Your LinkedIn Personal Profile Has Been Undergoing Some Changes

As you might already have guessed from previous Patch blog articles, I am a big advocate of using LinkedIn for small business networking and marketing. It is, as I often refer to, networking on steroids.

When comparing social business networking sites dedicated for business LinkedIn is certainly the world's largest. And LinkedIn is growing and morphing quickly right before our eyes. The newly formatted personal profiles are due to be completely rolled out to all members by year's end. Significant changes to the company page format were recently made.

For small business owner in this area it means more opportunities to market yourself and your business with no out of pocket expenses. No doubt it means a time commitment, but what doesn't? The benefit is this time commitment has an extremely LARGE potential pay off, but only if you are willing to get into the action and work for long term results.

Yes:

• We've lost Events...
• Polls have been moved over to Groups... but
• Personal profiles are streamlined and easier to navigate
• They have been moved some Sections or changed names of others, and
• some sections are in different areas of your profile now
• Third party applications were replaced by Rich Media Files

On the positive side we have new capabilities such as:

• Nicer looking
• High resolution profile photos
• Easier editing
• Greater flexibility with expanded drag and drop functionality

Put an effort into finding how your business can benefit. Put a priority in learning how to leverage this fantastic business networking tool NOW. That is, before your competition does!

Here are two opportunities for you to do so in the New Year as presented by SCORE Chicago (Free mentoring to small businesses and star ups):

Small Business Marketing with LinkedIn - 10 Steps To Successful Small Business Networking on LinkedIn!

Barrington Area Public Library, 505 N. Northwest Highway, Barrington, Il 60010

Monday evening, January 7, 2013, 7:00 - 8:30 PM

Registration link: http://www.barringtonarealibrary.org/evanced/lib0/eventsignup.asp?ID=8481

LinkedIn's New Updated Personal Profile – Large gains for your small business if you know how to use it! - Breakfast Presentation and Q&A

Continental Restaurant, 788 S. Buffalo Grove Road, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089

Thursday morning, January 31, 2013 from 7:00 to 9:00 AM (CST)

Registration link:  http://score-chicago-new-linkedin-profiles.eventbrite.com/