Seven LinkedIn Buzz Words

So you are on LinkedIn, now you just need to get past all the buzz words.  My hope is that by providing a short explanation of each of these terms it will allow you to speed up your success curve with LinkedIn.

So here they are:

1st Degree, 2nd Degree and 3rd Degree

·         1st degree connections – These are your trusted friends and colleagues who have sent/received and accepted an Invitation to connect. You can reach these people by sending a direct message through LinkedIn. Generally, these are people you know from current or past employment, school or past collaboration. They are known as “My Connections” in your “Settings” and are sometimes referred to as direct connections.

·         2nd degree connections – People 2 degrees away. These are the trusted friends and colleagues of your 1st degree connections. You can reach them through an Introduction or InMail. They are considered part of “My Network” in your “Settings”.

·         3rd degree connections – People 3 degrees away. These are the trusted friends and colleagues of those who are 2 degrees away. You can reach them through an Introduction or InMail. They are considered part of “My Network” in your “Settings”.

In-Mail

InMail allows you to send messages directly to LinkedIn users you couldn’t reach before. It allows you to contact or be directly contacted by 2nd or 3rd degree contacts as well as LinkedIn users who are not in your network. It is not necessary to send InMails to members who are 1st degree connections or members of the same group. You can communicate directly to these members at no cost by using the “Send message” link in the upper right area of the member’s Profile.

Introductions

Introductions are LinkedIn messages that allow LinkedIn members to contact or to be contacted through shared or mutual connections. Connections can introduce you to anyone in their network by forwarding an Introduction message through a chain of their trusted professionals. LinkedIn users who are two degrees away from one another can be introduced by a shared connection. The shared connection would forward an Introduction to their 1st degree connection on your behalf. Introductionsexpire after 6 months if they are not responded to by the receiver.

Recommendations

Recommendation is a comment written by a LinkedIn user to advocate a colleague, business partner, or provider of a professional service including service providers who are not LinkedIn. Below are some of the benefits of getting recommended:

1.      Helps you hire and get hired.

2.      Helps to find customers and partners for the services you provide and need.

3.      Builds reputation and strengthens your relationships.

4.      Makes your network more valuable to everyone in it.

Open-networker

People who are part of OpenNetworker are people who know the incredible value of being open to new opportunities and new connections.  OpenNetworkers do not turn down any connection invites.  By being a part of OpenNetworker you can subscribe to be part of a distribution list to grow you connections.

LION

Linked In Open Networker is a member of the business-oriented social networking site LinkedInwho positively encourages connections from any other member, whether or not they have had a previous business relationship. The abbreviation LION is used, and is usually placed somewhere in the profile page.

Toplinked

Toplinked is the sister group of OpenNetworker.  By listing Toplinked, LION, or OpenNetworker in your profile you invite others to send you connection invites.  These people find you by doing searches on Social Platforms and you in turn show up in search results.

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