CEOs and LinkedIn: Just do it!

Before you read this post, if you're not yet on LinkedIn, get over whatever uneasiness you have and get on it.

You need to be there. If you are not, the people you need to know (recruiters, potential employers, potential vendors, prospects etc) will think it's weird that you're not.

Can you imagine not showing up in Google? (I do hope you show up in Google!). Can you imagine your company not showing up on Google? If you don't show up on LinkedIn, that's just about as bad.

If you are reluctant to appear on LinkedIn because you are a CEO, you're not alone.

I've had CEOs tell me they shouldn't be on LinkedIn because it opens them up to far too much unwelcome contact. Well, when you are between assignments every few years (CEO tenures are running between 2 and 4 years on average), you'll wish you had some of that contact! The time to build your LinkedIn network (and your employment brand/company brand presence) is now, not later.

THE expert on LinkedIn and how to work it to your advantage is Jason Alba, author of I'm on LinkedIn, Now What?? and founder of the JibberJobber Career Toolset (In my opinion it's the best career CRM for CEOs and other execs). The book and companion blog are the most practical, fast-read guides I've found for CEOs to understand and embrace the power of LinkedIn.

Jason recently wrote a very useful post on LinkedIn recommendation protocol. It's a must-read if you want to use LinkedIn recommendations (believe me, you do) to build or enhance your C-level/executive credibility/brand and demo your value.

If you're in the C-suite (or heading that way) and have already used LinkedIn, LinkedIn recommendations, and/or LinkedIn questions as a career tool, how have they helped? I'd love to hear your experiences and successes.

Comments

[Luke Harvey-Palmer]

Great post Deb...and spot on...all CEO's should pay attention to their LinkedIn profile - but more importantly ,they should keep it updated! I wrote a post recently on how to get more out of LinkedIn http://www.harveypalmer.com.au/ourblog/?p=136