As the number 1 social networking site for professionals, LinkedIn has proven to be a valuable channel to promote your business or career.
Business – LinkedIn helps establish new connections from potential clients and/or referral partners who can help expand your business.
Professionals – LinkedIn can help with employment opportunities by creating connections with other professionals and potential employers.
In order to enjoy these benefits and more, there are certain practices that you must employ in order to effectively use Linked In to your advantage.
Build a Great Profile Page
Your LinkedIn profile page is a resume and representation of your background. In order to impress and stand out, you need to ensure you spend enough time in building a great profile page.
The main areas to cover are:
- Professional Profile Picture – this isn’t Facebook so images of you and your cat a definite no no.
- Summary – Ensure you use keywords and phrases to make you ‘searchable’ when it comes to google.
- Experience – Relevant experience is key here. Your jobs during high school and university may not be required if you are now a CEO!
- Keep Your Profile Page Updated
Never make the mistake of creating a Linked In account and then leaving it as is. In order to attract possible connections, it is best to keep your profile updated. If you’ve just successfully completed a project then add that to your “experience” section. If you just opened a new branch of your business or added a new service, then post about that. All updates that relate to your business or career are worth adding to your LinkedIn Profile page.
Build Relationships through Connections
There are 300 million Linked In users presently, some of whom can prove to be extremely valuable when it comes to expanding your business or furthering your career. It’s important to look, find and connect with these people ensuring you are selective and these people are somehow connected to your line of work.
Remember – that this is not Facebook or Instagram, and a few, well-chosen connections can prove to be more valuable than a hundred which are not.
Join LinkedIn Groups
There are many groups in Linked In, and these groups are great communities to interact with members. When you join a group then be prepared to spend some time participating in discussions. You need to demonstrate your knowledge and capabilities through contributing to discussions.
Get Recommendations and Endorsement
Like in the physical world, recommendations and endorsements are also important in the virtual community of LinkedIn. These serves as a sort of referral that can help promote your business or expertise and thus open more possibilities for success. It is not always easy to get these, but it never hurts to ask a client or manager to provide you with a recommendation.
If you’d like to learn more about LinkedIn then please contact us about our 1-2-1 L