While LinkedIn is in the process of making a variety of changes to update its pages, the first page changes - which will immediately affect you - are its upcoming change of the Profile Photo size; providing you with a larger frame for your photo. The second is several sections will now be hidden in the background. Such as website address, email, and several other sections. Leaving you more space for Summary creation.

First, what can a larger photo frame mean to you?

Dressing more professionallyTaking more time with grooming before a photo shootSpringing for a professional photographerChoosing a less casual photo

In the past, you may effectively used Adobe or snagged your face from a family, friends or group biz photo. With the new larger photo frame, you'll need one which shows only you. Making it more difficult to crop yourself from current group photos.

Do photos really matter? Do members and visitors even look at them?

The answer is yes. LinkedIn stats show members consider people who don't upload a photo don't care enough about their presentation. Suggesting that pages with no photos are often skipped over.

In order to stand out from your competition and the crowd, to make a good impression with potential clients who likely don't meet you before hiring, you should provide a clear, current, professional looking profile photo of yourself. How you create that photo, or whether you have a pro snap you, is your choice.

Regarding attire for photos:

While dressing for success has always been essential when job interview time comes 'round, when meeting new or potential clients, LinkedIn is now upping its professionalism and yours. By providing you with a larger frame, for your photo. Allowing you take center stage on your Profile Page.

A 2010 national poll by the Center for Professional Excellence at York College of Pa. provided the following invaluable information:

"Appearance" ranked second only to "communication skills" when respondents named qualities most often associated with professionalism."

Further - Virginia Tech's Division of Student Affairs tells students applying for all types of jobs - "Your choice of attire reflects your judgment. Your choices regarding your attire and appearance: Show how you choose to present yourself. Are a form of communication to the people you encounter". This is such good advice, it can aptly be applied to almost anyone appealing or applying to clients or companies to hire them.

LinkedIn Summary Changes:

More emphasis will also be placed on your Summary. When it comes to businesses, this should not be presented resume style. And will require more thought and presentation to hit the mark and get you hired.

Not only that, because competition is so fierce your Summary will require some search engine optimization to reach those who want your unique services and products.

Getting that done means doing some keyword research to discover what words potential clients actually search for to find you. If you're unfamiliar with keyword search, use Google's Free Keyword Search Tool.

In a recent LinkedIn workshop I hosted, I explained that LinkedIn is similar to Google in that it can be considered a type of search engine. Though considerably smaller, you are still using it as one when you type names, groups and other info into the search box at the top of each page. This search box helps members refine the search process.

There are several other Profile Page changes:

Job titles will be removed from the area next to your photo. That spot will show education and experience. Website info, emails, for example, will now be found by clicking the 'contact' button.

The two changes you should be most concerned with, and having the most impact, are your profile photo and Summary.

Think about scheduling an appointment with a professional photographer. One whose expertise is snapping business professionals. Though technically a business expense, it's also an investment. Don't think it's necessary or can't fit it into the budget? Get creative. And discover a way to use a pro looking photo you have on file. No kids, no pets, no family - just you.

Second to that, yet no less important, is fleshing out, and search engine optimizing your summary. Taking some extra time to rethink, reorganize and/or rewrite your Linkedin Profile Summary, along with a great profile photo, will allow you to present yourself as the best professional for the job. One ready for immediate hire.

One last word regarding dressing professionally. Here's some sage advice from Image Consultant Sandy Dumont: "If you are not professionally attired, you won't get the job, even if you are the most qualified. Always dress better than required for an interview. Never dress down, because it is insulting to the other person. It says, 'I don't have to impress you; I dress for my own comfort.' When you dress to impress, they get it, and you will stand out from all the other candidates."

LinkedIn allows you to reach your exact audience. Businesses and entrepreneurs interested in YOUR business, YOUR products, YOUR services. Discover how you can quickly become a LinkedIn Expert and easily tap into this HOT professional social networking site to build your biz, get new clients. Get your Free "7 Invaluable Tips to Help You Build and Successfully Market and Brand Your Biz Harnessing the Power of LinkedIn" - http://www.womensmarketingandbusinessnetwork.com/ Click on "LinkedIn Info" on top nav bar.

