LinkedIn’s recent U-Turn on YOUR contacts makes this important. Here are 2 important things you must be aware of and do something about if you want to work smarter with your LinkedIn account.

This may have passed you by but a few days ago LinkedIn changed the way it allowed us to download a copy of OUR contacts from its platform. This caused an entirely understandable, furious response from ‘Members’ which resulted in a humiliating U-Turn by LinkedIn.

Whilst the immediate ‘Export Connections’ functionality has been restored, I thought it important to highlight 2 things for you:

  1. Do not use Linkedin as your sole or most important contact management system. Use the Export functionality to manage your contacts in your own software or service
  2. Make regular copied of your carefully crafted Professional Profile – including those valuable recommendations.

Here’s how:

Export YOUR Linkedin contacts to your own system

Exporting YOUR contacts from LinkedIn is simple again.
Click your Connections menu and hit the Gearwheel in the top right of your page and then – in the ‘Advanced Settings’ panel on the right of your screen click ‘Export Linkedin Connections’ and export to your preferred format. I suggest .CSV file format.
I’m not a fan of LinkedIn sync, but my CRM system does integrate Linkedin, which I find very useful.

Keep updated copies of YOUR LinkedIn profile in your own files.

Go to your Profile page. Click on the arrow to the right of the ‘View Profile as’ button underneath your photograph and select ‘Save to PDF’. This creates an editable PDF file on your computer.

I’m not knocking LinkedIn. I’m a fan and I have got business directly from my engagement on LinkedIn. I recognise though that its loyalty to its free riding ‘Members’ is fragile in the face of its own commercial drivers.