By: Anllelic Lozada, M.S.
Career Coach, Entrepreneur Mentor & Marketing Instructor
LinkedIn, which adds a new member every two seconds, is no longer something is “nice to have,” but necessary. If you have a resume, you need to be on LinkedIn. It’s that simple.
Your LinkedIn profile is your resume, business card and 30-second elevator ad in one.
If Facebook is where you connect with friends, LinkedIn is where your career or business is empowered.
Think about it: You would have to go to hundreds of networking events to create the number of connections possible to make on in the LinkedIn platform.
As the CEO of LinkedIn said, “Create a full profile and connect with people you trust. Because if you connect with those people and other people are looking for those people, you also have the chance to be found.”
Then I will show you how to maximize your LinkedIn profile to increase your visibility, be found and develop professional relationships … all in one place.
7 tips to maximize your LinkedIn profile
1. Join groups with common interests.
LinkedIn allows us to be even more connected to people who have an interest in common … from around the world. Joining professional groups allows you to contact group members directly without being a direct contact, and gives you more credibility when you contact them. Belonging to a group also allows you to have access to and contribute to discussions directly related to your industry and interests, helping to position yourself as an expert.
2. Use a professional photo.
According to studies, image is 20% -25 % of impressing a person. On LinkedIn, you have 20 seconds to grab the attention of the person who visits your profile. It’s not just enough to have a professional-looking photo; an image that is professional and matches your personal brand is more important.
3. Create a single link.
Maybe you have wanted to add your LinkedIn profile link to your cards or your resume, but you do not want to add a full link of letters and numbers. Something many do not know is that you can easily create a free single link to your profile within the account tools option. Mine is www.linkedin.com/in/anllelic.
4. Use keywords to help you be found.
As with a web page, keywords facilitate content searches on LinkedIn. If a recruiter is looking for candidates, or a contact an is looking for an expert, the words you use under your profile heading are the most important, because they are shown in the search results. Think of this header as a newspaper headline: you want to let people know what they are going to see inside, and be compelling enough to make them want to know more about you.
5. Requests and offers recommendations.
I usually look at YELP! recommendations to choose a restaurant and even my dish. Similarly, recommendations on your profile automatically make you more marketable. The best thing is that over the years, you will retain these recommendations from colleagues, customers and managers who have worked with you. What is the best way to get referrals? Give them first, and then ask for recommendations to your contacts. Here is a secret: 10 or more recommendations give you more visibility in searches in LinkedIn.
6. Add visual demonstrations to your history.
Before, LinkedIn was static and only allowed you to include text in your profile, but with the recent updates, you can now include images that suit your personal brand, such as a background picture, links and your professional history in each position you held – a portfolio, photos, drawings and presentations. Remember, it is better to SHOW THAN TO SAY.
7. Be active in posting content.
A few months ago, LinkedIn opened up the opportunity for anyone to publish content, which was previously only available by invitation. This opened the doors to your field of knowledge to be distributed to your network of contacts – and you certainly should have many in your industry who would be interested in your content. Distribution also allows people outside your network to see your content for FREE. Although your resume and LinkedIn content should be constantly updated, the resume should be more focused on the job you want and your LinkedIn content can be more creative in the way you want to enhance your professional experience and work history.Whether you have a web site or blog, think of LinkedIn as the foundation of your personal brand online.Also, remember that although you may not need a network now, you may need it later. It is better to start creating it before you need it.Now I ask you: Are you getting the most out of your LinkedIn profile? Do you feel like you aided LinkedIn by connecting with people who can help you to enhance your career? Do you still lack conviction about the usefulness of the platform? Share your comments below. I promise I read them all and reply.
