Course description

LinkedIn can bring you clients, referrals and job offers, but only if people can tell what you do and you know how to start the right conversations. This course shows you, step by step and in plain words, how to build a profile that says who you help, grow a network of the right people, write posts people read, turn genuine interest into calls and track what actually works, in a few hours a week.

It's a full course, not a quick tour. There are 10 sections and 50 written lessons. You follow a self-employed trainer through a 12-week plan: a new headline and About section, personal connection requests, two posts a week, a Company Page, a free online event, discovery calls and proposals, and a monthly review of her numbers. Her nephew's search for his first marketing job shows how the same skills work for a career. Every section has a worksheet, answers, a cheat sheet and ready-made planners, templates and workbooks.

What you'll learn

• Your profile: account security and privacy, a clear photo and banner, a headline and About section that say who you help, experience, skills and Featured work.
• Your network: who to connect with, connection notes that get accepted, groups and follows, and comments that get you noticed.
• Posts: content pillars, strong first lines, text, image, document, video and poll posts, writing about your work without breaking confidences, and a simple content calendar.
• Conversations: replying to comments, first messages that aren't a pitch, booking discovery calls and following up.
• Clients: Company Pages, online events, a clear offer, finding prospects within UK data rules, proposals, recommendations and referrals.
• Your career: a job-search profile, job alerts, tailored applications, recruiters, referrals, interviews and spotting job scams.
• Measuring: what your analytics do and don't tell you, tracking calls and clients, paid options in plain terms and a monthly review.

Who it's for

UK freelancers, consultants, sole traders and small business owners who sell to other businesses, plus anyone who wants LinkedIn to help their career. You can start with a brand-new or neglected profile, and everything works on LinkedIn's free features. It ends with a final project: a profile makeover, a 30-day network and content plan and your own results tracker.

What will I learn?

• Set up a safe, clear LinkedIn profile with a headline and About section that say who you help and how
• Grow a network of the right people with personal connection requests and thoughtful comments
• Plan and write posts in different formats that people read and respond to, without breaking confidences
• Start conversations in messages and turn genuine interest into discovery calls without a hard sell
• Decide whether you need a Company Page, and run a simple online event
• Shape a clear offer, find the right prospects within UK data rules and write short proposals
• Use LinkedIn for a job search: profile, job alerts, tailored applications, recruiters, referrals and spotting job scams
• Read your analytics, track calls and clients, review monthly and keep LinkedIn to a few hours a week

Frequently asked questions