Today a client sent me this mail, being frustrated with LinkedIn Groups, not getting any jobs out of it.
“Just spoken with my colleague – he has also replied to a few enquiries, and not had the decency of a response.
He too does not like (and neither do I) the lack of privacy when you send a response, everyone else can read it, everyone knows who the competitors are and their rates.
Spoke to my other colleague who was the most proactive of us all, and he has sent tweets via LinkedIn, offering great rates etc, no response whatsoever.
Below my response to this client;
I understand you’re puzzled by this. Don’t be.
And don’t be worried that your name might be traceable. You actually WANT to be traceable, what you don’t want is disclose rates, suppliers etc.
So play the LinkedIn game how it should be played:
1. react to many many (somewhat) relevant LinkedIn posts and be sure to enclose your contacts: url to the appropriate page on your website, twitter handles, Facebook, etc (in any case: you will always be traceable through your LinkedIn profile, make sure you’re email and twitterhandle are easy to find)
2. you don’t necessarily want this job that is advertised, your real motive is to be read by other interested parties (there lies your investment (and it’s rewards), the job advertised is seen by too many competitors anyway)
3. if people start talking to you, take them somewhere private (like you’d do with this hot girl in a pub, you wouldn’t want to try and chat her up in front of her girlfriends, you take her to a more private booth in the back, right??), private here being: email or direct message on Twitter (can only be done if you follow eachother)
4. be engaged and help others, build a reputation for yourself: ‘like’ other peoples’ posts, direct people to the right sources, give tips, be a player in the field (LinkedIn calls them ’top influencers’)
5. in the end, you will be seen and treated as a full member of the group, leading to contacts and contracts