One page cheat sheet to help writers get started on LinkedIn.

1. A Tip Sheet Created Specifically for Writers
LinkedIn Terms
Connections: People in your personal network
Groups: Forums based on interests or
professional affiliations
LinkedIn Cheat Sheet
Applications: Third party plugins that enhance
your profile
Newsfeed: Post stream from your network
Top News: Highest ranked posts in your
Created by Shennandoah Diaz
stream
Recommendations: Endorsements from people
in your network
Your Profile Hierarchy of Connections
The key to great exposure is having a complete profile. LinkedIn serves as your LinkedIn ranks people in terms of
professional resume and portfolio online. List past work experience, relevant spheres of “connectedness.” People
skills, honors, activities, and affiliations. Solicit recommendations and use third with whom you are personally
party applications such as blog link or Slideshare to funnel in content. Many connected are in your first tier. Your
people have a different photo for LinkedIn, one that is more professional, but still networks 1st tier contacts are
shows off your personality. considered your 2nd and so on.
Content
Types of Presences
Share tips, links, videos, and events related to your audience’s interests and your
area of expertise. Share posts in your profile as well as on relevant groups. Personal
Comment and discuss posts on groups as well. Keep the self-promotion to less This is your personal page/account
than 20% of your total content. with your profile and connections.
You can upgrade to pro to send emails
Making Connections to 3rd tier contacts and see better
search results.
LinkedIn only allows you to send connection requests to people you actually
know. If you pay to upgrade you can send requests to people you don’t know, or
Company Page
you can have people in your network make introductions for you (just like in
person). The company page is the description
and post stream for a company or
LinkedIn Answers organization. Functionality is still
limited but LinkedIn is working to
LinkedIn Answers is a great way to share your expertise. You can search compete with Facebook and Google+
requests by topic and answer. The key to success is being one of the first to in the area.
answer, as well as one who receives the most “likes” for your response.
Groups
Events Can be closed or open. Closed groups
are invitation only. Often groups are
Be sure to show how active you are by listing all events you are hosting as well as
formed based on common interests or
identifying which ones you are attending. You can also search for events by
based on affiliations/professional
topic, area, industry, or date range.
organizations. You can easily start
groups as discussion forums to attract
likeminded people (and readers).
Created by Shennandoah Diaz 1