How to Use LinkedIn for Your Nonprofit

Why LinkedIn?

LinkedIn has much in common with Facebook, but it's devoted solely to business – great for B2B.

The average age of users is 41 (Hubspot). It's a powerful networking tool for landing

a job, recruiting, or building exposure for your organization.

Groups and Answers are great features for demonstrating your expertise and building relationships.

Why LinkedIn for Nonprofits?

75,000+ nonprofit “groups” on LinkedIn. Build professional relationships. Rally supporters to a cause through the

Groups feature. Information curation. Powerful hiring tool. Spread the word in a professional setting.

(LinkedIn is not for personal status updates.) Becoming the place for “thoughtful

discourse.”

What are your goals?

Advocacy? Fund-raising? Connecting with Experts? Relationship building?

Sign-Up Basics

Sign-up is quick and easy. Simply enter your basic information,

tell the site who you want to find and how you want to be found, and start adding connections with colleagues, friends, and classmates.

Setting Up Your Profile Page

Before you start adding connections, build your profile page.

This is what people will see when they search for you.

Start by importing your resume.

Setting Up Your Profile Page

Your profile page is meant to sell you to potential connections and provide detailed background info.

Get recommendations to improve visibility.

Use various application options to accentuate your profile.

Strive for 100% profile completion.

Micro-Blogging

Post status updates just as you would on Twitter or Facebook (but remember the B2B audience).

Share links that you think will be of interest to your connections—craft messages to your medium.

Post news about your organization.

Your Connections

Use the toolbar in the top right corner to search for people, companies, groups, and more.

Or click on “Add connections” to find people through former employers, schools, e-mail contacts, and more.

Recommendations

Give and receive recommendations to boost credibility—and visibility.

Think of these as short testimonials or endorsements.

Return the favor!

Apps You Can Use

Accentuate your profile with various applications: Blog Link Google Presentation SlideShare Polls Events Portfolio Display

Note: The number of applications you can feature on your profile page is limited to 15.

LinkedIn Today

Follow the news related to your professional interests.

See what others are sharing. Like, Comment, Share.

Company Pages

In addition, to a personal profile, you can add a “Company” profile for your nonprofit.

Post Jobs Check analytics

Groups

LinkedIn Groups are perhaps the site's most powerful tool for businesses.

Create your own groups (sign-up as a nonprofit) One for your organization. One for your cause.

Post discussion questions and generate conversations.

Attract new members, make new connections. Manage your groups at least once/week.

Start Your Own Group

It's quick, easy, and free. Join other nonprofit groups similar to yours. Make your group enticing to new members

with attention-grabbing discussion questions. Urge participation.

Use keywords in your description. Promote your groups (e-mail signature,

website, blog...)

Answers

Answers are a great way to get feedback and to demonstrate expertise.

Work within categories specific to your cause.

Get ratings for your answers and be listed as an “expert.”

Keys to Success

Like everything else, the time you put into it drives success.

This isn't a numbers game. Choose your connections wisely.

Though this is all done online, don't forget that LinkedIn is still about building human relationships. There's still no substitute for meeting with people in person.

And don't spam!

For More Help...

Find me at:

whoelscher@bullseyewriting.com

828.290.9314

www.bullseyewriting.com

LinkedIn: Wolf Hoelscher

Facebook Page: Bull's-Eye Writing & Editing Services

Twitter: @BullsEyeWriting