Linked to Influence is 157 pages long and has seven primary chapters. In these chapters, Sammons focused on different aspects of using LinkedIn for network building. The purpose of the book is to help you use LinkedIn to become a top influencer in your niche and attract your ideal clients. The seven chapters included:
- Power Up Your Profile (with Precisions)
- Build a Smarter Network
- Grow Your Visibility through Value
- Network Smarter
- Go One-on-One
- Get LinkedIn to Groups
- Become a Thought Leader
The book was logically put together. Sammons stepped through developing a profile to adding connections. She then started explaining how to use LinkedIn to develop leads and potential clients. Additionally, she discussed the LinkedIn tasks you needed to engage with to become an influencer in your market area. Some of these tasks included participating in groups and publishing to LinkedIn.
When Sammons talked about creating a profile on LinkedIn, she wants you to hone in on your primary purpose and to eradicate extraneous fluff. She also stressed that you needed to have a complete profile by emphasizing that “members who have a complete profile are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities” (as cited in Sammons, 2015, p.20).
In the second chapter, Sammons talked about building a smarter network. She discussed the advantages of using LinkedIn as a primary way of building your network. These advantages include the ability to connect one-on-one with connections as well as increasing brand awareness. When you reach out to connections ensure you use a personalized invitation. Also be selective about who is in your network. Sammons included many strategies for finding the right individuals to connect with.
In the rest of the book, Sammons provided great tips for using LinkedIn to its fullest potential. She stressed that you needed to think about giving value to your audience first as opposed to what you can get out of them. This is sound advice that I’ve heard over and over again. She provided ideas for how you can mention your connections for the things that you are posting to increase exposure. This is something that I need to do more of. I took away many useful tips for advancing my LinkedIn efforts.
The only downside of the book that I can report on is that because it is a 2015 book, a couple of the tools or products that Sammons mentioned are no longer available.
If you want to strengthen your use of LinkedIn, which as a business owner you should, this book definitely could set you on the right path. Linked to Influence provides a lot of great strategies for creating a strong profile, gathering connections, and getting in front of potential clients. Even though some LinkedIn tools are no longer in play, I would definitely recommend this book. It is a quick read but has a lot of great advice.
Additional Reading
- Book Review: LinkedIn: 101 Ways To Rock Your Personal Brand: Grow your network and build your business!
- Are You Keeping Your LinkedIn Profile Up-to-date?
- 23 Articles to Help Make LinkedIn Work for You
- First Impressions Speaks Volumes – What Does Your LinkedIn Account Say About You
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