Do you want a growing and successful LinkedIn network? Are you interested in scalable, practical ways to enhance your professional credibility? LinkedIn is a renowned and powerful platform that fosters strategic connections, and enables different people to create successful brands. Trust is vital in any relationship. It takes many years to build, seconds to break, and eternity to repair. The internet has created various platforms where you can build your professional network. This article will help you know how you can build your trust and increase your influence on LinkedIn.
1. Optimize your profile
Your LinkedIn profile defines your online brand. Your profile showcases your reputation, and is a crucial source of information for anyone who needs to know more. If you have a strong LinkedIn profile, you can create opportunities, interactions, and connections with professionals in other fields. Your brand relies on the URL on LinkedIn. Use your first and last name to create your URL. If your name combination is not available, you may use the initials of your name or your middle name. Your name and brand social media platforms are critical to your success in the long term. Before you’re finished with your URL, check if other social media sites are using it. Namechk is a tool that can help you get this information fast.
Use the right profile photo: Many people research you online before meeting you. Your profile image and your LinkedIn profile will be a top search. The image you choose should reflect your professionalism, and show a positive vibe. Use a recent photo, and make sure your face takes up over 60% of the profile image.
Use keywords in your job title, summary, and headline. LinkedIn is a renowned database containing many professional contacts. It uses keywords to discover and rank you, in a similar way to Google. The keywords you use on the professional headline will have an impact on the similar professions on LinkedIn. You only have 120 characters to make your impact meaningful. Choose a job title that ranks highly, and one that is more specific. Don’t just write Board Member - specify what kind. "Board Member: Communication and Technology" sounds better. Though the summary section does not have a high index on LinkedIn, it is a critical part of your profile. Use short and catchy sentences that showcase your successes. Do not use the commonly-used catchwords such as leadership, enthusiastic, passionate, and creative since they add no value to your profile. Include any publications, projects, and presentations. These portray you as an influential and thoughtful person with originality of ideas.
Ask for endorsements and recommendations: People find recommendations to be trustworthy. If your recommendation is well-written and gives specifics about your performance, it will give you more mileage than many other factors combined. Recommendations are tangible and specific ways to authenticate your profile. Rather than asking for many recommendations, make sure you have a few from reputable people who will add weight to your profile. Recommendations on LinkedIn are thumbs up, and you should recommend people before asking them to recommend you.
View your profile and manage it: Visit your profile to see whether there are any areas that need improvement for completeness and accuracy. Anytime you make a change in your profile, your followers will get a notification. It is advisable to turn off notifications temporarily, so you may make the necessary changes without them knowing.
2. Grow your audience
People will always assess your level of influence, and tie it to the size of your LinkedIn Network. Sit on the sidelines and wait for people to find you if you need your audience to increase. Make sure that your connections are many and of high quality.
Invite your contacts: Most of your existing contacts are on LinkedIn. Connect with them digitally through manually searching for them on LinkedIn. Invite all potential contacts, and interact with them. LinkedIn is a wonderful way to enhance relationships with any person you find on live networking events. If you exchange a business card in any event, go a step further and look for the person on LinkedIn. Send them a connection request through the LinkedIn mobile application. You may also choose to use the ScanBizCards application to connect with newly-found friends. LinkedIn enables you to connect with people you may not know, and you can request formal introductions. This will make your network grow fast. Customize your connection requests every time you are trying to connect with a person you don’t know.
3. Write and publish content
If you share content on LinkedIn, you can stay above the competition, your influence grows, and your core network appreciates your work. If you need to grow your influence on LinkedIn, make sure you share updates regularly. Ensure you post content every day, and let the content be of high quality. If you cannot manage to update daily, choose a flexible schedule which you can work with. You can use Buffer or Hootsuite if you need consistency. These tools help you write high-quality content, and deliver on time. Your contacts will see all your updates in the news feed just as Twitter and Facebook show updates to users. Also, your contacts can respond to your updates. Publishing articles on LinkedIn Publisher is advantageous as all your contacts will receive a notification, and this increases the chances of more people reading your posts. Spend time doing research about your field, so that your content is of high value. LinkedIn promotes all content through Pulse. If your article receives a lot of shares and views, it could get included on LinkedIn recommended content which will get read by many people outside your contacts. Publish at least one unique article every month, but more if possible. Use the frequency that works best for you.
4. Find the right content mix for your followers
Over 60% of LinkedIn followers have a special interest in industry acumen. Aim to deliver high-quality industry-related articles. Share content from other writers, as this increases the chances of other people sharing your content. Take note of the format of LinkedIn blogs. If you write well-researched articles, with links to support your argument, you are assured of high traffic. A typical LinkedIn article should be less than 1000 words. Do not focus on promotional materials since they may destroy your credibility.
5. Focus on building an online community
Use straightforward interactions to grow your community. This helps you to invest in your brand. Once you manage to create genuine connections, they speak to your intelligence and enable you to gain authority on your specialization. Be someone that listens to people, and people will listen to you. Having a large community should not be your primary goal. Grow your followers slowly, and use your platform to form a community that can offer advice on various issues. Interact with your community in a way that shows them you value them. Position yourself as an authentic writer. Pay attention to what happens in your industry. Take a personal interest and congratulate any follower who receives a promotion, or takes up a new job.
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for anyone who focuses on making great connections, building an individual brand, and growing in their career. Your profile is the first point of contact with your followers. Make it interesting. You should use your platform to position yourself as respectable and competent.
Which tactics do you follow to make your LinkedIn profile stand out from the crowd? Share your ideas in the comments below.
