This is an overview of how to use LinkedIn that can help you to create a professional profile. I train corporate accounts on this material and present regularly, so of course there is much more!

1. A LinkedIn Tour By Wendy Flanagan

2. Look at other people’s profiles to see how information is conveyed and how their focus might be different from yours.

3. Scroll down on the page and see what groups an individual belongs to. Their ideas for groups might be a great place for you to start.

4. After people have completed their initial profile, they may be confused by the screen they see after logging into LinkedIn.

5. Scroll down on the page to enjoy some of the insights that LinkedIn offers for people’s activities and your network activities. For example: how many times your profile has been viewed.

6. Wouldn’t you like to know who checked you out after you spoke with him or emailed her?!

7. Take time to edit your profile and include as much detail as possible. Sales 101: Like, Trust, & Use. To Like and Trust you, people need to know something about you. In order to use you, they need to know what you offer!

8. LinkedIn is a self-maintained database, making it easier for you to keep track of your contacts.

10. Since this is an online resource without backup, I suggest you use the export feature to save your contacts to Excel.

11. When you join a group, you create a relationship with people. Look at an individual’s profile (scroll down) to see if he’s a member of a group you could also join. Once you share a group, you can more easily start a dialog and your invitation to connect is more likely to be accepted.

12. You can join up to 50 groups where you can meet prospects and peers with similar interests.

13. Search for groups that your target audience is likely to be interested in.

14. You have the opportunity to gain attention by starting discussions in your groups. Be certain it falls within group guidelines. Use the ‘Promotions’ link to promote your business

15. You can scroll through the members in your group to familiarize yourself with peers and prospects. Click on a person’s name to view his profile.

16. Check out what other people are promoting. Add your company.

17. Post a job to get attention for your company and find great candidates.

18. You can follow companies that are your clients or prospects to keep up with their news and people.

19. You can search for companies and then filter by location, etc.

20. Ready to Add a Company?

21. You must have a corporate email address in LinkedIn to create the company profile page. The system asks for a logo that is 100x60 pixels and one that is 50x50 pixels.

22. LinkedIn has added the capability to list your own products and services on your company profile page. It allows for a graphic that is 100x80 pixels.

24. The additional applications can add value, with events and Q&A discussions. People will even follow your Amazon reading list!

25. You privacy settings control what people can view in your profile and your connections.

26. I love my paid subscription, but I am dedicated to making introductions!

27. If you are not an open networker, you will want to make it so that people cannot look at your connections by changing your privacy settings. Carefully review all setting on this page.

28. Choose the Advanced search to filter your prospects. (The paid version of LinkedIn gives you more filters).

29. Want to run an ad to your target audience? Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page!

30. Those bigger ads you have seen start at $20K commitment, but smaller ‘member ads’ are affordable and highly targetable.

31. You can set the budget per click, per day, for a duration of time.

32. You can set the target parameters.

33. There is a firm character count, so your copywriting has to be sharp, and the image is small so it has to be clear, but you can link to a specific URL. And, you can run A/B testing.