For close to two decades now, you’ve surely been hearing how important it is to have and maintain a LinkedIn profile. There are a multitude of reasons to keep your LinkedIn profile, not only in existence, but as a functional online force. Its value spans way beyond the well known job-search and recruitment advantages; it can aid you with brand promotion and marketing, industry intelligence, and professional development, to name a few.
Keeping your experience up-to-date is just as important as building an expansive network of peers on the social media platform. Moreover, many busy executives may overlook the importance of maintaining relevance by actually being active and participating as a LinkedIn member.
Here we will explore some valuable tips and reminders, as well as the importance of staying relevant on the social platform.
Profile Basics
Modify your URL
While you may assume your profile is receiving regular searches, this may or may not be the case, depending on what type of position you hold. Although executives may receive more LinkedIn traffic than lower-rung counterparts, the LinkedIn platform is vast and competition is strong. One way to assure your name appears on frequent searches is to customize your URL. Luckily, this is not difficult, and basically consists of using your full name and job-title. If you have a common name, add your middle-initial and a degree acronym and/or job title. During the editing process, you will notice a “view profile” button which will allow you to observe how your profile looks to those in your network and beyond. Continue to fine-tune your settings until you are satisfied with how your profile appears to the public.
Stay Current
When you acquire a new skill, get a promotion, change jobs, achieve a new accomplishment, or earn a new degree, it’s imperative that you update your LinkedIn profile to reflect what’s new in your professional life. By staying current, you are allowing yourself to remain on the radar of groups that matter to you since your profile is immediately visible to members or companies you choose to follow.
Social Interaction
Post Daily
The only way for your professional online presence to remain fresh in the minds of your LinkedIn colleagues and connections is to be involved! Try to remember to post two status-updates a day; preferably one in the morning and one later in the day. Consider sharing an industry-relevant article you’ve read, even writing some of your own content on a subject you’ve been researching, or a simple update reflecting some exciting career news. It only takes a few minutes a day, can be done from any location, and is a perfect way to remain current and pertinent.
Stay in the Mix
When you finally begin posting status updates and articles, you will find satisfaction in seeing when your connections begin to comment, share, and “like” your content. Therefore, why not do the same for them? Not only may you learn something new from their subject matter, but you are also facilitating a new channel of communication. Remember to engage daily so as not to fade into the background.
Be a Joiner
LinkedIn has countless groups pertaining to an innumerable amount of industries, fields, and topics of all kinds. When first becoming an active LinkedIn member, it may seem logical to join as many as you can. After all, the more involved you wish to be in your platform, the more groups you should join, correct? Well, this is not entirely accurate. In fact, the whole point of joining groups on LinkedIn is to participate and have something valuable to offer; and it’s not likely you will be able to offer a worthwhile contribution if you join more than you can realistically handle. Instead, try choosing a maximum of five LinkedIn groups to which you know you are capable of being actively involved.
Reach Out
There is no doubt you have an excellent network of followers who encompass talent from all ends of every industry relevant to you right now. However, don’t become too complacent by failing to reach out to new members. Take a look at LinkedIn’s “People You May Know” feature, and put it to use. Follow members strategically through groups you’ve become active in, and utilize search options to locate people in your own area as well.
In 2019, every executive knows they must be involved in social media, with LinkedIn being the number one website of choice. However, in this age of networking, you are closing the door to limitless advantages, connections and opportunities by allowing your LinkedIn presence to grow stagnant. So, sign in today and be active!
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