The rise of social media has been so rapid that it’s easy to feel left behind. And it’s not just a personal scene any more – many businesses are using sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to attract followers and fans.
If you run your own business, social media offers you the chance to spread the word about what you do. It enables you to build a reputation, forge new relationships and bring in new business.
But if you haven’t taken the plunge yet, you’re not alone. According to research by specialist SME insurer Hiscox (2012), only 57% of small businesses currently use social media to support their marketing efforts.
And research by The Neilsen Company has found that 53% of adults who engage in social networks are active followers of a brand.
It’s never too late to start – there are exciting opportunities for most businesses on social media.

The Sage guide offers advice on how to spread the word using social media, including:

• How social media can help your business
• Choosing the right channels for you and your business
• Balancing business and personal
• Finding your followers
• Reaching out to your customers

Download the guide (1.5MB pdf)

But building a power network on LinkedIn doesn’t happen overnight. Here are seven tips for making the kinds of connections that can benefit your business the most:

1. Optimize your profile:One of the easiest ways is to update your profile picture. LinkedIn views this kind of update as “freshness” and it can help your ranking when others are searching for someone like you.

2. Tell people who you are, who you help and how you help them in your headline:A headline that communicates these points is often what grabs a person’s attention when searching the site. I should be able to read your headline and know exactly what you offer and why I should get in touch with you. Be clear and compelling.

3. Fill out all current and past work experiences:You never know who’s looking for you, possibly a co-worker from an old job, or maybe a classmate that’s suddenly feeling nostalgic and wants to see who they can find online. By listing all of your places of employment, including your educational institutions, you can create a larger net for capturing searches. Plus, these connections could be second or third-tier connections to people you’ve been trying to meet.

4. Join targeted groups:This can be one of the most effective ways to connect with like-minded professionals who are serious about using LinkedIn to form deeper business connections. Participating in these groups also enables you to share your knowledge and to learn from other members.

5. Create a targeted group:Not only can leading a group give you a certain level of credibility, it allows you to connect with people who are influential within your specific industry.

6. Send personal invites:These, in my opinion, always trump generic requests to connect. The invite is your first communication on LinkedIn, so make a good first impression by writing a personal request and asking how you can help the person, or whom you can introduce them to.

7. Get endorsements and recommendations: This can help enhance your profile, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to do this. Don’t send a mass or generic e-mail to clients or colleagues asking if they can endorse your skills or write a recommendation. First, identify people who have a great story to share about you and your skills. Contact those people directly, via phone or e-mail, and let them know you’re personally reaching out to them because of (insert how you’ve helped them here) and would appreciate it if they’d be willing to write a quick recommendation for you, based on that story.

The same goes for endorsements, which are much easier to give since it’s just a click of a button. It also helps if you mention you’ll be endorsing their strongest skills as well.

In what ways do you grow your network on LinkedIn? Let us know in the comments below.