Beef Up your LinkedIn Profile and Practices for Better Networking
LinkedIn is a social network that is different from other platforms. Your marketing strategy should be different here, too.
While still a way to interact and connect while sharing articles, photos, and ideas, LinkedIn is a professional network with a completely different mindset than Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and similar platforms. Here’s how to make the most of your LinkedIn presence:
Start with a strong professional profile
A landing page, whether on your website or on LinkedIn, is where you make your first impression, so make sure it’s a good one. Fill out your profile completely and take time to make it attractive and memorable. This is an opportunity for you to showcase yourself and your business – like a giant advertisement about you. It’s also free advertisement. Use it well.
Reach out and network
You’re not standing in front of anyone. You don’t have to worry about what you’re wearing, how you sound, or how to keep a conversation going in the moment. This is professional networking without the ton of added instant pressure you get from being at an actual networking event. Make connections. Connect with people you know and let it grow from there. It’s okay to grow your circle (and your opportunities!) by reaching out to people with share interests, even if you don’t know them personally. Isn’t that what networking is about?
Be active on the platform
Sure, you can just create your profile, add your connects, and call it a day. Or you can spend time actually connecting with people. LinkedIn has a great publishing platform for sharing content as well as advertising opportunities for you to utilize. This is a place to start professional conversations which can translate into new connections, new clients, new sales, etc. Simply creating a profile is okay, but you will get out of it what you put in.
Join groups
Once you have built your strong profile, fleshed out your connections, and are actively participating, look for groups to join that are centered around your interests. These could be groups local to you, groups that involve your expertise, groups made for networking, and more. Consider groups further options to advertise yourself and make connections.
Regularly update your profile
It’s important to stay relevant. You may have started out with a great profile, but be sure you are going back at regular intervals to update it. Also, LinkedIn is constantly rolling out new features that can help you better market your business. When you go in and update your profile, you can see what the new tools are and take advantage of them if they work for you. This can include advanced applications, adding company profiles, setting up links to other social networks, and more.
The best chance you have at being recognized and noticed on LinkedIn is to use LinkedIn in an active way. The bare minimum is not enough to create new connections for you or market your business.
One of the best ways to learn how to use LinkedIn better is to check out what your competitors are doing so you can do the same – and better! While you’re at it, research their other social platforms and their website, too. If your online presence isn’t keeping up with the competition, it’s time for some professional help. The Sprocket team is standing by, so give us a call today to learn how we can help!
This article is an update to “5 LinkedIn Marketing Tips” dated 6/30/2016.
Photo by Anush Gorak
Breanne Bannon
Breanne is a Content Writer, Social Media Marketeer, and Sales Associate for Sprocket Websites.
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