This document provides instructions for real estate agents to get started and maximize their use of LinkedIn for business networking. It discusses setting up a LinkedIn profile, building connections with people in your network, joining groups, asking and answering questions, providing and requesting recommendations, making introductions, and keeping your status updated. The goal is to use LinkedIn to recruit agents, meet new clients, generate referrals, and further your real estate brand online.
1. KELLER
WILLIAMS
R E A LT Y
101
Getting Started
with LinkedIn
Brought to you by Keller Williams Realty
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Link up with LinkedIn
Recruit agents, meet new clients and generate referrals through digital networking
LinkedIn is where social media meets business networking, and as of July 2010, its
users numbered more than 70 million. LinkedIn can help you make better use of
your professional network and help you generate leads. Facebook may have more
consumer members, but LinkedIn is the leading business networking site on the Web.
By setting the stage to network efficiently in the digital world, you can further your
real estate brand online, exchange information with colleagues and stay abreast
of topics your contacts are discussing. Getting started is easy and offers you an
inexpensive way to market your real estate expertise online.
In this guide, you’ll learn about LinkedIn and how to do the following:
1. Establish your image
2. Build your network
3. Effectively manage your
contacts
LinkedIn Quick Facts:
• More than 70 million
members in over 200
countries
• A new member joins
approximately every second
• About half of all members are outside the United States
• Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are members
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1. Getting Started on LinkedIn
A. Sign Up for LinkedIn Account
Joining LinkedIn is free. Just go to LinkedIn.com, look for the “Join LinkedIn
Today” box and enter your first and last name and email address, then choose
a password. LinkedIn also offers premium versions. You can choose a Business
account for $24.95 a month, a Business Plus account for $49.95 a month, an
Executive account for $99.95 a month or a LinkedIn Talent Advantage account
for recruiters (cost varies).
Essentially, the Business,
Business Plus and Executive
accounts give you access to
features and functions that let
you send more invitations to
connect, send mail through
LinkedIn’s internal InMail
system, conduct reference
searches, and complete other
networking-oriented tasks
you can’t do with the free
account.
We suggest signing up for the free account first, then determining if you need
those extra features.
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B. Create Your LinkedIn Profile
Your LinkedIn “profile” is a summary of your professional experience, interests
and capabilities. LinkedIn calls it your “public face” on its business network.
Your profile is what other LinkedIn members see when they search for you or
when they search for keywords you use to describe yourself. You can choose to
make your profile public so nonmembers can find you, or keep it private.
Remember: If you make your profile public, search engines like Google will list it in relevant
search results.You may find that your LinkedIn profile ranks first on Google when you type
in your name, so be sure to take the time to create a solid one! You control what people see.
To create or edit your profile,
click the “Edit My Profile” tab
on the LinkedIn home page.
This quick overview offers
your name, location, current
title, past positions, education,
recommendations, and links to
your Websites, in summary. If
you click “View My Profile,” this
is what people will initially see
about you. LinkedIn stresses
the importance of a complete
profile to maximize your
networking possibilities.
As you move through your profile setup, you’ll see an area where you can add a
professional photo. This allows people to quickly identify you. Much like the phone
book, it’s common for there to be many people with the same name. Adding a
photo lets your network know it’s really you.
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Below your name, you have the opportunity to include a headline. Many people don’t
spend much time considering this part of the profile–and that’s a mistake. Much like
a newspaper headline grabs the attention of its readers, your profile headline can
compel connections–and potential connections–to take a few minutes to get to know
you better. The goal of the headline is to help you stand out from the real estate pack.
Instead of writing, “Real estate agent with 15 years of experience,” get more descriptive.
Here’s a good example: “Client-driven real estate agent helping buyers in Los Angeles find
their dream home.”With this headline, you’ve demonstrated a commitment to customer
service, and focused on the area you serve. At a glance, readers can discover your motivation
and goals, whether it’s a specific neighborhood, real estate type or other niche.
In the Summary section of the profile, summarize your professional experience–and
your goals–so your network can get a quick glimpse of your background and interests.
Think of this as an elevator pitch. This section also offers a Specialties field that lets
you list your real estate niches, the neighborhoods you work or related skills.
Tip: Like Facebook, you can select
a “Vanity URL” for your public
profile. This gives you a custom Web
address you can use to promote your
profile in emails, on business cards
and on your blog to make it easier
for people to connect with you. You
can also download a code that lets
you display a LinkedIn logo in your
emails or Websites, which will direct
individuals to your LinkedIn account.
