The Care and Feeding of LinkedIn - Recommendations Rule
Guest post by Jackie Nagel, Synnovatia
Connecting virtually can be disconcerting. Those in search of service providers through www.linkedin.com may not know, or have previously met you. With limited information, they have to rely on other approaches to vet your ability.
Just as the number of link up’s in your network expands your reach, strong recommendations elevate your trustworthiness. From reinforcing your profile for viewers to improving your ranking under Service Providers, the depth and breadth of your recommendations strengthens your credibility.
In Search of a Service Provider
With the growing popularity of Google, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to find service providers amidst the online content. More and more, people are turning to LinkedIn as their trusted resource for vendors.
Click on the dropdown menu of the Company tab in the upper left hand side of your LinkedIn home page. Here you’ll find Service Providers, a conveniently located ‘yellow pages’, of sorts, for any vendor you might need.
In need of a Writer/Editor? Hunt through lengthy search engine listings no more! Just locate the Writer/Editor category on the right hand side of the Service Provider page and, as if by magic, Writers/Editors appear complete with recommendations, degrees away from you, location, and top qualities. What could be easier?
From here, you have a number of ways to narrow your search including degrees away from you, top results or date of the most recent recommendation - all features located along the thin green line/shadow in the middle of the page.
Rock Your Recommendations
Your goal as it relates to recommendations is two-fold: acquire strong recommendations in the category representing your service and, obtain the number of recommendations that would conveniently rank you on the first page of the network of your choice - either 1st or 2nd degree network or Recommendations for all LinkedIn Users.
Your immediate client base holds the greatest level of clout when endorsing your work. However, don’t forget to tap those with whom you have worked side-by-side whether it was on client assignments, community projects, or through organizational membership.
When you’re looking to be found, nothing says ‘you can deliver’ as well as recommendations from those who have first-hand knowledge of your skills, expertise, and ability to deliver on your promises.
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Jackie Nagel, Founder of Synnovatia™, energizes entrepreneurs that are stuck, stalled, starting up, or stretching with a pioneering coaching approach that drives profits, productivity, and performance.
