LinkedIn’s Answers is a valuable tool for both finding answers to your professional and industry questions as well as a way to showcase your expertise. Once you’ve created your LinkedIn profile, you can begin to delve into it along with other LinkedIn features.

Using LinkedIn’s Answers Feature

Under the More tab in the Nav Bar at the top of LinkedIn.com, you’ll find the Answers option.

After selecting Answers in the drop-down menu, you’re redirected to the Answers Home Page.

You now have the option to Ask a Question or Answer Questions that other LinkedIn users have posted.

• To answer a question, choose from the suggested categories presented to you on the Answers Home Page (as seen above) or click on Answer a Question to see the full category list.
• When asking a question, be sure to select the appropriate category for your question from the provided list before posting.

Using LinkedIn to Showcase your Expertise

As you read through relevant industry questions and determine which questions you’ll answer, you’ll notice that the name (with a link back to their profile) and headline of the member providing the answer, is located to the left of the answer.

Having your name and headline prominently displayed increases your visibility beyond just your established Connections. Your answers will appear on your profile and as an update on the home pages of your Connections, too. Also, the LinkedIn member who posed the question has the option to designate a “best answer” from those given once s/he decides to close the question. Each “best answer” designation earns you 1 LinkedIn expertise point. LinkedIn recognizes those who are deemed category “experts”, and the more expert points you receive, the higher up you’ll be positioned on the LinkedIn category expert lists (seen at the bottom of each category page).

Spending just a few minutes a day, a few times a week, answering questions on LinkedIn could be very professionally-beneficial for you.

Have you ever asked or answered a question on LinkedIn?