LinkedIn is often considered less than compared to other social media networks like Facebook or Instagram. However, I can tell you from personal experience that when used properly, LinkedIn can be very valuable.
Did you know that 50 percent of LinkedIn members have found a job through a mutual connection? Let me share another cool statistic. LinkedIn messages have a response rate three times higher than cold emails!
There is a small caveat to tapping LinkedIn’s full potential to your benefit.
You must have a bias to action.
LinkedIn on its own will not get you a job or reliable network. You will have to put in the time and effort to use LinkedIn as a professional network to tap into all the learning, networking, and job opportunities it offers.
The following hacks have worked the best for me to build a reliable professional network and my personal brand.
Use a current profile photo
Your professional headshot, or lack thereof, can lead a profile visitor to make assumptions about your career ambitions. Not fair, but happens.
In my opinion, there is literally no excuse to have an outdated, poorly captured LinkedIn profile picture, or worse a bar or wedding selfie as your professional avatar. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials that will show you how you can take a professional headshot with just your phone and some good natural lighting regardless of your photography skills.
If you’re using LinkedIn to build meaningful professional connections, getting your profile picture right is the single most important thing you can do to leave a great first impression.
Optimize your LinkedIn profile for search
LinkedIn is as much a search engine as it is a social media platform.
Does your profile include keywords that recruiters and other LinkedIn members would use to search someone with your profile? Browse a few job descriptions that interest you and profiles of people in your function and industry to figure out relevant keywords.
I recommend placing these keywords throughout your profile, but especially in your headline and in the skills section to grab the attention of a profile visitor straight away and show up in recruiter searches.
Write a solid elevator’s pitch for your summary
Use the summary section in your LinkedIn profile to write your elevator’s pitch.
Depending on where you’re in your career–returning from maternity break, transitioning to a different industry, or settling in a new country–your elevator’s pitch can establish your professional brand to potential recruiters and hiring managers.
Muse has done a great roundup of different types of LinkedIn summaries depending on what you want to convey about yourself to profile visitors.
Utilize the advanced search for targeted networking
You could set up your LinkedIn profile and wait to be approached or you could take the initiative to expand your network. The latter is especially recommended if you’re currently unemployed, new to a country or industry, or looking to transition careers.
You can type anything in the LinkedIn search bar and then choose from multiple categories like People, Jobs, Companies, Content, Schools, and Groups. There are also filters that you can apply for location, past company, current company, industry, and school.
The possibilities to find people to connect with, jobs to interview for, groups to engage with, and more are endless when you use these advanced search options on their own or in combination with each other. These filters are also a great way to research a company and / or find hiring managers for roles that interest you. I have written a separate blog post on this here.
Personalize your invites to connect with members
When you meet someone in person at a networking event, do you stare blankly at their face or shake hands and introduce yourself? Hopefully, the latter. LinkedIn works much the same way. Add a personal note to your invitation to connect.
Chances are that even if someone accepted your invitation to connect without you adding a personal note, they would be unlikely to engage with you or your content because they don’t know you. So on paper, they will be your LinkedIn connection, but they might as well not be.
Writing a personalized invite to connect with others is key to setting the right relationship foundation and building a meaningful long-term professional connection. Don’t know how to write a personalized invite? Muse has created a list of templates for different scenarios that can be handy if you need some inspiration.
Share professional updates and valuable content
To build your professional brand and credibility, it’s advisable to regularly post content that adds value to your network. If you have the time and energy, you can write posts and articles of your own. Otherwise, share relevant industry news and articles with your two-sentence take on them.
If you feel comfortable, you can also share your professional achievements or other career relevant updates. Completed a professional certificate? Share away! A great conference or event happening in your industry? Share with your network! Did you deliver a great speech or webinar somewhere? Share!
The more active you are on LinkedIn, the greater your visibility will be. Not just to the outside world, but also to your employer and colleagues because we’ve willingly or unwillingly entered the era of the virtual workplace.
Meaningfully engage with your connections
Similarly, it’s also important to engage with your network. Someone got a new job? Congratulate them! Better start a conversation with them about their new role and future plans. Someone shared a great market update? Engage with their post and share your thoughts on their point of view.
This is key to building relationships overtime. Networking isn’t a one coffee meeting game. It takes time and effort to create a background with people, so that you can depend on them for professional favors like referrals in the future.
There are many other hacks that can help you build your network on LinkedIn for e.g. you can join and participate in industry groups. The abovementioned are tips that helped me a lot first as an international college student looking for internships in the US and later as an expat in the Netherlands.
Hope these tips help you too! Share tips of your own in the comments and also let me know if you have any questions!
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