BY MIHRAN KALAYDJIAN, CHA
LinkedIn Etiquette – How to Use New Endorsement Feature
Hey LinkedIn users…Here’s how to use the new endorsement feature and treat people you don’t know.
In 2013, social media will continue to be the main form of online communication and LinkedIn will continue to be the best tool for business professionals. Not long ago, LinkedIn introduced the new profile layout and the endorsement feature, making it easier for people to highlight their skills online and interact with others. Along with the new features, some new questions about LinkedIn etiquette have arisen, so here is some advice for a few common issues.
Endorsement Rules
1. How to treat people who endorsed you?
The new endorsement feature is like a “quick recommendation”; it literately takes seconds for you to endorse someone. You may also receive endorsements from a colleague you know well or even from someone you have only met briefly. Depending on who endorsed you and how well you know the person, your response may be different.
If you get an endorsement from a colleague, the best way to respond is to check his/her skills and endorse back if you see any skills that person truly demonstrates. If you want to be friendlier, you can send a quick note to say, “Thank you for endorsing my _______ skills, I have endorsed you back!
If you get an endorsement from someone you don’t know too well, you can choose to not do anything, or you can also send a quick note say, “Thank you for endorsing my ______ skills, let’s keep in touch!” This might be good opportunity to get reconnected with someone.
2. Who to endorse?
Treat endorsement the same as writing a recommendation letter. Never endorse anyone you don’t know. Try to only endorse someone for a skill that you absolutely know they possess. It is best if you have actually seen them in action!
If someone you don’t know has asked you to endorse him/her, instead of ignoring the request you can send a message asking the person to refresh your memory, and asking which specific skills they would like you to endorse. If you think someone is not qualified, you can always choose to not endorse.
3. Can I ask people to endorse me, and what’s the best way to do it?
If you are looking for valuable input from someone you have worked with, recommendation is more valuable than endorsement as it contains more substantive comments.
Try to not ask for endorsements unless there is a very specific skill you would like the person to endorse. In that case, you can send a message specifying why you need to be endorsed and reminding this person what you have done that demonstrates the skill.
Lastly, remember that the endorsement feature is not a race; it won’t make a huge difference whether you have 5 people endorsing your communication skills or if you have 20 people. What’s important is how your skills are demonstrated through your work experiences.
5 General rules to be successful on LinkedIn:
1.Be personal. Customize personal messages for each connection.
2.Get a real photo. You will need an updated, professional headshot.
3.Be polite and be professional. Treat every message as an in-person conversation.
4.Be honest, never put up skills you don’t have or activities you have not done.
5.Don’t spam. Keep your Twitter on Twitter.