LinkedIn is a powerful business tool if used strategically. The document outlines 7 mistakes to avoid when using LinkedIn and tips for success. It recommends setting goals for your LinkedIn activities aligned with your overall business strategy. It also suggests building a large, engaged network; creating an appealing profile that clearly communicates value; and integrating LinkedIn with other business development activities.

1. Ride the wave of business growth
How to avoid the 7
Mistakes of LinkedIn
and succeed with the
world’s biggest online
Business Community

2. Ride the wave of business growth
A free
report from
Catherine at
The Bizlinks

3. Ride the wave of business growth
1. Not taking this amazing platform
seriously!
Linkedin is the world’s biggest business
community ever created. It can provide a
pathway to just about anybody in
business, any time for free. If you are just
starting out in business, an established sales
person, a CEO or a hardened business owner
key decision makers in your market. The
community has now grown to over 150million
members with 45% of those major decision
makers for their companies. No matter what
market you are in there are 1000’s of people
on their right now that need your services

4. Ride the wave of business growth
How to avoid this mistake!
Don’t just set up a basic profile and dabble –
develop a clear strategy
Commit to 30 mins per day of focused
proactive work
Make Linkedin a core part of your business
strategy in most cases Linkedin can help you
achieve your short and long term objectives.
Do not just create an online CV!

5. Ride the wave of business growth
2. Not setting Goals
Creating a Linkedin profile and having a
“presence” without any meaningful goals
will merely create extra work and give
little value in return.
Linkedin is an activity just like everything
else and it should be aligned with your
over all business strategy, tactics, goals
and targets.
Think about specific goals which set clear
direction

6. Ride the wave of business growth
The goals you set for Linkedin should in
most cases be set around generating Sales
as Linkedin is one of the most effective
ways to find and develop new clients and
customers. Don’t think that you cannot
make money by being “Social” you just
need to do it in the right way.
An example of defining your goals, strategy
and tactics

7. Ride the wave of business growth
An example of defining your goals, strategy and
tactics
Goal: Increase sales by £x (defined amount)
Strategy: Target (e.g. Marketing Directors) via
advanced searching, use first line network for
introductions, making connection and
arranging phone conversations / one 2 one
meetings.
Tactics: Create a strong and value driven profile
relevant to the target
Build network of contacts with routes to targets
On connection offer a free 30min phone session
on (e.g. 3 great tips for digital marketing) once
connection has been made.
Repeat process until 5 conversations are made
per day

8. Ride the wave of business growth
3. A Dull or boring profile
Your Linkedin profile is critical to your success so
don’t think listing your experience like a CV will
cut it as it wont – CV’s are boring and people
don’t like to read them. You success depends on
you’re key influencers taking an interest in your
profile. You MUST have the following:
Clear value and (What’s In It For Me) WIIFM
quickly and clearly
Chrystal clear Evidence that supports your value
Specific to the people you want to engage

9. Ride the wave of business growth
The people you want to engage only really care
about themselves and their own world, define
your value first before your job titles etc. For
example stating that you can find talent staff
that can sell is more engaging then saying you’re
a Recruitment Manager.
Keep it simple and focus on the following 4 keys
areas:
Profile picture – invest in a professional picture
this is not Facebook!
Professional headline (see below)
Summary – short punchy and packed with
passion!
Recommendations – 20-25 quality ones that
back up your value statement

10. Ride the wave of business growth
4. A small network of contacts
Your Linkedin network works like this
1st Level (your network) > 2nd Level (your 1st Levels
connections) > 3rd Level (2nd levels connections). It is
important to build a decent sized LinkedIn network (300+)
is important for the following reasons:
More opportunities and better results
On average each Linkedin member has around 250
connections; when you connect you their network is added
to your 2nd level network giving your new people you can
reach via one introduction.
The larger you network the more effective you can be in the
community
A large network means you can help more people, get more
introductions and be viewed with more value within the
community it’s as simple as that!

11. Ride the wave of business growth

12. Ride the wave of business growth
5. Not engaging with new contacts
Linkedin is an amazing platform for finding
contacts, and making connections. Once the
initial contact has been made LinkedIn’s job is
effectively done. The rest is down to you to
then build the relationship ideally by picking
up the phone and making a call to introduce
yourself.
It is important however NOT to sell I have lost
count of the amount of people who have
connected with me, and then fired a generic
cut and pasted sales message at me! Playing
this numbers game on Linkedin will not work.

13. Ride the wave of business growth
The key to making a successful first contact on Linkedin is to be
genuine and helpful ask yourself what could you give the people you
connect with that would be of genuine value? Free advice is always a
good approach, another very effective first engagement approach is to
be a good networker
Thank you for accepting your invitation to join my network
first of all please let me know the type of people you are
looking for and I will see if I have any contacts on my
network I can help you with
This works particularly well for contacts that need clients
themselves, if you repeat this you will soon learn which
contacts are more valuable to you and actively seek them on
and offline at networking events.
The key to being a success is to use Linkedin to help other
people get what they want, as the saying goes givers gain so don’t play
the numbers game and sell directly to those you connect with.

14. Ride the wave of business growth
6. Not Integrating LinkedIn with other Business
activities
The potential of Linkedin as a tool for finding
clients and customers becomes even more
powerful when combined in a strategic way
with other business activities.
3 examples of using Linkedin to maximise
other business activities
Twitter is very effective at finding top people
and getting initial dialogue started, Linkedin is
far more effective and developing a
relationship used together they complement
each other very well

15. Ride the wave of business growth
After attending a networking event if you
have a handful of business cards you can
connect with them on Linkedin check them
out, find out who they know and decide on
the most suitable people to engage further
Linkedin can help you increase sales, build
brand awareness, strengthen your key
business relationships, increase web traffic,
improve customer service, and develop new
ideas. The key is to think outside the box
and see where and how Linkedin can help in
most cases it can in a big way so use your
imagination and be tenacious.

16. Ride the wave of business growth
The core features of Linkedin include
Advanced search – Search the whole community
for specific contacts Groups – thousands of groups
specific to types business and activity
Homepage updates – your community posting
their recent activity
Answers database – thousand of questions on all
types of business
Company pages – in-site into companies, their
employees, activity etc

17. Ride the wave of business growth
7. Not seeking support and advice
How to avoid this – contact me for information on coaching
programs available. Catherine@thebizlinks.co.uk