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LinkedIn has some useful tools to help you build your network, enabling you to find people and connect with them. LinkedIn informs you of mutual connections you have and categorises them as first, second or third degree contacts.

There is incredible value in not only mutual connections but also in second and third degree networks and where we may have problems keeping abreast with our first degree network, LinkedIn tracks all of these for us. This information is accessible and very powerful.

Your first degree connections are gathered by uploading your contacts from your various mail accounts and any other address books you have using the 'add connections' tab. Contacts in your address book that are LinkedIn users have a small blue icon with 'in' next to their name. Select these names and write a semi-personal message to them by adding a personal note to your invitation and replace the standard note with one that relates to how you know them. It is best not to be too personal if the note is going to several selected names.

While waiting for these people to accept your invitation you can add to your network by using the LinkedIn tool for retrieving colleagues and classmates. Select the people who are already members as they will be the most responsive to your invitation.

Since LinkedIn uses the information in your profile it is important that you have completed fully the section about companies you have worked for and schools, colleges and universities you have attended.

LinkedIn is a powerful tool that helps you add value to your network by finding new customers, partners, experts and suppliers. To find these various types of people LinkedIn offer several different ways but it is important that you have defined clearly your target groups. Once your target groups are defined then you can use the tools to help find them.

Your immediate network can be determined by browsing and visiting profiles. The connections on the right-hand side of the page, are names that LinkedIn suggest you may know. If you notice someone of interest invite them to connect.

Use LinkedIn's advanced search to find people you would like to connect with. As you do not know them you now need to check whether you have any mutual connections and if so, ask them for an introduction. People in your immediate network that you consider interesting and valuable to your network can be invited to connect directly.

Joining LinkedIn groups that your target market are in gives you opportunities to interact with others in the group. Joining in the conversation will increase your visibility and people will begin to contact you. Your searches for people can be saved within LinkedIn and alerts sent out. Email will be sent to you via LinkedIn with new prospects weekly or monthly.

By ensuring you receive updates and interactions you can see if there are any opportunities for you to build valuable relationships and when someone mentions an interesting person you can be quick to ask for an introduction.

My name is Tamara Baranova. I run TJConsulting and I help small business owners grow their business by delivering effective online marketing mentoring, support and training.

Want to know more? Go to my website http://www.tjconsulting.co.uk/ to grab my free eCourse 7 Steps to Online Marketing Mastery and learn how to plan your unique social media strategy. Use our step-by-step jargon-free guides to master all popular online marketing tools: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, email, blogging, and more! Sign up today to get immediate access!

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Small business-to-business (B2B) businesses that focus on LinkedIn as one of their main social media channels have been and are continuing to be successful at getting more leads that eventually lead to increased business. It is a worthwhile tool.

Many business people seem to be having a difficult time using social media channels for business. If you are one of those people who is not so well acquainted with LinkedIn, the following information should help you to understand why it is so important for your business. Leveraging LinkedIn will help you to achieve positive results for your business and before long, you will not understand how you managed to leave it out of your online marketing strategy.

Generating leads for your business

Undeniably, LinkedIn is widely used among professionals. The reason that it is so popular is that it is an extremely effective social media channel that is easy to use and extremely user-friendly. When it comes to lead generation, you need to identify what works for you and your business and what doesn't work. If you find that something is working for you, use it as much as you can. Of course, if you have tried something that doesn't seem to be working, don't waste your time and effort on that because your time will be much better spent on things that cause positive results. In order to successfully generate business leads, the first thing that you must do is to complete your LinkedIn profile. Completing your profile doesn't mean simply putting your name and a few details about who you are and what you represent professionally. You need to fill in as many details as you can so that you allow other people the opportunity to get to know you. After all, you need to build relationships with people so that they will eventually buy whatever you are selling. Building a relationship means that you are going to build trust and credibility as well as your positioning yourself as a subject matter expert. Your goal in that regard is for the other person to think of you first when they have needs that you can fulfill.

Realizing the fullest potential from you social network

LinkedIn is a much more powerful tool than a great deal of people realize and it can help you to achieve your business goals in an extremely effective manner. It won't cost you much money, if any. the only things that you will have to invest are time and effort. Those are investments that you would make for your business no matter what tools you used to achieve success.

