What You Can Learn from the 1% on LinkedIn

Recently, I received an email from LinkedIn proclaiming, “Congratulations! You are in the top 1 percent of viewed profiles on LinkedIn!” The natural analyst in me immediately began to think about the total number of members on LinkedIn (200 million). I began to wonder about the probable percentage of them who actually use their accounts, let alone actively, and more so, those who it use pro actively.

I happen to fall into that proactive category, which is why I’m in this “elite” (or so LinkedIn would like me to think) group of users. But whether I’m really in the 1 percent or not, plenty of young entrepreneurs can benefit from the key insights I picked up along the way to my 1 percent status.

Here are 8 simple tips on how to build your brand and get more out of LinkedIn.

1. Have a catchy title. This does not include “role, company name.” Mine once read, “Finding you the best fit for merchant services with no shady business at Equitable Payments.” This tagline has resulted in a lot of strangers reaching out to connect who relate to the woes of my industry and appreciate the candor and humor. In turn, I’ve won business.

2. Connect with people you meet within 24 hours. If you meet someone at a networking event, a dinner party or anywhere else, connect with them (and connect with your friends too). There may be no immediate synergy, but the beauty of LinkedIn is the connection you get to everyone’s network.