While your activity within LinkedIn appears in the Updates section of your contacts’ LinkedIn home pages, you can add to current conversations, comment on their activity, and even post some topics of your own. Using these features is similar to speaking with people at a networking event. Your posts will enrich your profile and keep your connections apprised of what you’re up to.
Create a status update
Go to your home page and create two status updates. Topics you might mention include:
- a new post on your blog, complete with link
- your latest project
- a news story plus your own commentary
- a question for your network on who to contact regarding a specific venture you have in mind
Post to Twitter
If you have a Twitter account, you can post your LinkedIn update to Twitter as well. To do this, look below the field where you type your update for a check box with the Twitter logo next to it, and check that box. (You’ll need to authorize LinkedIn to post to Twitter on your behalf. You can do so using the Manage your Twitter settings option in your LinkedIn Settings.)
Interact with your contacts
Your LinkedIn home page starts with updates from your contacts. Beneath each update, you’ll find links that allow you to interact with your contacts based on the update. For instance, you can:
- “Like” an update
- comment on an update
- share an update with your contacts
- connect with other people
Take a moment to participate in one or two conversations in your Updates stream, or in the Updates stream of a first-degree contact you would like to chat with.