What am I babbling about? Using LinkedIn to create “positioning” for yourself. Specifically through the answering of questions. Every book you read about using LinkedIn will mention how you should be going to the questions and answers section and answering the questions in the categories in which you specialize. Answer enough of them, and you’re sure to get some “Best Answers,” and begin to be known as an expert in your field. The challenge there is that too many people are trying to do the same thing, and many of them have hundreds of answers in numerous fields, and they come off looking like someone who does nothing but spend all day answering questions on LinkedIn.

Better idea: Get laser-focused (use the target audience info you gathered from Facebook – see the earlier tips), and only answer the questions in the fields that apply directly to what you want to specialize in and those that affect your target audience. Sure, you may have fewer “best answers” on your profile, but they’ll present the picture of an actual expert in your field. In addition, your target audience will see you as the person who is answering their questions – not everyone else’s, but theirs.

Best idea: This is the “advanced level” technique. Every question asked gives you the opening to “Reply Privately.” In effect, the asker has just told all of LinkedIn that they have an issue they need addressed, and they’d like to be contacted by someone who can give them the answer. Many times (not always), questions herald a Trigger Event – either one happening soon, or one that recently happened. Fire off a public answer (always provide value), but then ALSO reply privately with a little “something extra” and a (genuine) offer to help out (preferably at no charge).

Sometimes it’s appropriate to say something like: “I help a lot of people in situations similar to your own. I’d be happy to help you out as well (no charge!), but it’s difficult to advise you specifically without knowing the details, and I’d hate to steer you in the wrong direction by accident. If you’d like to discuss your specific situation, feel free to email me at…” Sometimes that’s seen as unwelcome solicitation – especially if the issue doesn’t really call for such detail – use discretion. You don’t want to be known as the person who spams every questioner.

If you do this correctly, what the question-asker sees is a person who has a reputation as an expert in this field taking the time to answer their question personally, and even offering some extra value, just because that’s what they do. Perhaps it turns into a sales opportunity right off the hop, perhaps not, but what it does do is connect you with a prospect who is either in the middle of, expecting, or just passing through a Trigger Event, and positions you as a helpful “expert resource” they can call upon (and/or refer to others).