Exactly what is LinkedIn and why should you care?
LinkedIn has 200 million users worldwide. (Mashable.com)
35% of LinkedIn users access the site daily. (SocialTimes.com)
There are more than 1 million groups on LinkedIn. (LinkedIn.com)
50% of LinkedIn users have a Bachelor's degree. (Creativo.com)
In the third quarter of 2012, an average of 25 % of LinkedIn’s unique visiting members came through mobile apps, versus just 13 % in 2011. (LinkedIn.com)
There are over 10 million endorsements provided every day. (ShiftDigital)
People are using this site and it is a credible platform for networking and promoting your business. LinkedIn is designed for professionals, it has a more business-like feel, so you want to keep that in mind when setting up a profile.
The first step is to create a profile. Here is a great article US News and World Report about how to create a winning profile. It is pretty basic - just include the basics of your resume, a summary about yourself, your contact information, links to your website (or eBay Store), Twitter, Facebook business page, or your blog.
Next, you will look for connections. The idea here is to connect with people you have a professional relationship with and would like to know more about. This is networking not soliciting. Learn about others so you can recommend them to your inner circle when the time comes. They should be doing the same about you. So if you sell NFL collectibles eBay, you want your professional connections to know this, so they can send their contacts to you when someone is in the market for an item you might sell. Your connections can also introduce you other professionals you might be interested in meeting such as an accountant or book keeper, wholesale supplier, or graphic designer,.
Get active and join various groups that align with your interests and participate in discussions. You can meet a lot of people on the groups and identify opportunities to network with more people so that your products and services are exposed to a large diverse group. The more people who know about you, the more opportunities you will have.
One pitfall I have seen eBay sellers falling into over and over again on Facebook and other groups is only networking with other eBay sellers. Yes, you can learn a lot from other sellers but for the most part - and I want to emphasize this:
Most other eBay sellers are not your customers.
Stop wasting time on eBay groups pushing your products at other sellers, and having them push their products at you. Spend your social media networking time whre your customers are - not where other sellers are. For example, let's say you sell sewing patterns, supplies, fabric, or other items related to sewing. Search for groups on LinkedIn about sewing and network with end users of your product. There are over 90 groups with "sewing" as the keyword and the groups discuss everything from local artisan groups, sewing classes, digital pattern designers, Etsy sellers, vintage sewing, and much more. Lots of opportunity to newtork and learn new ideas, and hang out with folks who might buy your product. Go the Groups You Might Like link here (after setting up your profile) and see what suggestions come up.
Another thing you can do on Linkedin is write recommendations for your connections. So, for example, if you enjoy this blog or any of my information products, you could to to my LinkedIn profile here and write a recommendation about my skills as a teacher in the eBay and Amazon community. This 2 minute video explains how to make a recommendation for one of your connections. Giving and receiving recommendations on LinkedIn is a way to build credibility and show that you are active with networking.
So, in your spare time (ha ha) get on over to LinkedIn and check it out. The internet is a huge place with lots of opportunity for meeting new people and finding customers already gathered together in one place. Feel free to add me to your connections!
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