“Social media is the biggest shift since the industrial revolution.” – Erik Qualman

• Is LinkedIn a professional evolution?

• Is LinkedIn a professional revolution?

Your participation in LinkedIn depends on your social media perceptions:

Dave: Waiting for Evolution or Part of the Revolution?

Two Important LinkedIn Questions:

• What is LinkedIn? • What do you want LinkedIn to be?

What is LinkedIn? By definition it is a:

• Professional• Social Profile v. Professional Brand• Business “Connectedness”

• Social - Updates, Discussions, Comments, Likes, LinkedIn Answers, Follows

• Network • Six-Degrees vs. Three-Degrees of Separation

What Do You Want LinkedIn to Be?• Rolodex/Resume mentality vs. Personal Branding mentality

• LinkedIn contributes to your digital/online persona• Professional Face - Profile

• Professional Voice – Updates,

Answers, Groups

• Professional Reach - Network

Connections

Importance of an Optimized LinkedIn Profile

• About 150 million members (at the beginning of 2012)

• Brand Recall • First Impressions

• Made Quickly• Durable + Lasting

Network Building

• The Power of Iwe

• A “Trusted” Network?

• Your Network Structure• Allies & Weak Ties (1st Degree Connections)• Friends of Friends (2nd / 3rd Degree Connections)• The Best Professional Network / Q (Social Intimacy)

Tools for Building Your NetworkYour ConnectionTools:• Invitations • Introductions • LIONS

Your Communcation Tools:• 1st Degree Connections • Group Connections• Answers Page • Openlink Messages• InMails

Evolution or Revolution?It shouldn’t matter. What matters is that the “opportunity” to be your own media exists.