Here’s the hard truth: You’re wasting your time on LinkedIn if you don’t know how to use it correctly. And if you don’t have a LinkedIn account, you might be missing out on what may be the largest professional network to ever exist.
With more than 90 million professionals and one new person joining every second, LinkedIn is a vital resource in the small business community. Many companies are using LinkedIn as a recruiting tool to find new employees and people in professional services industries are using Linkedin as a way to promote themselves and display their skill set and experience on their profile. In the midst of all of the clutter of professionals online, the question is: How do I separate myself from all of the competition on LinkedIn and drive more traffic to my page?
1. Take part in LinkedIn answers- If you weren’t aware, LinkedIn has its own Q&A section, where professionals can ask questions to the LinkedIn community. If you answer a question correctly, the person who asked the question has the ability to mark your answer as the “best answer.” If you start getting a lot of “best answers” then you have the ability to become an expert on Linkedin. When you answer questions correctly, others will start to view you as a valuable resource in your field.
2. Update your Status- If you have a Twitter handle, link your Twitter account to your Linkedin profile so that anytime you Tweet it updates your status on LinkedIn. The benefit of doing this is increased visibility to your connections because your update will appear in your connections’ newsfeed. If you don’t have a Twitter account be sure to update your status regularly so that it has the same effect.
3. Participate in Groups- Participating in groups is a great way to network with the business community. Join groups in the same industry you are working in and participate in discussions to meet new people in your industry. Many people will ask questions to other professionals in their industry looking for help or someone to go to for advice on a certain subject. By contributing to discussions in groups you are likely to make new connections and draw more visibility to your profile.
4. Optimize your Profile with Keywords- It is important to fill your profile with keywords that pertain to your job title or industry because other individuals will be using the LinkedIn search function to find talent. For example, if you’re in public relations, even if your job title is account executive, your headline on LinkedIn should be “Account Executive| Public Relations” so that your profile is optimized for both someone who is searching for the account executive position or public relations. The goal is to be in the first page of the search function for your job title. By doing this, you will likely get more profile views than the rest of the professionals on LinkedIn.
Whether you are looking to hire or looking to become more visible to the hiring community, these simple steps will help increase your exposure to the Linkedin community. Send me any notes or comments you have about your LinkedIn success below so we can share them with our other small business owners.
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Thanks for your LinkedIn tips Benji. I have used my LinkedIn account sparingly because it, along with facebook and twitter, seems like more busy work to an already busy workday as a self-employed person. I know that these networks can be great sources to feed a client pipeline but as of yet I tend to view them as a pile of paperless paperwork. Your tips, along with my resolve in 2011 to better use LinkedIn, should help change my bad attitude.
In Hoc,
Rob
Rob,
I’m glad you found my blog post useful. As a self employed person, LinkedIn is a great way to get exposure to your business. If have you any specific questions on LinkedIn or how to use it more effectively- feel free to contact me at benji.hyam@vistage.com. .
Thanks for your LinkedIn tips Benji. I have used my LinkedIn account sparingly because it, along with facebook and twitter, seems like more busy work to an already busy workday as a self-employed person. I know that these networks can be great sources to feed a client pipeline but as of yet I tend to view them as a pile of paperless paperwork. Your tips, along with my resolve in 2011 to better use LinkedIn, should help change my bad attitude.
In Hoc,
Rob
Rob,
I’m glad you found my blog post useful. As a self employed person, LinkedIn is a great way to get exposure to your business. If have you any specific questions on LinkedIn or how to use it more effectively- feel free to contact me at benji.hyam@vistage.com. .
Nice post Benji. The Q and A section is a great idea!
Thanks, i’ll have more posts coming soon.
Nice post Benji. The Q and A section is a great idea!
Thanks, i’ll have more posts coming soon.
Great “how to” blog, Benji. Point #2 was one I have not seen people emphasize as much as the others though it makes perfect sense. It is a multi-purpose strategy too, since inevitably you will also get more people to follow you on Twitter as well.
Agreed Twitter is a great tool for business. I have found it more useful than most other social media platforms, at least in the business community. A combined effort on LinkedIn and Twitter definitely will help get your name out there.
Another great way to build your following on Twitter is by using the program tweet adder.
Great “how to” blog, Benji. Point #2 was one I have not seen people emphasize as much as the others though it makes perfect sense. It is a multi-purpose strategy too, since inevitably you will also get more people to follow you on Twitter as well.
Agreed Twitter is a great tool for business. I have found it more useful than most other social media platforms, at least in the business community. A combined effort on LinkedIn and Twitter definitely will help get your name out there.
Another great way to build your following on Twitter is by using the program tweet adder.
Yes. This is good stuff. I wrote some prescriptive steps to optimize your LinkedIn profile that some of you interested may enjoy. Feel free to use it! http://julesmontgo.com/category/job-search-tips/
I enjoyed reading your post- definitely some good pointers.
Yes. This is good stuff. I wrote some prescriptive steps to optimize your LinkedIn profile that some of you interested may enjoy. Feel free to use it! http://julesmontgo.com/category/job-search-tips/
I enjoyed reading your post- definitely some good pointers.
I just finished my newest blog post on why every business professional needs a Twitter account- will post on Tuesday.
I just finished my newest blog post on why every business professional needs a Twitter account- will post on Tuesday.
Pingback: Twitter: Why Everyone In Business Should Have One | Small Business Buzz Blog - Vistage
Benji,
Thanks for remembering, this is great! I am sure that WC Bill Martin and Dean Lavallee would appreciate your information as well.
States
Benji,
Thanks for remembering, this is great! I am sure that WC Bill Martin and Dean Lavallee would appreciate your information as well.
States
Great stuff! Thank you!
Tony Beach
http://TheAutoSurfer.com
Where or who can give me more help to learn how to use linked and how to set it up other than the 12 steps I just read. I’m not a para-professional, I’m an Admin Asst-Support Secretary and don’t know if this is the place for me. I’m $30,000 – not $100,000 or even close…….so I’m unsure if I should do this. Could I get some feedback, please. Thanks!!
Paula,
Feel free to e-mail with any questions you have and I can try and help you. The 12 step checklist would apply to all jobs and all industries. E-mail: benji.hyam@vistage.com
A 7 month old blog post in the featured category? LinkedIn has changed much since then, do you think this is still relevant?
What are the parts you should fill in with relevant info? Hint: There are 5 of them.
It’s actually in the popular category and yes even though LinkedIn has changed this post is still relevant because the things suggested are still important. I’ve created a newer version of this article that lists the various parts of a profile that are important to fill out http://blog.vistage.com/social-media/linkedin-tips-a-12-step-checklist-for-optimizing-your-profile/