How to use LinkedIn’s address book feature
LinkedIn’s “address book” feature lets you store personal information about your contacts
As a footnote to my previous post about expanding your LinkedIn network, I’d like to show you a little-known tool that LinkedIn provides for you to keep track of all of your contacts in an address book “in the cloud.” Although LinkedIn doesn’t promote this as one of its primary features, I think it’s a neat way to store personal information such as addresses, second phone numbers, or any other information about your contacts you might need quick access to.
Your connection list – a cloud-based address book
LinkedIn address book (click for larger view)
If you open your connection list, you’ll see a link, “View & edit details,” below each of your contacts’ names.
Click on the link and a window opens up, creating an area for you to put additional information about your contact.
You will find several fields in which to put information such as addresses, additional phone numbers, websites, email addresses, birthday, and other personal information. Some of the fields will already be populated, based on what your contact has already provided in his/her profile.
LinkedIn address book details (click for larger view)
As you continue to network with people, online or offline, you’ll find the Contact Notes field helpful. I like to make notations of how I met the person; maybe any details about mutual interests, or other personal information. Sometimes I will put his/her Twitter username here.
Get rid of the cumbersome business cards
Why save all those business cards you collect from everyone? Put everything from the cards right here. The information you put into your “address book” is not visible to anyone but you.
Now if LinkedIn just made this feature available on its mobile apps we could immediately access this information from our phones, and eventually rid our wallets and purses of all those business cards we’ve accumulated over time.
Do you use LinkedIn’s address book feature? What other information do you put here to help you remember your contacts?
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[...] As a footnote to my previous post about expanding your LinkedIn network, I’d like to show you a little-known tool that LinkedIn provides for you to keep track of all of your contacts in an address book ‘in the cloud.’ Although LinkedIn doesn’t promote this as one of its primary features, I think it’s a neat way to store personal information such as addresses, second phone numbers, or any other information about your contacts you might need quick access to. Read more on Addressbook [...]
Very helpful post Faye. Of all the LinkedIn features, how did I miss this one? I’m assuming there is a notes section, which would be so helpful to Job Seekers and Networkers, so they are able to remember past actions with their contacts. Thanks for posting.
Thanks Brent, I really love this feature and use it all the time. I just don’t think many people know about it. Yes, you are correct, the last field is the Contact Notes section where you can put any tidbit of information you want. It really helps remind you of people you meet in passing, but may rarely see on a regular basis. After 500 connections I sometimes forget how I met a particular person! Thanks so much for your comment.
[...] How to use LinkedIn's address book feature | Frankly Faye [...]
That is a great tip! Like Brent, i as well did not notice that ability. My goal (never successfully achieved 100%) is to note on the back of a card I received some of the details you mentioned. I would then transfer this into Outlook but didn’t know it could be done in LinkedIn.
Does anyone know, will this information import into or extract out of LinkedIn? And what is compatible or not?
Also, if it all in LinkedIn, is it searchable?
Hey David, good questions. I’m not sure, but I think this is all you get with the basic LinkedIn subscription. There is something called a Profile Organizer that comes with the upgraded subscription but I’m not sure what you can do with it since I only have the basic LinkedIn subscription.
I would love to hear more about what you can do with the Profile Organizer from those who have an upgraded account.
[...] are always changing, and sometimes it’s a challenge to try to keep up with the changes. In a previous post I showed you how to use LinkedIn’s address book feature. Meanwhile LinkedIn added a new [...]