Linked In Tutorial Read Ahead

							                               LinkedIn Tutorial Read-Ahead

1. Click on www.linkedin.com and set up an account if you do not yet have one.
If setting up a new account, continue to #2, if you already have an account proceed to step #6
2. Follow the instructions to fill in your basic information and choose a password.
3. Choose the settings you feel would best identify your preferences from the next page.
4. At this point you will be prompted to confirm your email account by clicking on the link sent
     to your email address. Your ability to use LinkedIn tools will be limited until you click on
     this link.
5. You will then be prompted to use addresses you already have saved in hotmail, gmail, yahoo,
     outlook, etc. to populate your connections list by logging into those accounts or letting
     LinkedIn search your local files for contact information. You will be given the option to
     invite some or all of the contacts found in your address books to connect on LinkedIn,
     regardless if they have LinkedIn accounts (those with accounts will be identified by the blue
     “in” icon next to their email address). These individuals will then be required to confirm that
     you know them before they will be listed as a connection which will normally give you the
     ability to view detailed profile information on their other contacts (unless they changed the
     default setting and restricted this privacy setting).
6. To use the address book search tool in the future, select the green “Add Connections” button
     on the left side of the page, and the tool will be on the right of the page.
7. After sending the invitations to the individuals LinkedIn proposes to you, you have the option
     to search for others you would like to add to your network via the “People” search field in the
     top right portion of the page. Search for “David Gowel,” click on my profile and select “Add
     David to your network” to the right of my photo. Identify me as a business partner and
     choose your current position from the pull down menu. At this point you have the option of
     sending me a personal note or using the default message. This is the message that could jog
     the memory of a colleague from the past to keep them from ignoring your request to connect,
     but the default message is commonly used.
8. Continue using this search function to grow your list. These categories may assist you in
     populating your network:
         a. Current and past co-workers
         b. Current and past clients
         c. Current and past business partners
         d. Trade show / conference contacts
         e. Social and Professional organization members
         f. Education colleagues (students, professors, administrators)
         g. Family and Friends
9. Once finished sending invitations to connect, expand the “Profile” plus sign on the left side
     of the web page and select “Edit My Profile.” Follow the instructions in the highlighted
     sections of your profile to elaborate on your background and upload a picture of yourself.
     Use relevant keywords in describing your previous positions to make yourself more popular
     in searches by potential clients.
10. Contact me at davidg@clearlycreative.net or 781-777-2733 to set up our meeting to delve
     deeper into how you can use LinkedIn to grow your business.