LinkedIn is a professional social networking service with more than 433 million users, growing at a rate of 3 every second! Of this, 39 million are students and recent college graduates, and they’re the fastest growing demographic. Linkedin is the world’s largest professional network servicing talent in 200 countries and territories around the globe.
By building your LinkedIn network, you’re building your personal brand and opening up the door to a world of valuable connections.
Here are six best practices on how to build your brand on Linkedin.
- Profile Picture
Showcase a professional photo of yourself that would be acceptable on a business card or networking event forum. Profiles with photos receive 40% more attention. Think of how you would represent yourself in a face-to-face sales meeting and upload the appropriate photo.
- Describe your job beyond its title
Underneath your name is the headline. It’s the first thing people will look at after your photo and comes up with your name in search hit lists. Some job titles are difficult to understand making what you do a mystery. Think about how you can explain in simple terms, what you do to your peers and recruiters. (I.e. “managing sales teams that grow revenue through providing banking solutions to small business owners”)
- Summary & Experience
Linkedin isn’t a job board, so you don’t need to replicate your resume. Tell your story by showcasing how you can add value, and how you have delivered value to current and past employers throughout your career.
- Get Recommendations
Reach out to your colleagues, managers and if possible customers who are willing to advocate your skills. Guide them on what you would like them to focus specifically on so you remain in control of your brand. Be sure to reciprocate and write quality comments that help their brand to grow also.
- Vanity URL
Located at the bottom of the top section on your profile containing your name and headline is your vanity URL (web address). Use this as a smart addition to your business card and email signature. It encourages new connections by advising people you’re online.
- Post updates with links
Share interesting articles with your connections as a strategy to stay in touch and regularly add value. This functionality is another way to help keep your relationships with your connections secure, especially if you don’t see them often. Even more engaging could be a blog post that showcases your expertise across a certain topic, which invites your connections to engage with you in a more meaningful way.
Want to keep this as a reference? Click here to print off these tips in a handy cheat sheet.
