Learn how to maximise your LinkedIn profile to reach your career goals and achieve business success
LinkedIn has been around for over 10 years but is a platform that is often underutilised. Not only is it a professional networking site but, as a business, it can be a powerful addition to your social media content strategy. In this blog, we’ll run through Bright Sprout’s tips and best practices for optimizing your LinkedIn profile to reach your career goals and achieve business success.
Table of contents
What is LinkedIn?
Why use LinkedIn?
How do I maximise my LinkedIn profile?
– Professional
– Business
What is the LinkedIn algorithm?
Top 5 tips to optimise your content using the LinkedIn algorithm
What is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is one of the most popular and powerful professional networking sites available today. With over 700 million users worldwide, you can connect with potential employers, recruiters, and other professionals in your industry.
However, LinkedIn is more than just a professional networking site – it’s a powerful tool for businesses looking to reach new customers, recruit top talent, and build their brand.
Why use LinkedIn?
If you’re a personal user of LinkedIn, think of the platform as a professional Facebook. Here, instead of sharing snaps of your Magaluf weekender, you can showcase your skills, experience, and achievements, making it easier for recruiters and potential employers to find you. You can also research/apply for job opportunities and connect with recruiters and hiring managers directly.
On LinkedIn there are a plethora (we love that word!) of professional development resources at your fingertips including articles, videos, and online courses which can help enhance your skills and advance your career.
For businesses, LinkedIn connects you with potential customers, partners, and employees. You can also establish and grow your brand online. In addition, LinkedIn ads and company pages can be used to reach a highly targeted audience with advertising messages.
In summary, LinkedIn is a valuable tool for both professionals and businesses wanting to advance their careers, expand their network, and build their brand.
How do I maximise my LinkedIn profile?
Professional:
As a professional, it is important to keep your LinkedIn profile up to date to showcase your skills and experience.
See our tips on optimising your LinkedIn profile:
Grab ‘em with the headline –
Your headline is the first thing people will see when they view your profile so it’s important to make a strong initial impression. Your headline should summarise what you do and what you can bring to the table. Keep it succinct but consider using a relevant keyword or two to help you show up in searches.
Go strong with the summary –
Your summary is an opportunity for you to share more about your background, talents, and goals. This section should give a brief overview of who you are, where your experience lies and what you’re looking for. Again, use keywords that are relevant to your industry and highlight your skills and experience.
Say cheese –
Your profile picture is the first visual representation of you on LinkedIn so it’s important to make it professional and polished. Use a high-quality, well-lit headshot that shows your face clearly.
Highlight your skills and endorsements –
Showcase your areas of expertise by listing the skills you want to highlight. Ask for endorsements from those who work or have worked with you in the past. Endorsing your colleagues can often see them return the favour if you feel uncomfortable asking directly.
List your experience –
Arguably the most important part of your LinkedIn profile, the work experience section is where you list your current and past jobs. Include a description of your key responsibilities and accomplishments and use keywords to make your experience more searchable. Where you can, try to use quantifiable results to demonstrate the impact you’ve had in roles.
Connect, connect, connect –
We’ve repeated it three times because it’s super important! One of the biggest benefits of LinkedIn is the ability to connect with other professionals in your industry. Actively network and connect with people you’ve worked with before, as well as professionals you admire and would like to learn from.
Business:
If used correctly, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for businesses looking to drive success. See our tips on using LinkedIn to build your brand:
Wow them with your company page –
A key tool for showcasing your business on LinkedIn is your company page. Here you can share your company’s missions, values, and achievements. This is where potential customers and employees learn about your brand and the services/products you offer. It is important, therefore, to keep your page up to date.
Share engaging content –
Posting relevant and engaging content on your company page is a great way to build brand awareness and establish yourself as an expert in your field. Be sure to share posts that are relevant to your target audience and consider using LinkedIn’s publishing platform for longer-form articles and blog posts.
Build a network –
Use LinkedIn to connect with individuals and businesses in your industry to get your brand seen by a wider audience.
Connect with your audience –
Engagement is key to building a strong online presence on LinkedIn. Responding to comments and messages from followers and interacting with other users’ posts will help to create an active community around your company page.
Consider LinkedIn ads –
LinkedIn’s ad platform provides businesses with the opportunity to reach a highly targeted audience with advertising messages. By using LinkedIn ads, you can reach potential customers based on their job title, industry, and location, making it easier to connect with the right people at the right time.
Recruit top talent –
LinkedIn is also a powerful tool for recruiting the best in your industry. By creating job listings on your company page and using LinkedIn’s advanced search tools, you can find qualified candidates who are a good match for your company’s culture.
What is the LinkedIn algorithm?
LinkedIn uses an algorithm (much like other social media platforms) to determine what content is shown to its users and in what order. It considers a variety of factors such as the user’s network, job title, past activity on the platform, and their engagement levels.
The primary goal of the algorithm is to deliver content that is relevant and likely to be of interest. This includes posts from users’ connections, articles, and updates from companies they follow.
Top 5 tips to optimise your content using the LinkedIn algorithm:
At Bright Sprout we’ve put together 5 top tips to optimise your use of the Instagram algorithm and increase your visibility on the platform. Most of these tips were mentioned in the chapter ‘How do I maximise my LinkedIn profile?’ and this section is jam-packed with lots of other valuable info so be sure to scan back if you’ve skipped it!
- Quality and quantity – Regularly post good quality content (ideally once a week or more) making sure your posts are relevant and valuable to your target audience. The more active you are on LinkedIn, the more likely the algorithm is to display your content to your connections.
- Engage with users – When you like, comment, or share other users’ posts, the algorithm will recognise that you are engaged with the content and this, in turn, can increase the visibility of your own posts.
- Network – Connect with people and businesses in your industry, endorsing your connections for their skills as well as engaging with their content to build stronger relationships. This will see your content get more visibility and engagement in return.
- Use keywords and hashtags – The algorithm notices keywords and phrases used in your posts. Increase the visibility of your content by using relevant keywords and hashtags.
- Focus on your profile – Your profile is one of the most important elements of your LinkedIn presence. Be sure to keep it updated and share your achievements and expertise.
And that concludes our run-through of LinkedIn and how to make sure you’re using the platform to its full potential – we hope you now know a little (but preferably A LOT) more than before!
On a final note, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for reaching your career goals and driving your business forward if you have the tools and knowledge to use it productively.
If you require further guidance on LinkedIn or would like to chat to us about any other of our marketing services, fill in our contact form or give us a bell on 07518 716890 – us Bright Sprouts do love a good natter!
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