LinkedIn is one of the best tools to promote yourself online, as you look to nurture and propel your career. In conjunction with this, it opens up dialogue between professionals, allowing them to share views and skills, alongside a great way to promote your business or bring new talent to your team if you’re a business owner.
Why is LinkedIn Important for Professionals?
Although there are over 690 million users on LinkedIn, it can be difficult to actually quite understand the importance of the platform, especially for individuals… so, what is it useful for?
Grow your Professional Recognition & Job Opportunities
Like all other social media platforms, your profile is customisable, allowing you to express yourself and your professional career. Within your profile, you can also include your education, qualifications, and past & present job roles. These areas can help you stand out to your connections, as well as to those further afield who are looking to recruit staff with relevant qualifications or experience- this means that your LinkedIn profile will almost become your online CV, showcasing who you are. It’s very common for employers to search for your LinkedIn profile during the recruitment process for a role you have applied for, as its gives a further insight into your professional life.
Networking
As previously mentioned, there are over 690 million users, spread across 200 countries around the world, of which there will be thousands upon thousands of users in your sector which you will find benefit from being connected with- this could be through finding a cheaper supplier or even procuring a new product or service.
Like other social media platforms such as Facebook & Instagram, LinkedIn will start to suggest profiles that are relevant to your interests through the use of its algorithm. You should use this algorithm to your advantage, as it will support you in the search to grow your network and professional opportunities.
How to Boost your Profile on LinkedIn
Here are some ways you can enhance your LinkedIn profile:
Upload an appropriate Profile Picture & Banner
You may think this would be a fairly obvious starting point for any LinkedIn user, however, there are so many users without a profile picture on LinkedIn, which could stop your peers from finding and connecting with you. Make sure that your photo is clear, professional and you’re smiling- this will help you come across as approachable to any potential connections.
Your banner should also be professional, and focus on branding either yourself or your organisation. Some example banners to showcase this may include a professional photograph of your work space, a city landscape- this can be the location you work from and helping potential connections identify the region you’re in, something to show off the industry you operate- for example, if you work within Procurement a picture of professionals negotiating can do the trick.
Create a personal URL
When you create a LinkedIn profile, you will be assigned a line of numbers to your URL that with personalise your profile. This can look messy when sending the URL of your profile to potential new connections, but this can be changed to create a more professional look.
Follow these steps:
· Go to your profile
· Click ‘Edit public profile & URL’
· Click ‘Edit’ under the ‘Edit URL’ section
· Choose your desired URL
· Save
Take Advantage of your Headline
Your headline goes underneath your profile picture, however, the first 40 characters appear whenever you post or comment, or when someone hovers over your name, so it’s important you make this as clear as possible. For example, if you’re looking for a new role, you can take advantage of the headline by inserting “Looking for new job opportunities”, in your headline.
Most users with a great headline section it using the “|” character- also known as a bar. These are a great visual cue to tell the reader that one piece of information is finishing and another is starting, whilst keeping it short and precise at the same time.
Share your Organisations Updates & Posts
Although you may consider your profile ‘yours’, it is still important to provide your connections with updates from your employer. This will show that you’re proud to represent your current organisation and want to spread the word about the great work they’re achieving, whilst staying active and getting your name in the faces of your connections at the same time.
Stay Active on LinkedIn
As briefly touched on in the above tip, it’s important to stay active on the platform, whether that is sharing company updates, liking and commenting on connection job updates, or even getting involved with a popular discussion. This can help showcase your professionalism & spread your interests to your connections, whilst helping other users find like-minded individuals to connect with.
Request Recommendations from your Peers
On your LinkedIn profile, you can assign skills that you possess, but its important that you get colleagues to endorse these skills. This can help develop your profile, whilst attracting new connections, as you can start to offer more than just being another tally on the connection list for some individuals.
Need More Advice?
To find out more information about building and improving your LinkedIn profile, speak with one of your learning mentors.
