Although LinkedIn is the most commonly used business networking site, it appears to be an underrated social media platform and consequently is under utilised.
Like Facebook and Twitter it has enormous potential.
It is the only platform that brings professionals together and it has over 2 million people signing-up each month. The network is growing rapidly so the possibilities are considerable.
To maximise the benefits for your brand, your profile needs to be a “work in progress”.
LinkedIn operates essentially as an electronic resume, so your profile needs to be a live document that is relevant and current aiming for 100% profile completeness.
Your profile supports you to build a professional network and discover possible clients, partners and experts in your industry.
Ideally this will assist you to develop professionally whether you are a business owner or an employee. With over 135 million users and growing, individuals can definitely benefit from establishing and maintaining an active profile.
Here are 6 reasons to establish your LinkedIn profile:
Increase Your Credibility
A LinkedIn profile lists your employment history including your current role, past jobs, qualifications, achievements and anything that is relevant to the work you do. This helps promote your credibility as someone who is experienced and knowledgeable.
An essential tool to reinforce your credibility is LinkedIn’s “recommendations”, where you are able to request recommendations from your employers, colleagues or clients, who can write positive testimonials and references. Much like an online “word of mouth” referral system, LinkedIn’s recommendations help galvanize your social proof.
Increase your Visibility
By connecting with other LinkedIn members, you increase your profile’s exposure. Participation is key. Others will come to know you through your comments, feeds, recommendations and simply by extending your network. This will in turn improve your chances of creating business opportunities and establishing yourself as a trusted authority. People want to conduct business with those who are known to be honest, knowledgeable, experienced and reliable.
Integrate with Other Social Media
If you have a Facebook page, blog and Twitter account you can easily link them to your LinkedIn profile. Your business details and social networking information can also be displayed. Other people can easily research what you do by viewing your profile and clicking the links which ultimately increases awareness about your business. Having your social media platforms integrated further means increasing the network of people seeing and engaging with you.
Improve Your Google Ranking
Because of LinkedIn’s social proof, your LinkedIn profile often appears quite high in Google search rankings. Thus when people search for you via search engines, anyone can easily find you and connect with you. Because of this ranking you are able to control at least one of the front page results and promote the positive aspects of your profile.
Improve your Connectability
Your profile needs to be current and include past employment and associations extending your ability to connect with people as they can search via your name, company, education and affiliations. This information improves the possibilities to connect with colleagues that you may have lost contact with.
LinkedIn as a Recruiting Tool
As LinkedIn acts as a digital resume it can be used to source talented professionals. Many headhunters now use LinkedIn as one of their primary tools to search for prospects. It saves on advertising costs and can cut out third party recruiters. You may not even be looking for employment, however, connecting, sharing and engaging can be just as significant and may lead to opportunities to be recruited or recruit or joint-venture, for yourself.
