Next #wclw writer chat Nov. 28: making the most of LinkedIn’s new features

If you haven’t visited LinkedIn lately, you’re missing out. The business-oriented social network is now 187 million members strong and has updated its look and feel to get people to visit more often.

That’s making it more compelling than ever for journalists and freelance writers to know how to use it to find people, follow the news, and prospect for assignments.

In October, I attended LinkedIn’s annual user conference and brought home lots of tips for getting the most out of the service. I’ll be sharing those tips in the this month’s WordCount Last Wednesday writer chat, which takes place Wednesday, Nov. 28, at 10 a.m. PT.

Use the hashtag #wclw to join me.

Getting More Out of LinkedIn

Among the biggest changes to LinkedIn is its revamped profile page. The service has also created Endorsements – a quick way to recognize other LinkedIn members’ expertise or skills – and made it easier to follow companies and other organizations you’re interested in.

I’ll be covering all of that and more on the Nov. 28 #wclw chat.

For the 60-minute chat, we’ll start with introductions, then move to a couple pre-set subjects. We’ll leave plenty of time for other questions and discussion.

Here are the subjects:

1. What writers should know about the new LinkedIn profile page
2. How to use LinkedIn to track companies and other organizations – including publishers!
3. What Endorsements and Recommendations are, and how to use them
4. What other resources LinkedIn offers writers and journalists

Join the #wclw chat

To join the #wclw chat, you need a Twitter account and free time from 10 to 11 a.m. PDT on Wednesday, Nov. 28. Use the hashtag #wclw to follow tweets related to the chat.

It’s possible to use the standard Twitter interface , but you might find it easier using a Twitter application such as TweetGrid, TweetChat or HootSuite. Of those three, my favorite is TweetChat, which you can log into using your Twitter account.

You might want to alert followers that you’ll be tweeting more than usual during the chat, and suggest they use Muuter.com to temporarily mute your tweets if they don’t want to tune into the conversation.

If you can’t join us, look for a complete transcript of the chat on Wednesday afternoon.

Got an idea for a #wclw chat? Would you like to participate as a guest speaker? Send your idea or bio to me at wordcountfreelance@gmail.com.

[Photo illustration by Michelle V. Rafter]