Customer Reviews

LinkedIn For Dummies

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well, you knew it had to happen sooner or later and true to the Subject Matter for Dummies template, there is now a book for LinkedIn For Dummies that walks a LinkedIn beginner from an account setup to someone who is advanced and wants to maximize the value of LinkedIn by using all the bells and whistles that come with the software that are not readily known.

Most people only tap into the very basics of LinkedIn and don't realize how valuable this tool is and what it can do to promote a business, help one land a position or be found for a position. This book leaves no stone unturned and will enable you to become a LinkedIn superuser/guru.

"Create your profile, make connections, and grow your network." That's what that triangle-faced little guy's message states on the cover of "LinkedIn for Dummies." As soon as you bend back the cover, there is a two-page cover-stock "Cheat Sheet" with tips on job searching, building your network, enhancing your profile and "general" tips for using the LinkedIn web site - effectively, safely and with courtesy.

I bought the book because a long-time business contact invited me to "link." Once linked, I had no idea of the new world that would open to this technologically deficient, print- and handshake-loving communicator. But to make the best use of any technology, one has to learn how to use it correctly. That's where "LinkedIn for Dummies" comes into play. In addition to learning the basics of setting your profile and getting connected, the sections on Growing and Managing Your Network and Using LinkedIn for Everyday Business are invaluable in today's marketplace.

"LinkedIn for Dummies" teaches all the ins and outs, the right ways and the wrong ways, and how to make the most effective use of the LinkedIn web site. So far, the Questions & Answers, and Group News & Discussion sections seem to provide the best research and marketing tools for online networking and marketing I've seen so far in cyberspace. (The reviewer is author of two books: Personal Publicity Planner: A Guide to Marketing YOU and Top Cops: Profiles of Women in Command.

It is by far the most entertaining easy to read and to use LinkedIn Manual your money can buy.
I had an account at LinkedIn for a while, but never realized the real potential of this personal and business networking tool, until I bought and read Joel Elad's LinkedIn for Dummies.
As the book says in the beginning:¨you don't have to read it from cover to cover¨, and you don't!
It is written in such a manner that you can skip or move to the chapter which interests you more. Still, the more you read, the more excited you get of trying out all the new and cool things you learned in this extremely detailed manual.
For me, this is the book that uncovered the mystery LinkedIn can seem to be at first sight.

This book is the bedrock for my library of LinkedIn articles, write-ups and applications. The material is easy to follow and so comprehensive for beginners - I have lent this book to many of my LinkedIn newbie friends.

For someone who's new to LinkedIn, this would be a really good book. It covers all the ins and outs of the site and gives some really good tips on maximizing your personal profile and best practices for networking through LinkedIn. I definitely picked up a few nuggets. It also covered some lesser-known aspects (at least to me) of LinkedIn like the suggestions in the last chapter, "Miscellaneous Uses for LinkedIn."

However, the primary reason I bought the book was to learn how to best manage a COMPANY profile (rather than an individual profile) on LinkedIn. This book was woefully lacking on that subject. In fact, it was never mentioned.

Overall, it was a good book, it just didn't address the one thing I was specifically looking for.

Very well done, Joel.

Mr. Elad does an excellent job of explaining LinkedIn to the reader, from the beginner's steps of setting-up an account to sophisticated marketing and sales strategies. This is the second edition of LinkedIn for Dummies.

My perspective is that of a healthcare professional starting a business who is in need of a business-oriented (as opposed to healthcare-oriented) network.

I conceptualize LinkedIn in three different ways. 1) The creators have taken the abstract concept of business networking, codified it as an algorithm and then automated it as a web-based business application. Quite an achievement. It makes this process several degrees more efficient, and I hope more effective 2) It is about B2B (business-to-business) marketing, not B2C (business-to-consumer) with the individual as the focal point and ambassador for his company. Facebook and Twitter can be thought of as the B2C social media marketing archetypes. 3) It is about optimally linking skilled professionals with work opportunities

As well as being instructive about the nuts-and-bolts issues of operating LinkedIn, the book is full of practical advice and tips on how to use LinkedIn effectively. SEO for LinkedIn is addressed briefly, and the strategies are given for using LinkedIn to conduct marketing, sales and even seek-out investors (or, for venture capitalists, screen opportunities). Mr. Elad also gives advice on pitfalls to avoid. Very thorough.

As is so often the case with books that explain a facet of technology, they go out of date fast. The discussion of LinkedIn Service Provider Recommendations is out-of-date as LinkedIn has replaced it with "Skills"(beta) as of this writing. The user of LinkedIn will still need to hack around with it, and the online Learning Center is the best place to keep abreast of changes.

As an aside, because technology and especially social media sites change so often, I think books on technology should be kept online and up-dated constantly by the author, rather than be issued as hard copy. I spent a while trying to find the Service Provider Recommendations, as per Mr. Elad's directions, until I hacked into the Skills section.

A must-have reference for your bookshelf.

It's always dificult to be fair and objective when commenting upon someone's work. But here goes.
This book does it's best to explain the purpose of Linkedin and to expand and simplify it's processes BUT the author's language is still way too nerdish for members of the twilght generation / baby boomers / call them what you will.
I would suggest that all Dummies volumes are 'proofed' by someone aged 65 plus who has absolutely no knowledge or experience of the subject being covered, working in conjunction with the child who actually understands it.
Simon Lofts - 11th September 2011

Talk about step by step, this book does it. Easy to follow, and you can skip chapters if all you're looking for is help on a specific subject, without feeling lost.