When we think of LinkedIn and any social media application, we of people we can connect with and start to build a relationship with. We do not necessarily think about ourselves and what we put on our profiles. I commonly hear “Well I do not want that out there” or “I worked there so long ago, why does it matter.” It does matter. In the social media relationship building arena, it is important to be wide open and tell about yourself. Now if you worked at KFC for 2 months in high school that might not be too important to have up there however, if you were like me and worked a part time job for 15 years this would be information to be included.
Getting true value from LinkedIn and taking advantage of all its offerings will allow you to:
1. Increase Visibility through Connections. Joining groups, taking part in discussions with value driven content goes a long way in building relationships.
2. Improve Search Engine Page Rank. LinkedIn profiles generally rank on the 1st page.
3. Assist with Job Search. Using the advanced search tool to find people in your industry and connect with them. Maybe their company is hiring?
4. Research A Company. Again using the advanced search tool you can do some back end research on a company that you are interviewing with or considering doing business with. Be sure to uncheck “Current Companies Only” so that you can have access to prior employees. They always provide the best information about a company (unless disgruntled).
5. Get Help. Asking questions on LinkedIn is a great tool that saves a lot of time researching yourself and you get quality answers from other members.
LinkedIn is a tool that is widely underused. Be sure to complete your profile, update your status, ask and answer questions, share articles that you write or find interesting that will add value to your group or network of connections.
How are you getting the most out of LinkedIn?
photo credit: Mario Sundar