Comments on: How to use LinkedIn to get found and showcase reputation http://www.lavarow.com/2010/02/18/how-to-use-linkedin-to-get-found-and-showcase-reputation/ Lava Row is a social media consulting, strategy and education firm based in Des Moines, Iowa. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:22:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: @GeoffWood http://www.lavarow.com/2010/02/18/how-to-use-linkedin-to-get-found-and-showcase-reputation/#comment-1585 @GeoffWood Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:15:32 +0000 http://www.lavarow.com/?p=1129#comment-1585 Great presentation, as usual Nathan. I love that LinkedIn is getting a lot of attention locally the past few months. It's long been my favorite social platform and was actually my first (pre-Facebook, pre-Twitter).<br><br>A couple thoughts that I always point out to people getting involved with Linkedin. <br><br>1. Don't blindly ask for or accept connections. You should have a real-life connection to this person (on the phone, in person, etc) or use the platform to facilitate a connection. This is a business tool and use it as you would formally use a rolodex. Unlike Facebook or Twitter - Linkedin allows you to visualize your network beyond the first tier - use that! Having a bogus connection in your network invalidates the tool, IMO. Here's a blog I wrote about it: <a href="http://www.geoffreyhwood.com/smf/2009/3/26/are-barack-obama-and-chris-brogan-diminishing-the-value-of-l.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.geoffreyhwood.com/smf/2009/3/26/are-...</a><br><br>2. Recommendations are a great tool in Linkedin but use them wisely. I tend to judge the recommender more so than the person being recommended. If I pursue a connection because of something you wrote about the person and I find that to be bogus, that reflects on you. I've read so many bogus recommendations of people that I know that it's hard to trust the system. I hope Linkedin eventually comes up with an in-platform credibility system for recommenders so we can get the most from the tool.<br><br>Again, good presentation and thanks for getting the word out on a great tool that we all should be using! Great presentation, as usual Nathan. I love that LinkedIn is getting a lot of attention locally the past few months. It's long been my favorite social platform and was actually my first (pre-Facebook, pre-Twitter).

A couple thoughts that I always point out to people getting involved with Linkedin.

1. Don't blindly ask for or accept connections. You should have a real-life connection to this person (on the phone, in person, etc) or use the platform to facilitate a connection. This is a business tool and use it as you would formally use a rolodex. Unlike Facebook or Twitter – Linkedin allows you to visualize your network beyond the first tier – use that! Having a bogus connection in your network invalidates the tool, IMO. Here's a blog I wrote about it: http://www.geoffreyhwood.com/smf/2009/3/26/are-…

2. Recommendations are a great tool in Linkedin but use them wisely. I tend to judge the recommender more so than the person being recommended. If I pursue a connection because of something you wrote about the person and I find that to be bogus, that reflects on you. I've read so many bogus recommendations of people that I know that it's hard to trust the system. I hope Linkedin eventually comes up with an in-platform credibility system for recommenders so we can get the most from the tool.

Again, good presentation and thanks for getting the word out on a great tool that we all should be using!

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