This video highlights three helpful LinkedIn features you need to know about.
1️⃣ Clickable link on your profile
2️⃣ Focused Inbox
3️⃣ Scheduling posts
How do you like these features? Let me know in the comments.
LinkedIn Deserves Some Love
LinkedIn is entitled to some credit for trying to get better at listening to its members and improving the user experience. We can all agree that they could have saved themselves headaches and much hate mail from the user community had they started listening back in October of last year. However, at least they are now starting to make an effort.
It is also worth noting that the new desktop redesign and the elimination of features like Tags, Notes and radius search were not as result of Microsoft’s acquiring LinkedIn even though these occurred around the same time. Much as some people would like to, we can’t point a finger at Microsoft for the changes we dislike.
LinkedIn changed the desktop interface to mirror the mobile design in order to make the user experience consistent across devices. Their hope is that this will help increase user engagement and the results remain to be seen since the roll out was only recently completed.
The removal of the Relationship tab (which included Tags, Notes, and Reminders) was announced prior to the rollout of the new user interface.
We can always make the case that LinkedIn is under more pressure to become profitable now that it is part of Microsoft, but forcing members to move to Sales Navigator for basic CRM and search features is not nearly enough to change their bottom line from red to black.
On a lighter note, here are some things that LinkedIn has done right recently.
You can find videos introducing new features on LinkedIn’s YouTube Channel. They have to do a better job of publicizing these videos, but they are available.
Certain features of the new desktop interface are an improvement. Notifications are much easier to scroll through now. You can page down if you choose instead of trying to pull down the maddening vertical bar on the right which continually returned you to the top of the notifications in the old design.
The new Highlights section (Mutual Connections and Mutual Groups) when you visit a profile makes it easier to quickly find people or interests you have in common.
LinkedIn has reinstated Saved People Searches, a popular feature enabling you to save search parameters so you can return to searches that produced good results. In addition, you can receive weekly alerts when people update their profiles such that they now meet your search criteria.
They have also brought back the Title search filter which is an extremely useful feature. You have to look under the Keywords drop down to find the Titles field – strange, but once you know where it is you can always get back to it.
LinkedIn still has quite a ways to go in terms of opportunities for improvement, but are there aspects of the new desktop design or LinkedIn’s recent behavior in general that you find encouraging?
If you would like to explore how you can use LinkedIn more effectively for sales, marketing and professional branding, you can reach me at: stan@shrmarketing.com or 908-463-3485.
Get regular tips and updates on LinkedIn: http://eepurl.com/byi8KT
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Use LinkedIn to Showcase Your Personal Brand
In today’s ever changing economy there has never been a greater need for each professional to develop their own personal brand. Employees can expect to change jobs and careers more frequently than they have in the past whether it be by choice or not. LinkedIn is the ideal platform for you to showcase your personal brand as an employee or business owner. [Read more…]
What’s New on LinkedIn
LinkedIn has made a number of changes this year, some helpful, others not as much. [Read more…]
Highlights of the New LinkedIn Contacts Format
The new LinkedIn contacts format offers a number of useful features. LinkedIn is making an effort to keep users on the platform as long as possible by providing additional functionality.
While LinkedIn is not intended to replace CRM systems, it is making it easier to organize your contacts and your interactions with these individuals.
In order to get the most use from the new features you need to give LinkedIn permission to access information from your email address books and calendars. You can do this simply by following the instructions that they provide.
The new look of the Contacts section is pictured below.
The new and revised features that are now under the Contacts tab include:
1. It is not clearly marked, but a drop down menu in the upper right section (next to search box with By name) enables you to search contacts by name, company, title, location or email.
2. Your Day – brings up a reminder to “Start your day by staying in touch with your contacts”. It highlights your connections who have updated their Profile with a new position, are celebrating a birthday, and with whom you have recently met (based on your calendar). You can also select the Calendar icon to see your schedule for the day.
3. All Contacts – shows all of your contacts, even those in your address books but not on LinkedIn. They are listed in reverse chronological order based on when you are last in contact with them through LinkedIn.
Connections – shows all of your LinkedIn 1st degree connections in reverse chronological order based on when you are last in contact with them through LinkedIn.
Saved – shows connections you have saved.
Tags – shows all of the tags that you have set up.
Companies – shows which companies your connections are employed by.
Titles – lists the current titles appearing in the Profiles of your connections.
Locations – shows all of the locations for your connections.
Sources – shows where you have imported information from, e.g., Outlook, Gmail, iPhone address book, etc.
Potential Merges – helps you clean up your connections by showing possible duplicate records.
Hidden – this includes contacts imported from your email address books both individuals and companies, websites
Other Features
You have the ability to take notes (Relationship section), record how you met contacts, and schedule additional contacts. For me, the Note feature has been particularly useful.
Tagging contacts is simple, when you mouse over a contact you have the options to Tag, Message, Hide or Remove a Connection.
In addition, your emails with each contact to are reflected under the Relationship tab.
How are you using LinkedIn’s new Contact features?