When you initially hear the word “LinkedIn” there are many terms that may come to mind - professional, business, resumé, etc. It may not even be the first platform you think of when it comes to social media. However, the times have changed and with the ever-growing evolution of online platforms, it’s about time to put more focus on your LinkedIn account. In fact, the platform has over 575+ million users with more than 260 million monthly active users.
Linkedin has been supporting its users for a longer time period than Facebook - the largest social networking site in the world today. Those looking to network and develop business connections know that LinkedIn is the best professional social networking site. Needless to say, if you don’t have a profile yet, now is the time to make one.
We’re back with our eWNSocial Advantage team to show you just how beneficial LinkedIn can be when trying to excel and transform your career.
Optimize Your Profile
LinkedIn is just like any other social media platform in that you have to set up your own profile page. The only difference to keep in mind is that, here, you’re sharing your skills, qualifications, achievements, and praises versus food photos or status updates on how your family is doing. It’s quite simple in the sense that the more effort you put into your profiles, the more you will get out of it.
Make sure that your profile is complete by filling in as many categories as possible. This will give potential business connects the chance to see the bigger picture before getting to know you. You want to use search-friendly terms or keywords during the process (think SEO for this part) to help others find you more easily. Remember to avoid jargon - terms that may not be familiar to the average person not in your industry. Instead, make sure to explain it in industry-standard language.
For even more optimization, connect your profile with other social media platforms, such as your Facebook and Twitter accounts. This will not only help you appear more credible but drive traffic to your other sites.
Start Networking
This is where the primary purpose of having a LinkedIn account comes in - to build professional networks. Networking allows you to establish new relationships, gain exposure for you and/or your brand, and elevate your career with opportunities. The platform allows you to connect with individuals from all over the world in many different industries, so use it to your advantage. As you add new connections be open-minded as you never truly know where a connection may take you.
Start off by connecting with your previous and current employer(s), colleagues, and friends. You can also connect your profile directly with companies that you have worked for to add credibility. Then, start connecting with all your educational institutes. This sets up a solid foundation for future connections and increases your exposure to others in your area and industry. Finally, follow companies you are interested in or that are relevant to your industry.
Remember to always be friendly and professional when connecting with others. Through these connections, you are able to be involved in events, job board postings, and other things that may be beneficial to know. It’s also good to reply promptly to messages.
Join Professional Groups
LinkedIn offers many professional groups on all types of topics across the world and in different industries. Start by joining one or more groups and begin contributing to the discussions posted within. This is your opportunity to showcase your knowledge and expertise to potential connections. It can help you keep up to date with advancements in your field and, also, grows awareness of your brand to audiences you may not have been able to reach otherwise.
If you’re wondering how these groups are useful for your business, we hope the following reasons can convince you of its importance and power. First, instead of building huge public pages, more and more businesses are creating niche closed communities. This allows only serious and rich information to flow in thus benefiting your knowledge. And second, LinkedIn groups have powerful community management features that are not available on other social media platforms. You can send an admin announcement email to your members once a week - like a newsletter instead of an app notification.
We suggest this for any social media platform you create a profile on. If you’re not active, you can’t fully reap all the benefits. There are simple and effective ways you can stay active, such as creating posts in groups or on your own profile (much like a status update). You can link and share interesting articles you’ve found, write your own blogs/articles on relevant topics to share, and post professional questions to get a conversation started. Staying active will help boost your exposure and, overtime, market your own worth to show people the expertise you have to offer.
In conclusion, LinkedIn is more than a social media platform to post your resumé in hopes of getting a job. It’s a revolutionary tool that can help elevate your personal growth and career. Take some time to implement these tips into your account and look into more about the site. It’s always good to stay updated with new features to maximize your opportunities, as well. As always, if you have any other tips about LinkedIn, tag us on social media so we can share!
and then Add to Home Screen.
