LinkedIn, without a doubt, is a booming platform and offers professionals an opportunity to build industry connections and expand your business network. However, just like any other online platform, there are strategies that need to be employed if you are looking to expand the reach of your profile to clients. Here are some pro tips on how you should go about it.
Personalise
Have you registered and set up your profile? Good. Now it’s time to craft an engaging profile description. Carefully write your description to convey key messages about your skills or provide information about you and the career path you are taking – nobody has time to read waffle, so make sure to keep it succinct! As with a profile photo, if you want to be treated as a professional, you need to look like a professional. In this case, your business competitors and clients will be ‘judging a book by it’s cover’. Having a clear headshot of your best self is more important than you think. While employers are going to concentrate more on your skills and achievements, once you’re hired, you represent the business/client. And nobody wants to hire and work with a sloppy Joe. *Pun intended*. Make sure your photo is a clear representation of you, a white or blue background headshot is generally preferred.
Find Relevant Networks
Once you have set up your profile, it is time to focus on making those sweet, sweet connections. And keep in mind, quality is always better than quantity, and this applies to your network too. If you want to expand your business within your niche, it is important to have a work-focused clientele. The connections you make on LinkedIn can’t be as weak as the friends you accept on Facebook. If you want to stay relevant in your business, it is important to follow relevant people. Follow those related to your business, potential clients and fellow business associates.
Post Regularly
Many people seem to think LinkedIn is a sort of platform where you don’t necessarily need to be active. If you are one of those, you might want to reconsider. Staying proactive goes a long way when it comes to expanding your business. If you want to be recognised, it is important to post regularly. Note: A professional networking platform means meaningful posts. DO NOT START OFF BY POSTING MEMES! Your posts should have a professional take too. Share news and articles related to your field of business. Don’t be afraid to add humour as long as you can find the line between humour and unprofessionalism.
Visit Regularly
Online networking platforms do not work by magic. It requires dedication and input. Don’t just create a profile and expect to expand your connections and growth without putting in some work to it. Just like you visit your Facebook and Instagram everyday, you should be logging onto your LinkedIn at least once a day too in order to keep yourself up to date on current market trends, potentially building more connections and responding to messages. You never know, you could miss out on a great opportunity or look unprofessional by taking too long to reply to a message!
Monthly Goals
Set your networking goals.
At what rate do you want to increase your network? How do you plan on achieving this? How many posts a week are you aiming for? What keywords should you use to potentially invite traffic to your profile? Should you look into investing in LinkedIn to advertise your profile and get more reach?
Having goals helps you stay organised and helps you track your expansion progress. It is always useful to make monthly reports to track performance and which posts are more liked to ensure you constantly have a rising curve of connections.
Be Visual and Interactive
Don’t be a ‘boring betty’ and only post articles on articles and text on text. Get creative. Get interactive. Use images and videos to increase the appeal of your profile. No one makes connections with boring people. Keep your networks entertained with original posts and videos related to your field. Maybe have a poll, share interesting news stories and interact and comment on other posts After posting, it is also essential to stay active and respond to comments and notifications you may get from your posts.
Promote
Social media and networking platforms in a business exist for a reason. Share, share and share to as many of your other media/ networking accounts. This will help you get reach outside of just LinkedIn. You never know, there may well be clients/ employers hiding out on an online platform waiting to hire. Before you know it, your work profile is being shared and recognised everywhere, helping you leap forward in your industry.
Yes, Keywords are Important on LinkedIn Too.
Filter all the *bs* out! Just like every other site on the Internet, SEO plays a huge role in whether you get recognised or not. Use keywords to specify the work you do. Employers are more likely to search for specific job titles over general title roles. Use only the words you need to use. Remember, every word counts, so be careful when curating your profile description. Try to establish your hook the most effective way you can. Remember you don’t need to list out all the work you’ve done in the profile description. That’s what the “Employment” section is for.
It’s always the finer details that help you progress in your business through online platforms. Due to the masses of websites, profiles and content out there it has become more important than ever before to strategically structure your content online in order to build your network and invite traffic. Too busy to focus on the finer details? At Anchor, we can take that stressful chip right off your shoulder. We are a team of trained professionals present to ensure your company receives the best online presence. Contact us today.
