In both our business and personal lives, etiquette holds lot of importance. However, on the Internet, the rules of etiquette tend to blur. The impromptu abbreviations and slang that we often use on social networking sites may not be the language that’s proper for the professional world. When you become part of the website LinkedIn it becomes even more important that you follow the rules of etiquette that define the world’s only professional networking site.

What makes LinkedIn so different from other networking sites is that people you are networking with can be your next boss or colleague, people who can make or break your career. So, all those good manners that you carry into your interview should be applied here. Of course, formal etiquette translates into more than “avoid Capital letters” or “do not spam.” Here are the top LinkedIn etiquette rules to help you make the most of your LinkedIn profile.

1. Presentation

Presentation translates into creating a polished profile. In the virtual world of LinkedIn, your profile is how you first appear to other people – your first impression. A crisp, polished profile is the same as a crisply ironed business suit. Upload a complete profile before you start networking. Incomplete profiles make bad impressions, like mismatched socks. Casual language will make a casual impression. Build your profile like your resume, putting your best foot forward. Your skills, assets, accomplishments – present everything clearly to make the best impression.

2. Networking Protocols

Unlike networking in other social websites, LinkedIn networking has its rules of conduct to follow. First of all, the purpose of LinkedIn isn’t to socialize. While your goal is to connect with professionals who you have worked with and those who want to work with or get help from, unsolicited networking requests are bad manners in LinkedIn. Network carefully, extend your handshake first to known people and then to unknowns, but selectively and with the help of your current connections.

Be polite in your requests to strangers. While people in a relevant field should not have any reason to decline your request, phrasing your request incorrectly can get you into trouble. Repeated requests or requests to people who are not even remotely related to your field or your friend circle are also no-nos. A “best practice” is to use your current network on LinkedIn and find one of your 1st Degree connections that is also connect to the individual you hope to connect with and ask your 1st Degree for an introduction.

If you are asking anyone to forward your profile to someone in his or her network, then remember your profile will reflect on your friend’s credibility as well. So, along with a good profile, word your request politely as well. Don’t lie or give false impressions. Networking with someone on the premises of sharing ideas and then trying to sell him or her product will be seen as bad form.

3. Social Etiquette

Of course, there is a social aspect to LinkedIn. Just like in any social gathering, there should be politeness, small talk and some give and take.  For instance, if someone recommends you, return the favor. If you are introduced to a new contact by someone, send a thank you message. Make a good impression with your entire network and it will automatically fetch you more good contacts.

Good manners also apply to handling requests and messages that are sent to you as well. If you receive a request from a known person that you do not want to connect with, you might not want to reject the request outright. Simply archive it. People tend to forget over time or understand that you do not wish to connect with them.

Similarly, if you are sent a networking request from a stranger from an unrelated field, reject the request with a polite message stating your reason. If a friend extends the profile of a third party contact that you do not want to entertain, reply to your friend stating clearly, but politely, why you are hesitant. However, if you get too many such requests from a known person, you might want to consider if your friendship is worth that hassle.

4. Don’t nag

LinkedIn is not like Facebook or Orkut, where people spend hours chit chatting. Professionals hardly get the time to spend on networking and they don’t like wasting time over unnecessary updates or messages. Since most people on LinkedIn have their daily updates mailed to them periodically, constant activity or buzzing people with profile updates hourly will definitely irritate your contacts. Try to limit your activity to once per day, and keep it professional.

5. Don’t Lie

You’ve heard it all your life, “don’t lie,” and that applies to LinkedIn too.  Even white lies and half-truths can come back to bite you. Just like in job interviews, it never pays to lie about your work history or skill. Since this kind of networking is without any boundaries, if at any point you lose the trust of any one of your contacts, it will filter down to all your contacts.

6. Read the fine print

In case you haven’t already, go through the User Agreement you accepted when you registered with LinkedIn. There are certain obligations on your part that LinkedIn expects you to follow and you should be clear about them. LinkedIn is not a market place where you can make a profit. It is more like a gathering of like-minded people where you can develop ideas. Understand the LinkedIn mission and you will be able to understand what is the right etiquette for such a place.

Remember, your online presence can be the first impression you make, so make it a good one! By following these steps, you’ll be on your way to connecting with those important people in your field.

Do you have other “etiquette tips?”  List them below.

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