In the Experience field, share your professional experience. Much like a résumé, you
offer the company, title and dates of employment. You can describe what the company
does and what your responsibilities and accomplishments were. By making this as
complete as possible, you open the door to more potential connections.
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Next you’ll find the Education field. List the schools you’ve attended, the dates and
the activities or societies you participated in. Listing your education is a smart way to
potentially expand your network because others who attended the same schools or
specialize in the same field may want to connect with you.
As its name suggests, the Additional Information field gives you the opportunity to
share more about yourself. You might list hobbies, Websites and blogs; honors and
awards; groups and associations; or other information that might help you make a
connection with people.
C. Manage Your Account Settings
Before you launch out into your business networking activities on LinkedIn, it’s
important to review your account settings. You can access this area by clicking on the
“Settings” tab at the top righthand corner of the home page.
From the Settings page, you can
change your password and your
primary email address associated
with the account, make privacy
decisions about who can see your
profile and status updates, and
designate how you receive email
notifications when people contact
you through LinkedIn–and much
more.
Tip: If you are getting so many
emails through LinkedIn it’s
distracting you during your workday, you can choose not to be contacted via email
with requests and questions from members. Instead, you can log in to LinkedIn and
check your mail there.
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2. Build Your Network
A. Search for People You Know
With a rock-solid professional profile, it’s time to start building your network. The
easiest way to begin is to search for people you already know. You can start with
friends, family, and, of course, Keller Williams associates. Also look for partners,
customers, suppliers and others you do business with. You can even search for
classmates from your college or university. You can search in one of several ways:
Use the search function at the top right-hand corner of the LinkedIn home page.
When you find someone you
know, send an invitation to
connect.
Check the “People You May
Know” box right below the
search box. This will list people
that LinkedIn thinks you might
have some connection with
based on the connections you
launched your account with.
Click the “Add Connections”
link in the top right-hand navigation. There you’ll find a “Colleagues” tab. When
you click it, it lets you check for people who have worked at the same companies
you have, now or in the past. Likewise, the “Classmates” tab lets you check for
classmates you may know from schools you’ve attended.
Tip: Posting your LinkedIn profile on your other social networking accounts,
such as Facebook and Twitter, can also generate new connections. Also, add
customized buttons to your blog or Website that compels your business network
to hook up with you on LinkedIn, and include your LinkedIn profile on your email
signature. This way, everyone you email is encouraged to invite you to join their
network.
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B. Integrate Web-Mail Contacts
Click the “Add Connections” link in the top right-hand navigation. This will
open up a page that gives you the ability to search your email contacts
from Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo and AOL to find people you already know.
In the “Add Connections” section, you can also enter email addresses of
people you want to invite to LinkedIn in the “Enter Email Addresses” box.
C. Beware of Spamming
Much like going to a chamber of commerce meeting, there’s a right way
and a wrong way to build your contact list. So take caution: If you send
invitations to people you don’t know, they have the option to report it
to LinkedIn, and you could be banned from the service for what they
consider “spammy behavior.” Be sure to mention your mutual connection
if you send an invitation to connect with someone you haven’t directly
met.
Hint: Rather than blindly inviting people you don’t know–but would like to
connect with–and getting marked as a spammer, ask for an introduction
with the “Get Introduced” link. This allows you to ask one of your active
connections to make an introduction to one of their connections that
you aren’t yet connected with. By the same token, don’t abuse LinkedIn
to send unsolicited marketing messages to your contacts. This is also
considered spam-like behavior.
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4. Start Networking
A. Join Groups
Be sure to sign up for specific networking groups on LinkedIn. This helps you
discover the most popular discussions in real estate, and you can let your
voice be heard through your comments while you also see what top influencers
are saying about various real
estate topics. When you join
a group, you can also invite
members of that group to
connect with you based on
your mutual interests. You
can search for groups in the
search box on the home page
or by clicking “Groups” in the
navigation bar across the top.
Here are some of the most popular real estate groups on LinkedIn:
• Real Estate Connect – Inman News
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=59&trk=anetsrch_name&goback=.
gdr_1278016224589_1
• National Association of REALTORS®
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=90005&trk=anetsrch_name&goback=.
gdr_1278016224589_1
• Real Estate Open Networkers – eRealEstateSocial.com
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=97046&trk=anetsrch_name&goback=.
gdr_1278016224589_1
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B. Ask and Answer Questions
LinkedIn Answers lets you ask a question and get answers from members of your
network. You might ask, “Can you recommend a good title company in Boston?” Your
network can offer suggestions. Likewise, you can answer questions people in your
network ask. Answering questions is a good way to deepen relationships–and build
credibility–in the digital networking world.
