8. Using LinkedIn Tools
In this lesson, you explore tools that enable you to maximize your time on LinkedIn and integrate with other websites and software.
As a LinkedIn member, you want to maximize the value you receive from the site. Integrating the vast amount of data on LinkedIn with other applications such as browsers, popular websites, and email clients is one of the best ways to do that.
Exploring the LinkedIn Tools Page
The LinkedIn Tools page offers several tools, toolbars, and widgets that enhance your LinkedIn experience, both on and off the site. Options include
• Outlook Social Connector—Manage your LinkedIn network from Microsoft Outlook 2003, 2007, 2010, or 2013.
• Email Signature—Create a customized email signature from your profile data to use with popular email systems.
• Mac Search Widget—Search LinkedIn from your Mac Dashboard.
• Google Toolbar Assistant—Add a LinkedIn search button to the Google Toolbar in Internet Explorer.
• Mobile—Access your LinkedIn network via mobile devices, such as the iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone.
• Sharing Bookmarklet—Share news articles, blog posts, and other interesting web content with LinkedIn members, including your connections and fellow members of groups.
Click the Tools link on the bottom menu to open the LinkedIn Tools page.
This chapter describes some of the most popular LinkedIn tools in more detail. You access all these tools from the LinkedIn Tools page.
Working with Email Signatures
LinkedIn enables you to create an email signature that includes links to your profile and other popular LinkedIn features. You can use your LinkedIn email signature with popular email systems such as Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Yahoo! Mail.
Create an Email Signature
1. Click the Try It Now button in the Email Signature section of the LinkedIn Tools page.
2. Select a layout for your email signature from the drop-down list.
3. A preview of your signature with the selected layout appears on the page.
4. Enter the contact information you want to appear on your signature in the Business Information, Contact Information, and Work Address sections.
5. If you want to include a company logo or your photo, enter the image’s URL in the Image Selection field.
6. Select any or all of the following check boxes to place links on your email signature: “Professional Profile” link, “See Who We Know in Common” link, or “We’re Hiring” link.
Image Tips
Your image must be in the GIF, JPG, or PNG format; no larger than 50KB; and no larger than 100×60 in size. Click the Show link to display your image. Be aware that the way you add an image can vary depending on the browser you’re using.
Use Your LinkedIn Profile Photo on Your Signature
To use your LinkedIn photo, right-click the photo on your profile and choose Copy Image Location or Copy Shortcut from the menu. (The menu option varies by browser.) Paste (Ctrl+V) this link in the Image Selection field.
7. Click the Click Here for Instructions link to save your signature.
8. In the pop-up box that opens, copy your signature code by clicking in the text box and pressing Ctrl+C on your keyboard.
9. Select your email client from the drop-down list. Instructions for using the email signature in your email system appear.
10. Click the Close This Window link to close the window and install your new email signature.
Using the Sharing Bookmarklet
LinkedIn offers a Sharing Bookmarklet that enables you to share content on LinkedIn from any of the following browsers: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. Using the bookmarklet, you can easily share news stories, blog posts, and other interesting web content with LinkedIn members, including your connections and fellow members of groups.
To install the bookmarklet, select the Sharing Bookmarklet tab on the LinkedIn Tools page and follow the onscreen instructions. The installation steps vary based on your browser. For example, Internet Explorer requires that you add the bookmarklet to your favorites menu, whereas Chrome, Safari, and Firefox ask that you simply drag the icon to your browser toolbar.
Encouraging Others to Share Your Content
If you have your own website or blog and want to encourage others to share your content on LinkedIn, they can do so even if they don’t use the Sharing Bookmarklet. See the section “Using LinkedIn Plugins” later in this chapter for more information about installing plugins on your site.
Share with the Bookmarklet
1. In your browser, navigate to the page you want to share.
2. Click the Share on LinkedIn button on the toolbar. On some browsers, this is called the Share in LinkedIn button.
3. Select the Share an Update check box to post this content as an update that displays on your profile and on your connections’ home pages.
4. Select the Post to Groups check box to select a group you belong to. LinkedIn posts your content to the Discussions tab.
5. Select the Send to Individuals check box to send to one or more of your 1st degree connections.
6. Click the Share button to share this web page.
Exploring LinkedIn Mobile Applications
LinkedIn offers four device-specific mobile apps you can access from the LinkedIn Mobile page:
• LinkedIn for Phone—A mobile app that’s available for Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, and Windows phone devices
• LinkedIn for iPad—An app designed specifically for the iPad
• Contacts—A LinkedIn contacts app for the iPhone that includes job change and birthday alerts as well as relationship history
• Pulse—An app for the iPhone and Android that enables you to create a custom, shareable news feed
To access these apps from LinkedIn, click the Mobile link on the bottom menu or the Mobile tab on the LinkedIn Tools page.
Access LinkedIn via the Mobile Web Link
If none of the mobile apps work for you, another option for accessing LinkedIn on the go is the mobile web link (m.linkedin.com). Type this link in your mobile browser to access a version of LinkedIn that’s designed for mobile browsers.
Exploring Other LinkedIn Tools
Here’s a quick roundup of even more tools and features that can enhance the time you spend on LinkedIn.
Use LinkedIn Plugins
LinkedIn offers numerous plugins you can use on your website to encourage interaction with LinkedIn. Sample plugins include Share on LinkedIn, Follow Company, and Member Profile. See https://developer.linkedin.com/plugins to learn more about the available plugins.
LinkedIn Plugins for WordPress Users
If you use WordPress, many social sharing plugins also enable site visitors to share your content on LinkedIn. Some examples include Flare (http://wordpress.org/plugins/flare) and AddThis (www.addthis.com). You can also add a LinkedIn profile badge to your sidebar with the FP LinkedIn Profile plugin (http://wordpress.org/plugins/fp-linkedin-profile).
View LinkedIn Labs Tools
The LinkedIn Labs page (http://engineering.linkedin.com/linkedinlabs) offers several interesting tools for LinkedIn members looking to move beyond the basics.
Some samples include
• LinkedIn InMaps—LinkedIn InMaps displays a visual map of your entire LinkedIn network. For your InMap to provide meaningful data, you must have at least 50 connections and at least 75% of your profile complete. If you meet these requirements, your InMap displays a color-coded representation of your LinkedIn network that you can zoom to view in more detail, label, and share with your network.
• LinkedIn Swarm—With Swarm, you can view a moving tag cloud of LinkedIn activity over the past hour. Swarm analyzes company and title searches, jobs posted, blog entries, and shared articles. In other words, it provides real-time insight into what’s hot and trending.
• Resume Builder—Create a professionally designed resume based on your LinkedIn profile. You can choose from several resume formats and download a PDF of your resume.
• Year In Review—View everyone in your network who changed jobs in a specific year.
