LinkedIn is one of the few social media sites that allows you to back up your business contacts. Learn how to export your contact information so you can create a backup of this important business data.

• Before You Start: You have a LinkedIn profile and connections (people in your network)
• Learning Level: 4 | Creating Solutions
• Article Last Updated: Monday, August 22, 2011

Export Your LinkedIn Connections

LinkedIn allows you to make a backup of your online business connections. This means that you can safeguard this valuable business data by having a backup on your computer. You can also use this information in other ways for your business. For example, you can import your LinkedIn connections to your email address book.

Before you export your LinkedIn connections, decide what you will do with them. This may change the export file format you choose. For example, if you only want to save the information, you could use any CSV file because you can open that kind of file with a spreadsheet. If you want to import your contacts into an email address book or other contact manager, find out the file format it requires.

To export your business connection contact information:

1. Log in to LinkedIn and display your connections.
2. At the bottom of the list, click Export Connections.
3. Choose the file format.
4. Type the verification code. (This is a security measure that makes sure a person and not a computer program is downloading your contact information.)
5. Click Export.
6. LinkedIn creates the file.
7. Choose Save File.
8. Your browser may ask you to select a file save location, or may save the file to a predetermined location.

If you want to import the connections, LinkedIn provides instructions for several email programs. If your email program is not listed here, refer to the instructions for your program.

Your turn: Have you used the export feature in LinkedIn? How have you used this data within your business? Share your insights here.

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