Take to LinkedIn with purpose and desire for a result
LinkedIn will tell you they have 730,000 members worldwide. It’s without doubt the largest and most effective collection of business professionals in the world.
If you have a profile, it’s simple to find a friend, colleague, potential business partner or old business partner.
Don’t ever forget – they can find you too.
That make it critical for you to keep an up-to-date profile and presence on LinkedIn. Nothing is worse than sending a message that ‘I haven’t been on LinkedIn for six months so who knows if my information is even accurate.’ It’s like that corporate twitter or Facebook page – a great idea t the time but no one is interesting in keeping it up sufficiently to provide a positive message about the company.
Even if you maintain some key elements on your LinkedIn page it tells people you are active in your channel or industry, you are thoughtful about your business and you may have solutions someone else wants.
Here are three best practiscs essential for your LinkedIn business presence.
1.) The top block – Do you have a good profile photo? It speaks volumes about who you are, and if you are detail oriented, professional and engaged. Just like every piece of information you place on the site you are sending a message or impression with that photo – make it a good one. And while you are in the top block, add a photo across the top banner that speaks to your company’s mission or shows you in action doing what you do. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
2.) Featured posts – A LinkedIn profile has a lot of words. There are 8 categories of information and the detail can be overwhelming. The featured box sits near the top of the profile and offers the opportunity for a visual element. If used wisely, portrays something you believe passionately in. It could be a company video or PowerPoint. It could be a link to your next webinar or event. It can bring attention to your website or a great blog you’ve written. The presence at the top of your profile means it offers prime real estate to allow people to cut through the mass of information quickly for something you deem too important to miss.
3.) Activity – The items you like, share, comment and post will appear in your activity section. If you like one element, it gives a reader a certain window on what’s important to you. Once you interact with three or four items it starts opening a window on who you are and the depth of your interests. Activity within your community is the relationship piece at the heart of LinkedIn success. Make sure you are sharing the right message with your activities through the activity box.
Always remember – every word you write is a reflection on who you are and what you do – and will be interpreted by the reader in the way they choose. That’s why it’s essential to be both critical and thoughtful when population your LinkedIn profile.