LinkedIn has become an extremely powerful social tool in our professional lives. It’s that word — professional — that is the essence of LinkedIn etiquette.
So whether you’re managing a brand or your own presence on LinkedIn, here are eight etiquette rules:
1. Is it LinkedIn or Linkedin Linked In or Linked in? It’s LinkedIn — with a capital I and stuck to “Linked.” It gets confusing because the company’s logo is a lowercase “in”.
2. Don’t send a mass request for recommendations and endorsements. If you’re looking for people to recommend you in a public forum, make sure you’re connecting with people who are familiar with you and your work. Reach out to those people individually and make the request. Rather than saying, “Can you endorse my skills?” leave it up to the other person. “Can you take a look at my skills when you have a chance and endorse what you think are appropriate?” is a stronger choice.
3. No personal updates, cat pictures, “selfies,” or “thoughts and prayers.” LinkedIn is a professional networking tool. You wouldn’t walk into an important meeting and announce the hilarious thing your kid said over the weekend. Leave the personal stuff for other social networks. LinkedIn just isn’t the platform for sending or showing emotions, thoughts, prayers, or showcasing hobbies. Stay professional.
4. Personalize connection requests and other points of contact.
If something pops up with an auto-fill field, personalize the copy. If it’s a former co-worker, personalize your hello. If it’s someone you met once, it would be a good move to remind them how you met and bring up an interesting topic you talked about.
5. It might be time to update that photo. Are you using the same photo you had when you joined LinkedIn four years ago or when you graduated? Upload a new one. Speaking of photos, that picture of you playing the guitar or standing under a tree are all very nice, but unless your profession involves entertainment at children’s birthday parties, opt for something more professional.
6. Be accurate with your work info. If there is a time gap or you missed to mention what you did in a certain year or month, specify why, otherwise potential employers, and people with common sense, will conclude that you did nothing a.k.a. unemployed!
7. Avoid “oversharing.” I have a LinkedIn connection who has shared five articles with me since breakfast. He’s spamming my feed; he’s a spammer. If you annoy people who follow you, they might unfollow you, better yet, never want to do business with you. Keep it relevant — and sporadic.
8. Do you have to personally know every person you connect with? LinkedIn certainly seems to want you to know them. In plenty of instances, though, I’ve introduced myself to people through LinkedIn because I admire their work or want to use them as sources. I avoid phantom connecting — that is, my sending a connection request seemingly out of nowhere and/or for no reason!
Bilal Hallab — @bilalhallab
General Manager & Head Social Business Strategist at The Social Clinic; a social business consultancy based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
8 LinkedIn etiquette rules
