LinkedIn profiles, how to use them, how to market yourself, how to network

linkedinsuit“A professional online presence is needed for – well, any kind of career opportunity, whether it be a new job, speaking engagement or collaboration” (Shin, 2014). LinkedIn has become one of the best ways to market yourself or find good people for your business. Taking the time to do all of the right things on LinkedIn can increase your online presence and help build your professional brand. People in all levels of employment, self-employment and recruitment are using LinkedIn today. This article will cover how to use LinkedIn profiles, how to market your LinkedIn profile and how to network your LinkedIn profile.

Since LinkedIn’s creation in 2003, it has grown to have over 300 million users. Unfortunately, all of its users do not use it to its full potential. Some reasons LinkedIn in not used for all it has to offer is that users may not know how it is used by others, they do not know what to use it for or do not see the point to do more than fill out the resume section. In today’s employment world most employers at least take a look at your LinkedIn profile. Some go even as far as hiring or not hiring based on what they find there.

Since LinkedIn has become so important to have a LinkedIn profile, one done right will only help you find what you are looking for or be found. A few simple things can help you use LinkedIn more efficiently. You should create a visual appealing profile, complete all of the sections provided, grow your network and stay active. Here we will cover creating a visual appealing profile, which is the easiest item to accomplish. More information on creating a visual appealing profile and the others can be found at (Shin, 2014) and (Doyle, 2014).

All you need is basic information to be part of the LinkedIn professional network. After your profile has been created it needs to be more appealing. The first thing to do is to take a professional looking headshot. The headshot should be taken from the sternum up. One of my professors in college, Dr. Caires, said “we do not like to see just a floating head”. Nest you need to fill in your headline with something creative. Besides your photo the headline is the first two things people see when they visit your site. You can use keywords or popular industry terms, but it should contain your current employment status for sure.

When you are done completing your profile, you need to market it to the world. You are your greatest advocate when it comes to getting the most out of what LinkedIn has to offer. There are few simple steps to follow to market your profile also. They consist of layering your keywords, stripping out the clutter, reintroducing your personality, add LinkedIn to your email signature and make sure you mention your other online artifacts. You can also take your marketing offline and make add your LinkedIn profile to your business cards or make what is called a LinkedIn T-shirt.

In the interest of keeping this short we will only cover layering your keywords. Further reading can be done at (Haden, 2011) and (Swallow, 2013). If you are unaware, keywords are how you get found on LinkedIn. First your headline should have the most important keywords in it. After you are done with the headline move down your site and fill in the rest. Do not confuse most searched with most important. Some search engines can detect overuse of keywords. This overuse is called “stuffing”. Stuffing is defined as “cramming as many instances of a phrase into your site as possible in hopes of achieving a higher ranking” (Elad, 2014).

In addition to marketing your LinkedIn profile it needs to be networked. Some people refer to your how many connections you have to be a Connectability Quotient or CQ. In order to increase your CQ you can join groups, connecting with people you know and also people they know. To increase your CQ offline, you can attend live events, help others find opportunities or answer questions.

Linkedin_boomObviously the simplest way to grow your network is to connect with people you know and trust. Once that has been completed, you should join as many groups as you can. Groups are a great way to increase your CQ. Further reading can be done at (Canedella, 2013). These groups can be an extension of your associations. Some people start with groups they can easily associate with. For example, any school you have attended or graduated from most likely has a group. You can also join groups that you volunteer at, an organization you belong to, a place you work or a place you want to work.

You should not just join the group you should also be active and contribute to discussions taking place there. Unless you are very well-versed in the topic, you should be a fly on the wall at first. This allows you to avoid embarrassing comments or being proved wrong in front of people you are trying to impress. Most groups have rhetoric of how the conversations in the group flow and after you are aware of how they communicate you should be a successful participant.

In conclusion, LinkedIn is the greatest social media stage for everyone looking to network professionally. There are simple techniques to make your profile stand out and are very important. “Members with complete profiles are 40x more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn” (LinkedIn, 2013). Adding the appropriate amount of keywords in your profile will allow you to be found. You never know who you will meet while networking yourself. Get your LinkedIn profile completed today!

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 References

Canedella, M. (2013, July 30). Networking. Retrieved from How to Build and Nurture a LinkedIn Profile Network: http://www.theladders.com/career-advice/how-to-build-nurture-linkedin-profile-network

Doyle, A. (2014, May 21). About.com. Retrieved from How to Use Your LinkedIn Profile as a Resume: http://jobsearch.about.com/od/networking/a/linkedinprofile.htm

Elad, J. (2014, February 16). For Dummies: Making Everything Easier. Retrieved from How to Beef-Up Your LinkedIn Profile to Market Yourself: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-beefup-your-linkedin-profile-to-market-your.html

Haden, J. (2011, December 13). Inc.com. Retrieved from 6 Steps to a More Marketable LinkedIn Profile: http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/how-to-market-yourself-with-linkedin-profile-6-steps.html

LinkedIn. (2013, October 17). How to Network on LinkedIn. Retrieved from Get connected and get your career going: http://university.linkedin.com/content/dam/university/global/en_US/site/pdf/TipSheet_NetworkingonLinkedIn.pdf

Shin, L. (2014, June 26). Forbes. Retrieved from How To Use LinkedIn: 5 Smart Steps To Career Success: http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2014/06/26/how-to-use-linkedin-5-smart-steps-to-career-success/

Swallow, E. (2013, September 9). Open Forum. Retrieved from 8 Creative Ways to Promote Your LinkedIn Profile: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/8-creative-ways-to-promote-your-linkedin-profile/

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