relationship already in place or not. There's even a subgroup on LinkedIn of free networkers known as LIONS, or LinkedIn Open Networkers, whose credo is "If you're on LinkedIn, how 'bout you and me connect?" You can spot a LION by the acronym LION in the "name" field on his or her LinkedIn profile.

Other LinkedIn users are more cautious about making new connections. We can't blame them, because the LinkedIn site is full of cautionary notes advising users only to connect to people they know well and trust. So it's good manners to ask a new contact "May I send you a LinkedIn invitation?" before blasting the invitation out and potentially putting your new acquaintance in an awkward spot.

Introductions: LinkedIn is a powerful engine for introductions, but it's prudent to use the "Get Introduced" feature wisely. When you search the LinkedIn database and find another LinkedIn member you'd like to get to know, you can request an introduction to him or her via an intermediary friend by clicking on the pull-down menu next to your target networker's profile photo and choosing the action step "Get Introduced." (You won't see this option unless you and your target person are connected by one or two levels of intermediate connections on LinkedIn.)

It is always polite to ask for an introduction rather than to assume you're entitled to one. Here's an example: "Wilma, I saw that you're connected to Betty Rubble on LinkedIn and I'd like to talk with Betty about getting involved with our upcoming event. Would you be comfortable forwarding my message to her?"

You have to give your friend an out, because you won't know in advance how close or distant Wilma's and Betty's relationship may be.

Spam: Like other social networking sites, LinkedIn has its share of unwanted communication. There are LinkedIn spammers who set up fake LinkedIn profiles just to entice other people to connect with them and then to spam them. I believe there is a special place in hell for those people, but it's good to spot the spam invitation when it arrives rather than learning the hard way that your new LinkedIn connection is as fake as a $3 bill.

Even if you're LION-like in your connecting preferences, check out each new prospective LinkedIn contact's profile carefully. If you're not sure a profile is legit, mouse over the profile photo, right-click on it and choose "Search for this image on Google." LinkedIn scammers will crop other people's photos (often international celebrities) from almost anywhere online to make a fake-but-appealing LinkedIn profile that people will be likely to respond to. Don't link to those fakers!

Groups: LinkedIn has hundreds of thousands of lively groups that allow like-minded LinkedIn users to share ideas. LinkedIn lets you join up to 50 groups at one time. When you join a new group, stay on the sidelines for a few weeks to see how the group works. Don't join a new group and immediately start posting messages about your 2-for-1 special or your business news. Take the time to understand the group's tone and flavor before diving into the conversation.

Excerpt from:
Liz Ryan: How's your LinkedIn etiquette?