How To Actually Grow On LinkedIn as a Professional
Introduction
LinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It has over 500 million members and is overgrowing. LinkedIn provides a platform to build your professional profile, find jobs, network with other professionals, and more. Many people ask me how they can grow on LinkedIn, so I decided to share some tips that have helped me grow my profile.
Make your profile 100% complete.
LinkedIn is a professional network, so it's essential to have a complete profile. In addition, you want to show that you are the right candidate for the job or position. This can be done by ensuring all your information is up-to-date and accurate.
Your LinkedIn profile should include the following:
A professional photo of yourself. This is an opportunity for people looking at your profile to see your look, so make sure it's flattering!
Your current address, phone number(s), email address(es), website link(s), job title/position held (if any), years in this position (if applicable), industry sector type (e.g., healthcare provider; nonprofit organization)
Optimize your headline
Your headline is the first thing people will see when you post on LinkedIn. So it should be short and sweet so that it's easy to read. Try not to use more than ten words in your headline unless it's a lengthy description of your profession, for example, "Leadership Expert."
If you're still unsure about what makes a good headline, here are some tips:
Include keywords related to your job title or business niche (e.g., "Sales Manager") and make them bolder than other text in the same section of your profile so they stand out as headings that visitors can skim. This way, they'll know immediately what information they'll find on your profile page without having to read through all its contents first - making them more likely to click through!
Use action words like 'learn,' 'develop,' or 'share' instead of passive ones like "know" because these sound more inviting! Also, check out some examples below:
Turn your summary into your story.
To write a summary that's as good as you are, start with these three steps:
Think about what makes you unique. What has shaped your career? What have been some of the most important lessons you've learned along the way?
Please write it down as your story, not somebody else's. Refrain from cramming everything into one paragraph; if necessary, break up your summary into multiple sections (the same way LinkedIn does). This can make it easier for people to read and understand what's most important about you.
Make sure it's not too long or too short—but don't try to be cute with length by making it straightforward, either! People will appreciate having enough information about who they're reading about without getting bored or overwhelmed by detail after detail after the fact...
List your relevant skills.
List your skills in order of importance.
Include keywords and phrases that best describe the skills you have.
Make sure to have at least ten skills listed.
Choose a professional profile picture, but avoid selfies or silly faces.
Use a cover photo representing your brand, like an image of yourself working at home or on-site at an event.
Regularly post updates and share content.
Share content that is relevant to your industry.
Share useful, engaging, and relevant content with your target audience.
Share content regularly (daily, weekly, or monthly).
Keep it fresh, and only post promotional updates (a maximum of 10% of the total posts).
Include a clear call-to-action in each update so users can take action right away if they want to know more about what you have to offer them or their business.
Grow your network
Now that you've committed to growing on LinkedIn, it's time to start.
First, let's talk about how to grow your network. Start by connecting with people you know, your friends, family members, and co-workers—and then expand your network by clicking with people who are not yet part of your professional circles but whose experience or expertise can benefit you in some way.
Next, be sure to include people and brands in your growing list that might be of interest: journalists, news sites (like Inc.), company bosses (especially if they're well known), and influencers (not just celebrities). Finally, consider adding anyone who has valuable insight into a topic that interests you such as marketing or entrepreneurship--and then invite them!
Join groups and participate
Join groups that are relevant to your industry and interests. Participate in discussions and don't spam or post irrelevant content. Share ideas, ask questions, and be respectful of the other group members. Share your content or opinions on LinkedIn Pulse if you have something to say.
Follow influencers and companies you admire
Follow people who are relevant to your industry
Follow people who have a large following
Follow people who share content that is relevant to you or that you like
Follow people you'd like to be able to connect with
Don't be afraid to share!
Once you've got a few posts under your belt, that's when the fun begins. You can share your content on LinkedIn by uploading it directly to their platform. If you're looking for a bigger audience, posting in multiple groups (see below) is also an excellent option.
Share consistently: The best way to grow on LinkedIn is by sharing regularly and consistently—but not too much! Sharing too often may annoy some people, so be aware of that when creating your strategy.
Use hashtags: Hashtags are great for getting more visibility for your posts and connecting with other users with similar interests or goals. Try using them whenever possible so that others can find your content easily on the platform.
Post from your account: It's good practice not to post anything from an official company page unless it's something important like press releases or product announcements because people will see this as spamming them instead of engaging with valuable information provided by actual employees they know personally as opposed to some anonymous corporate entity trying to sell something at them (I'm looking at YOU @McDonalds!).
Write and publish articles.
Write and publish articles.
Publish on LinkedIn Pulse.
Use keywords in the title and content.
Use a catchy headline that will catch people's attention, then keep them reading by following it up with great content that solves their problem or answers their question as quickly as possible (this is called "creating intrigue").
The best way to do this is by using lists (bullet points) because they're easily digestible, but remember to break up your inventory with some subheaders. Hence, readers get an idea of what they'll get into if they continue reading past the first paragraph or two!
Send custom connection requests.
You should always be on the lookout for opportunities to connect with others, but only send connection requests if you have something to say. Only send a connection request if you want to communicate with someone or because they have many connections. You can use LinkedIn's advanced search tool to find people willing and ready to accept your request.
When you're sending them a message, what you're saying is relevant and compelling enough that they'll want to take this next step with you -- so remember the tools available in your messaging inbox!
You can grow on LinkedIn by following specific guidelines.
Here are some ways to grow your network on LinkedIn:
Use the LinkedIn search bar to find people. If you know someone who already works at the company, see if they have any recommendations or connections that could help you get in touch with others at the company.
For example, let's say you wanted to apply at Apple. One way would be to know someone who works there and ask them for their recommendation or introduction letter (if possible).
Another way would be searching for someone who already works at Apple and contacting them directly; this is how most people go about it since only some know someone already working at a particular company.
Make sure your profile is complete. Make sure all your information is up-to-date on all social media platforms because sometimes recruiters will check these before deciding whether or not they want to interview you!
Optimize your headline as much as possible so that recruiters notice it when browsing through profiles online—and make sure it contains keywords explicitly related towards the job role(s) they're seeking candidates who fit into such roles' descriptions."
Conclusion
How do you feel about LinkedIn? If you're like me, you might be skeptical at first. After all, it seems like an impersonal place to share your work—especially when compared with Facebook or Twitter.
But once I started using LinkedIn more and seeing how it helped my career growth, I couldn't believe I had waited so long before trying out this social media platform in the first place!
