Want To Take Full Advantage Of Linkedin?

3 Ways to Build Your Personal Brand on Linkedin Linkedin can be a highly effective and powerful tool to help you build your online presence and become an authority in your chosen field. Today I wanted to look at three ways you can build your personal brand on Linkedin and get your work in front of industry leaders and decision makers. 1.) Connect with your industry. I’m a LION I hear you scream. I’m a LION. If you don’t know what a LION is it stands for LinkedIn Open Networker and means that an individual who identifies themselves as a LION will connect with anyone. But I recommend you be more tiger. I often like spending time looking at people’s connections and hold high regard for those who have strong connections across various industries, having strong links builds an image of been an authority and in turn grows your personal brand. How do you improve your connections? Connect on LinkedIn with those you speak with daily like friends, former colleagues, current colleagues, classmates, industry leaders, suppliers, partners, your employer’s management team (if applicable) and other professionals. Don’t know somebody? Don’t be scared — send them a personalised message when you request to connect and try to spark conversation. They’ll be more likely to accept your request. 2.) Optimise, optimise and optimise. Your profile showcases you, your work and your successes. Having a complete, content rich profile shows you’re actively participating in the LinkedIn ecosystem. Did you know that you can make your profile fourteen times more likely to be found in searches by adding a professional profile photo? Or that you can make your profile twelve times more likely to be found by showing your two most recent employment positions? Or listing your skills on your profile can increase profile views by thirteen times? A few snappy tips to get you started with Linkedin optimisation: Invest in a professional yet personable Linkedin profile picture (400x400 in size and under 10mb in size) Use your profile background space to showcase your portfolio (if applicable) or what you do and what you are about. Avoid using a generic stock image. Do you have a Linkedin vanity URL? If not, get one and share it everywhere — blog posts, business cards, social media descriptions, everywhere! FUN FACT: Every second you are reading this article 2 new Linkedin users have signed up. 3) Don’t lurk, contribute and provide value. Providing value is the best way to build authority, get your name in front of decision makers and grow your personal brand. Linkedin has hundreds of thousands of industry specific groups that are filled with questions, suggestions and conversations, people begging for advice, guidance and a helping hand. These people want YOUR advice, so give it to them. By striking up a conversation, offering advice and sharing news people begin to look at you, your name and your company for answers. Groups are so easy to find too! A quick Linkedin search revealed thousands of groups with people conversing about a range of topics and they are waiting on you to provide your knowledge. Signing off The most successful professionals in the 21st Century are social professionals. Joining LinkedIn is a huge step and, you’re joining a social network which is for professionals looking to engage, interact, and explore innovation. You’re not joining a social network for connecting with friends; you’re participating in a community with different levels of professionals who are all looking for your input. Once you begin building your brand on LinkedIn, opportunity comes knocking, so get working! -HRH