3: Using LinkedIn to promote
yourself as a researcher
In this chapter
LinkedIn: helping you get connected
LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com) is the social network of choice for millions of professionals worldwide. It allows you to connect to both academic peers who use it as well as professionals, so it can be a useful tool for spreading the word about your work and finding potential collaborators. It is also used for recruiting potential job candidates.
Though it lacks some of the services present in Facebook, there are several ways you can use LinkedIn to market yourself and your research. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your LinkedIn account.
Getting your profile right
You should spend some time thinking about what to put on your LinkedIn profile, and in what order it should appear on your profile. Choose a professional title and update your employment history. Make sure that you have a professional-looking photograph.
If you’re responsible for the branding and marketing of an organisation, research group or company, add it to the company directory and build that profile as well. It’s an important way for prospective employees or customers to review your business and past employers when making a decision.
Building contacts
LinkedIn helps you build up your contacts by suggesting “People You May Know” in a box on the right hand corner of the home page once you have signed in. These are usually people who work in the same organisation or who studied in the same institutions.
You can also add contacts by searching your email contacts (which LinkedIn does automatically). Look up people you meet at conferences and other events to see whether they have a LinkedIn profile and send them a request to get connected.
Joining groups
Joining groups on LinkedIn is a great way of keeping in touch with others and keeping yourself updated about your field. Groups can be a great way to carry out market research and surveys as well. You can join groups by selecting “Groups you may like” from the “Groups” drop-down menu. You can also do a keyword search for groups in your research area.
When you join a group, it’s a good idea to go through past discussions and get a feel for the kinds of things people talk about. You may be able to do this before you decide to join, depending on the group’s privacy settings.) Once you have a feel for the group, you can raise your profile by introducing yourself and stating your reasons for joining.
You can also create your own group and invite your contacts to join in. Once you have set it up, keep the group alive by making regular and relevant posts and asking questions. Invite new people to join as well.
Getting recommended
Though you can ask friends and colleagues to give you a favourable recommendation, it is a good idea to select someone in your network whom you admire. You can post a recommendation for them by viewing their profile and following links, and often you will get a recommendation in return. You can also ask for a recommendation directly.
Showcasing your expertise
LinkedIn’s Answers feature is a great way to connect with new people. This function allows you to showcase your expertise by answering other people's questions. If the person who asks the question likes your answer, he / she might rate yours as the “Best Answer”. Every week the “best experts” are listed on the answers page.
Cross linkages
Now that you have a LinkedIn profile, you should go ahead and promote it. Place the link for your LinkedIn profile in your email signature lines. Add links to your LinkedIn profile from your website, blog or Facebook page.
You can also incorporate your blog posts into your LinkedIn profile via an application such as BlogLink6.
Watch out for new features on the LinkedIn site and other websites and tools which might interface with LinkedIn, as these are developing all the time and may give you a great advantage in promoting your research.
Related researcher articles on the Wolfson Research Exchange site
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/researchexchange/topics/gd0037/
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/researchexchange/topics/gd0037/
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/researchexchange/topics/gd0040/
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/researchexchange/topics/gd0007/
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