Handling customer service properly

It is very important for you to examine precisely how your business is handling customer service and how it is tending to the needs of your clients. You can tie in LinkedIn with this as well. The discussions through LinkedIn are critical to your success and all sorts of interesting and stimulating pieces of information can be discovered through that particular form of communication. If you want to achieve greater success with your business, you need to pay a great deal of attention to the timing. You must always respond in a very timely manner and your clients must always feel that they are your first priority.

Engage with people on a very regular basis

You should regard LinkedIn just as you would any other social media channel except for the fact that it is one of the top social media channels for business and should be respected for that. Engaging frequently can take on many different forms. You should synchronize your blog posts to LinkedIn as well as other social media channels with which you engage so that you increase your reputation and exposure.

Conclusion

LinkedIn is an amazing social media channel that will enable you to engage at the next level with your valuable professional online connections. More and more people are starting to understand what an important social media tool LinkedIn is and they are learning how to use it to its fullest potential so that they can achieve greater and greater business success.

We are pleased to provide you with the insightful comments contained herein. For a free assessment of your online presence, let's have coffee.

Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in IT and web technologies. Mr. Cohn spent a significant amount of time at a major telecommunications company, where his main focus was on initiating and leading synergy efforts across all business units by dramatically improving efficiency, online collaboration, and the company's Intranet capabilities, which accelerated gains in business productivity. He also reduced company travel and travel costs by introducing and implementing various collaboration technologies.

His expertise includes business analysis; project management; management of global cross-matrix teams; systems engineering and analysis, architecture, prototyping and integration; technology evaluation and assessment; systems development; performance evaluation; and management of off-shore development.

Mr. Cohn earned a Master's degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master's degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.

Mr. Cohn is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

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You've created a LinkedIn profile, joined a few groups and connected with some people that you know and then what? LinkedIn represents a relatively untapped source of leads - highly influential leads - for your business. It's no Twitter or Facebook that is for sure. There are many LinkedIn users, but not many of them know how to really use LinkedIn as a part of their overall lead generation strategy. Like all other social media platforms, LinkedIn requires an investment of time and consistent interaction. Let's take a look at how you can use LinkedIn Groups to generate leads for your business.

For starters, if you have not already done so, join a group. There are over 100 million people on LinkedIn and so you obviously cannot interact with the entire community. There are high level and mid-level professionals on LinkedIn. Therefore; the best bet is to join groups that are complimentary to who you are and what you do. Choose groups that are active and target those groups with a user base of 1,000 to 3,000 users. LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 groups, but it is a good practice to focus on a few since you will not be able to engage and dialogue in too many different areas. Once you've join a few groups, what do you do next?

Here are 6 Tips for Developing LinkedIn Leads

Spend some time on crafting your profile. Remember your audience. LinkedIn is a community of mid-level and high-level professionals. How do you fit in?

Do not jump right in and begin promoting your products and services, ever! This is a major violation on LinkedIn. Participate in discussions. Reply to existing comments and offer your insights on the topic.

Initiate a new discussion. Ask a question. Take the time to observe the dynamics of the group. The last thing you want to do is to become an unwelcomed member. After you've participated in group discussions, start asking your own questions. With this strategy, you are attracting people to you. Take note of the people that respond to your questions the most and connect with them outside of the group.

Be an active participant. Generating leads on LinkedIn will not have an immediate return. You must take the time to be active. This can be done in a few minutes per day and will render rich rewards over time.

Participate regularly in discussions. Answer questions. Offer feedback. Ask questions. Comment. The more visible you are the better.

Be of quality. If you are posting content make sure that it is quality content! You will be judged if you are posting junk. Take some time and produce value added articles.

Take it offline. Get off of LinkedIn. While LinkedIn is a social network, you don't want the relationship to stay there. After you've gone through all of the above - you joined a group, participated, been active, and connected with people, when the time is right, take the relationship offline.

LinkedIn is a tool to interact with sophisticated people - especially new people and begin to build genuine, professional, inner circle type relationships. Attract people to you by what you contribute to the groups that you join. Add value. Be mindful of the fact that LinkedIn is a community of sophisticated users. Your leads will then naturally gravitate towards you in the form of people that you are building relationships with.

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