Remember: If you are going to ask and
answer questions, ask insightful ones
that spark a meaningful discussion and
offer thoughtful answers that reflect your
expertise. Asking trivial questions could
be viewed as an annoyance, and tossing
out pat answers or quick responses
doesn’t reflect your personal brand in a
positive light. This is your opportunity to
shine.
C. Ask For and Give Recommendations
Recommendations can set you apart from the rest of the LinkedIn population
and help you make the connections you need to drive business growth. LinkedIn
recommendations are considered more pure than testimonials on your Website
because you can’t directly edit them. You can just accept them or decline to post
them.
Log in to the LinkedIn home page and click the “Recommendations” link under the
“Profile” tab. You’ll see another link that says “Request Recommendations.” This is a
three-step process:
• Identify the job for which you’d like a recommendation.
• Choose people who would be the most appropriate to offer that
recommendation.
• Write notes to them explaining why you need their recommendation.
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Hint: Keep in mind that you don’t need recommendations from all of your
LinkedIn connections. The quality of your recommendations is more important
than the quantity. LinkedIn considers your profile complete when you have
three recommendations.
People always appreciate
getting a strong
recommendation and it
often prompts a return
recommendation, so
consider giving a few before
requesting them.
One strategy is to write 10
recommendations every day
for a week. You don’t have to
write a Pulitzer Prize-winning
paragraph. Just a few honest
sentences about your connection’s unique qualifications will do. Odds are that
if you write 50 recommendations in a week, you’ll get at least 10 or 15 in
return–maybe more. If you do this for several weeks, you could end up with
dozens of recommendations on your profile.
D. Make Introductions
LinkedIn has an “Introductions” feature that lets you contact users in your
network and ask for an introduction to people you’d like to be connected with.
But it works both ways–you can also make introductions on behalf of others.
Here’s how it works: At the top of a member’s profile is a link to “forward the
profile.” You can click that link and forward the person’s profile to one of your
connections with a note of introduction. Alternatively, you can send a message
to both of your connections and suggest they connect with one another.
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E. Keep Your Status Up-to-Date
You’ll see a “Network Activity” box on your LinkedIn profile page. This is where
you can share professional updates with your network. You might talk about a
current real estate listing, a major sale, an award won, a group joined or a bit of
information that your connections
would find valuable.
Warning: So much of digital
networking means providing
value to your connections. Don’t
abuse the status box as a listing
marketing tool only–focus on
providing helpful information
about the industry, and pepper in
comments about yourself and your
listings in creative ways.
F. Connect Twitter to LinkedIn
LinkedIn also lets you connect your account to Twitter. When you set your status
on Twitter, it feeds your status on LinkedIn. On your “Network Activity” box–this
is where you offer status updates–you will see a Twitter symbol with a check box.
Clicking through the setup process will allow you to specify which Twitter account
you’d like to sync or display on your LinkedIn profile.
Warning: Chances are you have different audiences for Twitter and LinkedIn.
Think before you decide to integrate them. The good news is you choose to post
LinkedIn updates to your Twitter account on a case-by-case basis instead of
automatically sending every update as a tweet. In your Twitter settings, which
are available by clicking the Twitter logo under your status box, you can choose
to “Share only tweets that contain #in.” So when you want to share your LinkedIn
status with your Twitter followers, just end your update with #in.
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G. Other Ways to Network
You can get creative with networking on LinkedIn with a small-time investment.
For example, you can promote your blog on LinkedIn with third-party apps. You
can also create LinkedIn ad campaigns, or even launch an event. And don’t forget
to install the LinkedIn smartphone app on your BlackBerry or iPhone, so you can
respond more quickly to connection requests, questions and more.
5.Where to Find KW on LinkedIn
• LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/companies/keller-williams-realty
• Profile for Mo Anderson, vice chairman for Keller Williams Realty
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mo-anderson/6/539/79
• Profile for Jay Papasan, vice president of publishing and executive editor for
Keller Williams Realty
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jaypapasan
• Profile for Cary Sylvester, executive
director of technology for Keller
Williams Realty
http://www.linkedin.com/in/
carysylvester
• Profile for Bryon Ellington, chief
products officer for Keller Williams
Realty
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/bryon-ellington/5/128/a5
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