Today’s article is written by Charles Ebert. Charles is a career mentor, motivational speaker & human resources consultant with over 10 years of experience in HR sector. Charles is a lead expert at Professional Resume Solutions. Apart from career mentoring, he loves photography and football. Find him on Linkedin Twitter, Facebook & Google+.When it comes to looking for job opportunities, networking opportunities and a professional marketing platform in the online space, LinkedIn is what rings in the minds of many people. LinkedIn has become a household name and has proved to be the best pick for professionals around the world. When you choose LinkedIn, it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll expand your reach. In term of figures, we’re talking of over 350 million members spread out in over 200 countries worldwide.
Your LinkedIn Profile is important (Image Source: Pixabay)
Official statistics show that one out every three professionals is a member of LinkedIn. Therefore, the chances are that if you’re reading this, you might be a member too. However, signing up for a LinkedIn profile is just the initial step. There are many ways in which you can utilize that LinkedIn profile to get the most of out of it for your career and your business. Many circles refer to this as optimizing your profile. In our case, we’ll just call it ‘organizing your profile for more exposure.’ This article will consider 9 practical ways in which you can achieve this.
1. Complete your Profile
Filling up the pieces (Image Source: Pixabay)
Filling all the required fields in your LinkedIn profile is crucial. The reason behind this is simple. When recruiters or other parties do a search, they are bound to find only those people whose profiles actually have information. If your profile lacks necessary information, it’s more like being invisible in the network. You’ll never be featured in any search. Thus, it is essential that one fills out every field that is required. Make use of descriptive keywords. The good thing is that LinkedIn cares about its members; hence, it rolled out a tool that helps members fill out the various required fields while also giving appropriate suggestions.
2. Put a Catchy Headline
Your headline counts (Image Source: Pexels)
Before someone reads your profile, the first thing that will capture their eyes is your headline. In fact, this is what will create a first impression of you to anyone that stumbles upon your profile. Everyone gets a small window of opportunity to make a good first impression, therefore, give it your best. Make your headline as catchy as it could be. To illustrate: “Lawyer; Finance Manager” are too mainstream. You could instead write “Family Law Practitioner, Product Development Expert, Business Finance Leader.” The latter headlines are better as they can differentiate you from the myriads of people who might be in the same field as you. Your ultimate goal is to make an imprint into the minds of those who see your profile and make yourself stand out.
3. Show Your Face
Your face is your representation (Image Source: Pixabay)
Let’s be candid here. No one likes a profile without a face. Be it on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or wherever. A profile that has no face is associated with many negative things. People might even doubt whether you’re a real person. On the other hand, a profile with a face looks more credible and trustworthy. Your face is typically the representation of yourself to members in the network and that’s why it’s important. If you’re a holder of those faceless profiles in LinkedIn, ensure upload a clear picture of yourself today to your profile and make sure that it adheres to professional standards.
4. Join and Participate in Relevant Groups
The value of group effort (Image Source: Pexels)
LinkedIn groups have immense value especially in terms of exposure. The various groups that are formed in LinkedIn have members that are in a common field of expertise. Others are formed on purely a networking basis. The interactions in these groups are intrinsic especially if you want more exposure in the network. Participate in these groups by asking questions or even answering questions. Be part of the discussions by contributing value based answers and opinions. The benefits are immense. First, you’ll get noticed. Secondly, you’ll gain more insight and experience hence bettering your performance in what you do.
5. Display Your Qualifications, Certifications, and Achievements
Let the world know you achieved (Image Source: Pixabay)
Since your objective is to gain more exposure, what better way to do it than showcasing your achievements, certifications, and qualifications? LinkedIn has the wonderful provision of allowing you to add all the above to your profile. If you belong to a certain field but have added certifications, add them to your profile. This would give you a better edge than your competitors. Don’t shy off by thinking that you’re bragging. In certain circumstances, bragging may be inappropriate. However, with LinkedIn, it’s highly appropriate. It is how you get more exposure. Let the entire world know that you have that Executive MBA!
6. Get Endorsed and Recommended
Thumbs up (Image Source: Pixabay)
Have you ever been in a situation where you’re struggling to prove that you’re capable and competent in performing a certain task and at that moment, a colleague comes along and vouches for your capability and competence? Yes, the feeling is sure real. It’s one of the most reassuring feelings one can get. Better yet, you’ll look desirable in the eyes of the person to whom you were trying to prove yourself. This is the power of endorsements and recommendations. With regard to LinkedIn, the more recommendations, and endorsements you have, the better the chance of being chosen by recruiters and employers. LinkedIn also gives more relevance to profiles that have more endorsements and recommendations.
7. Utilize the LinkedIn Publishing Platform
Write your ideas and opinions (Image Source: Pixabay)
Nothing speaks of exposure than getting your name and ideas out there for the world to see. This is what the LinkedIn’s publishing platform can do for you. You’ll ultimately be exposed to an audience that’s more professional than any of the mainstream social sites. This audience consists of:
- Potential employers
- Recruiters
- Job Hunters
Your job prospects automatically increase once you publish on this free and open platform. You’ll also be pleased to know that your published articles will not only be enjoyed the audience of LinkedIn but also the audience of search engines such as Google. Your articles and profiles will be seen by people outside the LinkedIn network. Therefore, don’t hesitate to use this for exposure.
8. Share Content
There is value in sharing (Image Source: Pixabay)
This is a great way of exposure especially with regard to your connections. If you’ve just completed a new project, add it to your profile as your latest work in the project sections. If you’ve written a new blog post, share it with your connections. You’ll even benefit from the increased traffic flow to your blog. Your connections might, in turn, share your work with their respective networks and therefore a ripple effect ensues.
9. Update your Profile Regularly
Remain relevant by updating your profile (Image Source: Pixabay)
Let’s say you’ve utilized the above points and now you have built an excellent profile on LinkedIn. What remains now is constant and regular updating of your profile. Don’t just create your profile and leave it at that. Be active. Update your status with literally anything from company news, personal posts, or even current affairs. The more regular you update your profile, the more exposure you get as your profile will show up regularly in news feeds; meaning people will see and notice you. You can use a resume writing service to help you come up with new content.
Conclusion
Organizing your LinkedIn profile for more exposure is an essential activity in order to increase career and job prospects. The above-highlighted tips are sure to gain you more exposure if applied effectively.
