LinkedIn offers many options and ways to connect with other members
One option available is to allow Linkedin access to your personal address book, Linkedin will upload your contacts from several email providers, search for those profiles and suggest relevant connections for you. This is a way of adding more connections to your Linkedin Profile, but it has come under some discussion between Linkedin Members. It's completely up to you if you'd like to use this option, below I've looked in to the Pro's and Con's.
Related Post: Eight Top Tips to help you manage your LinkedIn Profile
Here’s how they do it
“When you import your address book, we'll upload detailed information about your contacts to our LinkedIn servers. We'll use this information to suggest relevant connections for you, to help you browse, search, and organize your contacts on LinkedIn, and for other uses explained in our Privacy Policy. If you're asked to enter your password, we'll only hang on to it for a moment to authenticate your account. We'll never email anyone without your permission.”
Pro's for Importing your Contacts to LinkedIn
If you’d like to know how to import your contacts to Linkedin, check out Linkedin’s article “Importing and Inviting your Email Contacts”
You will be connected to people you know directly from your address book
All the imported contacts receive your LinkedIn invitation via an email
You have the option to select who receives an invite from your Address Book
Con's for Importing your Contacts to LinkedIn
Many bloggers have different points of view on this topic, and it’s entirely up to you whether you’d like to do this, but before you make a decision, read a this blog by Brian Dunning, “Beware of Linkedin Invitations” it offers some great insight into this option and also this blog Who are those ‘People You May Know’ in LinkedIn’s suggested connections?, by The Social Marketing Diva.
There is a chance everyone in your address book will be sent more than one invitation to connect or create a profile on Linkedin
Linkedin will have access to your personal address book
If you don't follow the instructions clearly, you could end up sending Linkedin invitations to people you actually don't want to connect with; the ex girl/boyfriend still in your address book, your local Doctor, your Mum, child's primary school teacher or someone you had a falling out with.
What am I going to do...
I've decided not to import my address book, simply because I want invite people on my own terms, rather than uploading my Address book, as there maybe the odd one or two people in their I don't wish to add to my connections on Linkedin.
