The unwritten rules of using LinkedIn

With its more than 313 million users, the LinkedIn social network has become one of the most important places of contemporary professional networking. Often, it even replaces traditional ways of networking, regardless if we use it to search for a job, business opportunities, or news from your industry. The fact that there are already nearly 750,000 Czech profiles on LinkedIn proves that it is a powerful personal branding tool.

Creating a profile is, however, not enough. Linkedin has its own written and unwritten rules of etiquette. The written rules are outlined in the user agreement which each user has to agree to when entering the network. The unwritten rules have to be learned in practice, but you can read about the most important ones in this article. We chose four out of 7 Truths About LinkedIn Every Professional Needs to Know as published by online marketer Jayson Demers on Inc.com. So, what should you know?

Not everyone will want to connect with you

New users often make the mistake of asking almost anyone who seems interesting for a connection. However, the basic rule of using LinkedIn is to only connect with people you already know and eventually other interesting people via these contacts. People who do not know you may perceive your requests for connection as annoying. Everyone you ask to connect with should know where you learned about him and why you want to connect. That is why you should not send automatically generated requests for connection. Instead, use your own words to write why you think that connecting could be beneficial for both of you.

Users will judge you according to your profile

Your profile is your presentation. If you fill it in poorly or incorrectly, you will significantly decrease your chances of making a good impression on others. A professional and successful profile includes a photograph taken by a professional, detailed information about your career and recommendations from other users. Read more in our previous articles Why is nobody interested in your LinkedIn profile? and LinkedIn: The photograph matters.

Manage your personal brand as a business brand

Consistency in your communication is essential. Even if you contribute to different discussion groups and communicate with different people, all the readers should have the same positive experience with you. Sometimes you may mention something from your personal life but you should generally avoid unprofessional behavior. Keep focused on relevant topics related to your work. You can read more tips in How to impress an employer or investor.

Avoid spam and advertising

Most LinkedIn users are not interested in receiving advertising messages from their contacts. Once they start receiving your messages attempting to sell them something, and that they see as spam, they will not want to have anything to do with you. A much more effective technique is not to sell directly. Express your opinions on relevant topics in discussions instead and publish your professional achievements, for example in the form of updating your profile. Tips on how to chose interesting discussion group are available in Which groups to join on Czech LinkedIn?.