The LinkedIn Feature You Aren't Using

If you have any interest in benefiting from social media, you probably have a LinkedIn account. If you have a LinkedIn account, you probably field invitations from people who want to "connect" with you. Perhaps you even start group discussions and search for prospective clients. But chances are, you aren't using it to its full advantage.

I say this because of a recent presentation I gave on social media where I was surprised to learn that most of the audience didn't know about one of the most powerful functionalities of LinkedIn: the Events feature. It allows you to send an email announcement to the hundreds of connections you have in your network. Here's the best part: it gets through their SPAM filters.

All you have to do is click the "More" link at the top of the page and select "Events." From there, click the "Create an Event" button and follow the steps to promote your event to all of your connections. Since most LinkedIn users have set up their accounts so that they receive an email whenever there is an invitation or event, your notice will go straight to their inbox.

So, the next time you're speaking on a topic, use LinkedIn to share your event with your business community. Your local contacts may choose to attend while the rest are reminded of your expertise. It's an "inviting" way to promote yourself without looking like a self-promoter.