How to get the most out of LinkedIn
If you’ve ever thought of hosting a panel discussion of industry leaders, organising a collaboration with another business, running events or hosting workshops then the people of the businesses you want to connect with can all be found hanging out in the one place… LinkedIn!
LinkedIn isn’t the stuffy networking social media space where boring suit and tie types hang out. Those types are definitely on there but so are the forward thinkers, industry thought leaders, creatives and so many more.
As part of both your business and personal brand strategy you must be utilising LinkedIn. And in this article, we’re sharing how you can get the most out of the platform.
Keep your profile updated
If you want to keep on consistently attracting visitors to your profile page on LinkedIn, then you need to ensure it isn’t sitting there collecting dust and the only information they can find is from the early 2000’s.
Ensure you keep your skills and endorsements updated, regularly review your profiles about section and add/remove things as appropriate and always make sure your experience page is up-to-date and post a new profile picture at least once a year that is professional.
If you need help creating the perfect LinkedIn profile download our help guide here.
Include Media as part of your profile
People will of course visit your profile to find out more about you which is why as mentioned above it is important to keep your profile updated.
But we all know the most popular content out there is media content, especially video. So, if you created a short video for a client share it on your profile, or if you created an infographic to highlight what your business does add it to your profile. Even a PowerPoint presentation can be edited to create a short and effective video for people to watch.
Visual media is a guaranteed way to capture people’s attention when they visit your profile. Use something like Promo to create easy social media videos to share on LinkedIn.
Follow and Engage with the Right People
You might not be able to personally connect with people like Sheryl Sandberg or Tony Robbins on LinkedIn but you can follow them to see the content they are sharing.
You can follow the profiles of people who have businesses in and industry that you want for yourself today. Think of it as free mentoring advice, something for you to aspire to and keep you motivated in moving forward each day with your goals.
Send Personalised Connection Requests
When you start navigating around LinkedIn you will come across profiles of people that look interesting and that you might like to connect with.
This is the perfect opportunity for you to create a first good impression by sending them a personalised connection.
Don’t go over the top with your initial connection request, keep it short and simple but personalised.
Use the below as an example:
Hi Brian,
I came across your profile and would like to add you to my business connections.
Hope you will accept my invitation to connect.
Kind regards
Sally Hobbs
In this connection we have used the persons first name, kept it short with an invitation to connect and signed off with our full name so the person remembers who you are.
You can also see the people that have been viewing your profile and if anyone of interest has visited your profile then send them an invitation to connect. They were interested enough to view your profile so are likely to connect if sent an invitation.
Overall
LinkedIn can be a great community and a space for you to generate some great connections that can turn into real life connections and potential business opportunities.
If you are already set up on LinkedIn but would like to boost your business then check out our article here.
