Today is the 14th year since LinkedIn was launched. It’s hard to believe that today (December 14, 2016) it’s almost a decade and a half since this social media platform for professionals was conceived. LinkedIn was founded on December 14, 2002, with the purpose of allowing industry leaders, employees, and professionals, in general, to connect with one another. Many people use it simply to stay in touch with their coworkers, but online marketing firms will tell you that there is more potential to tap into. Simply put, it can be used to place your business on a higher level. It’s simply a matter of how it’s implemented.
LinkedIn has more than 106 million active users, so it’s fair to say that new accounts are being created every day. The period of adjustment needed for a new platform varies from person to person. For newcomers, there are many ways to navigate this social platform so that it’s less daunting. Despite what you may think, LinkedIn is far from intimidating. For new users of the top professional network, here are 5 LinkedIn useful tips for new users that you must know nowadays.
5 LinkedIn Useful Tips for New Users
Complete your profile in full
First and foremost, even before you start inviting potential connections, you should focus on your profile. Not only will this house your professional information, but it’ll be the page that users land on in order to learn more about you. The basics – your name, current employer and job title, education, related skills, etc. – should be clearly listed. What’s even more important is your profile picture. While many users go the extra mile by including professional headshots, a clear picture of yourself will suffice. By following these preliminary steps, you’ll be well on your way to making LinkedIn all your own.
Seek endorsements – and create your own for others
Another way to boost your LinkedIn profile is with endorsements. For those that are unaware, employers, employees, and previous clients can leave endorsements for others, detailing their experiences with them and what they’ve excelled at. While it’s great to request these for your own profile, you shouldn’t be shy about providing your own if asked. Endorsements don’t have to be terribly long, either, meaning that you won’t have to spend much time writing about the experiences in question. Simply put, it’s a nice thing to do. Endorsements are the gifts that keep on giving.
Take part in LinkedIn Groups
Do you find it difficult to make connections on LinkedIn, regardless of how many credentials you have to your name? This is where Groups come into play, as they exist across a number of industries and specialties. By joining a certain Group, you have the opportunity to get involved in ongoing discussions. You might even be able to create entirely new discussions, depending on your knowledge of your particular industry. Not only does the act of joining Group increases your chances of securing connections, but there’s a good chance that you’ll come away with knowledge you can apply to your work. It’s tough to go wrong when you’re involved in LinkedIn’s broad community.
Be consistent with LinkedIn activity
One of the worst enemies of any professional on social media is a period of inactivity. When you’re not as active as you should be, chances are that your updates won’t pop up on the feeds of those you’ve previously connected with. In addition, you’ll miss out on relevant stories and articles that others share. It doesn’t matter if you’ve logged onto LinkedIn to publish an article, connect to a few more people, or simply see what has changed since the last time you were on. Consistent activity on LinkedIn is imperative. Needless to say, you’ll get the most out of this professional social media platform by doing so.
Look into paid options if you’d like to use LinkedIn more
While the basic LinkedIn account is fine for general purposes, you might feel inclined to use the website more often than others. As a result, it’s in your best interest to look at some of the paid options that LinkedIn offers. Career, Business Plus, Sales Navigator Professional and Recruiter Lite accounts offer everything from unlimited searches and advanced options for the search to InMail credits. One of these account options might strike you as interesting, so look into them to see the benefits they provide. If you’re planning on making LinkedIn a crucial part of your business model, it pays to pay.
Please leave your comments below if you have either just created a LinkedIn account, or have been a user for quite some time. We’d love to hear from you!
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See also: 4 Ways to Appeal to LinkedIn Recruiters
