Advertising itself as 'the world's largest professional network', LinkedIn builds your professional identity in a CV-style format.
A well-known network in the business place, LinkedIn is the place to compile your skills, work history and current employment status... You can even get referees to back up your abilities.
Sounds like a CV? Essentially it is, but in recent months the company has revamped the platform with a Facebook-like timeline of updates.
Nevertheless, LinkedIn is an effective tool for professionals whose workload depends on word of mouth, after all what more can you do other than upload your/your company's 'CV' for the world to see and judge?
Again, ask yourself the ever-present questions, “What do you want from your social media presence” and “Who are your audience and what are they using online?”, then if LinkedIn sounds like where you want to spend some time, step in.
5 Steps to LinkedIn Success
A thing to consider with LinkedIn is that even though it might take slightly longer to initially set up, it is considerably less time-restricting than most other networks. So, make sure you get it right when you set up a profile...
1. Update your information
LinkedIn's main focus is your name, company and role, so make sure people can find you, as it will come in handy when they endorse your work and skills.
2. Upload a photo
The home of professionals and business requires professional-looking people, a handy idea is to use the same (smart) photo of yourself across all professional-facing profiles (i.e. Twitter, LinkedIn), and use a different image for your personal accounts. Accounts without profile pictures are often ignored, remember your photo is your personal brand so consider what you choose to carefully.
3. Add links
Fill out the information on your blog with URL's to your blog, company website and/or other links such as Facebook or Pinterest.
4. Previous work history and qualifications
This is where it begins to look a lot like a CV, but it's your opportunity to highlight how you got the role you are in today and it is also how ex-colleagues can find you. Add previous job titles and companies that you worked for, as well as describing what your role entailed – It's easy to see why professionals use it when job hunting! Qualifications can also be included but it's worth considering just how much you reveal to the LinkedIn community, how relevant are your GCSEs if you are a high-flying professional?
5. Get recommended
Colleagues, supervisors and pretty much anyone can now recommend you for work you've done by adding a complimentary few words after your current/previous work history, much like a referee does in a CV. On top of that, you can list your personal skills, former colleagues and supervisors can then 'endorse' them.
So...
Overall, LinkedIn will never be the next Facebook, but it is perhaps the professional equivalent, with its simple layout you can feel like you're looking at hundreds of CVs.
However, from the point of view of a company or entrepreneur it is ultimately a way of conducting personal social media marketing, which is shareable across all networks and on your company website. Surely, that's something worth promoting?
