Miss the first part of this blog? Check out How to Build a Stellar LinkedIn: Part 1.
Check out the second part of my mini blog series on tips and tricks for building a LinkedIn that will get you noticed and help you build your professional network.
Use Keywords
“Drive traffic to your profile by adding keywords that recruiters will search for,” says Cheryl E. Palmer, owner of the career coaching firm Call to Career. “You will show up on the first page of results for whatever keywords you choose if you have enough of those keywords on your profile. Recruiters are likely to contact those candidates whose profiles show up first in a keyword search.” What words and phrases might people in your target market use to search for someone with your background, experience, and service offering? Go to the Careers page of some potential employers you are interested in, and pick common keywords around that job or industry.
Join Groups
Ronan Keane of Linkedin writes, “there are three types of groups you want to join of the possible 50 you’re allowed to join. A small percentage should be your competitor’s groups, your industry and your prospects’ industries. The second type are geo-located groups like local chambers of commerce. The third and biggest should be persona-type groups for CIOs, CTOs, Entrepreneurs etc.” Remember that Linkedin is a social network. Your profile is five times more likely to be viewed if you join and participate in groups.
Blog
A relatively new feature allows you to become a publisher on LinkedIn. This blog enables you to reach your target audience and make new connections. Utilize this space to help establish yourself as a thought leader on a topic! Don’t be shy, give blogging a try and get your thoughts out there.
Use Linkedin Applications
LinkedIn has applications which you can add to your profile to enhance your profile in different ways. For instance, if your profession is a full-time blogger, you might want to add the WordPress app to your profile which lets you sync blog posts with your LinkedIn profile. If you make or edit amazing videos and want to show it off on your profile, you could use the SlideShare or Box.net app that enables you to embed videos in your profile. Find applicable applications and incorporate them into your profile.
Whether you are job hunting or trying to cultivate a presence in your field of work, your first step to success is creating and maintaining a stellar Linkedin profile. You won’t be effective at LinkedIn networking if your profile doesn’t entice people to get to know you, so get to work on your profile and you will be a stand out in no time!
