9 Tips To Use Linkedin Effectively – 2022

Linkedin is the most important professional social network in the world with more than 800 million members. It, therefore, has a strong potential if you need to address companies/professionals.

Most people use Linkedin to keep in touch with colleagues, clients, and associates. But it is also possible to boost your profile, your company’s brand, and recruit the right people.

In this article, I will explore with you 9 ways to use your Linkedin account for personal and professional networking.

Here are the 9 tips to use Linkedin in the best way!

1 ➔ Complete your Linkedin profile

Your profile can be a very important part of your personal brand. All registered users on Linkedin will have the ability to see it (unless you switch it to private mode). You can also have a public profile that can be found by search engines, so even people who are not registered will see your profile.

Linkedin‘s internal search algorithm only finds profiles that are “complete”, and these can get 20 times more views than incomplete profiles. It is therefore fundamental that you fill out your profile completely with the necessary information. Here are the essential elements you need to remember:

Add a good quality photo of yourself, preferably taken by a professional photographer.

Add a background image, also called a “banner” that reflects your profession or who you are.

Mention your industry and location in the title. You have 120 characters to describe this.

Include a concise summary of who you are, what you do, and what you have to offer. You have over 2000 characters but you don’t have to use them all. You can also highlight 6 concrete examples of your work to make your profile appealing.

Add your current position and describe what it is. Be specific. Don’t say, for example, that you are a “great communicator”. Instead, give details about your digital communication skills. For example, you have created a website for a lawyer or a craftsman. Again, you are allowed 2000 characters.

Add your work experience, details about your education, and several skills.

The more details you add to your profile, the more your Linkedin rank evolves which allows you to be more visible on this social network.

2 ➔ Contact and connect with other Linkedin users.

Linkedin allows you to connect with people and companies in your industry. It’s a great way to get the latest news in your industry and share information with others in your field.

You can invite anyone to connect (and accept their invitations to connect with you), but they must have their own Linkedin account to use this social network.

Linkedin compiles all your connections in a list called “My Network”. When you make a new connection, you have access to that person’s profile, but also to their publicly available connections. These become your “second-degree connections”. This opens up even more networking opportunities, as you can then invite them to connect directly with you. You can also introduce two Linkedin connections that are not yet connected to each other but could benefit from it.

3 ➔ Start a conversation!

Once you’ve made some initial connections on Linkedin, the Messaging feature allows you to have real-time conversations with them. The “Active Status” feature shows you which of your connections are online (green dot next to profile pictures).

The “Smart Reply” feature allows you to make short, automatically generated replies (e.g., “Great, thanks!”), and can help keep your conversations quick and productive.

If you upgrade your account to Premium, you can also use InMail. This allows you to send private messages to any Linkedin member without any prior introduction or additional contact information.

4 ➔ Give and receive recommendations and mentions

Your connections can write “recommendations” for your profile and offer “endorsements” of your skills, and you can do the same in return. Recommendations are testimonials from people who emphasize your professional abilities.

Try to collect several (between 5 and 10 if possible) by asking people you have worked with to write one for you. Ask them to highlight specific attributes or accomplishments that impressed them, rather than making general comments such as “nice to have worked with Peter”.

Mentions are simple notifications that you have a particular skill. They may lack impact compared to tailored recommendations, but if a relationship approves of you for your graphic design skills, for example, it can help you stand out from the crowd.

5 ➔ Use Linkedin groups.

All Linkedin members can create or join groups to discuss ideas and share news about the group’s topic. This can be a great way to grow your professional network. You can use the search bar to look for interesting groups to join, or you can find new groups through those you have already joined.

Once you are a member of the group, you can join group conversations, ask questions and send messages to other members. Linkedin groups can be a valuable source of information, ideas, and support. Share your knowledge with your group members, and they will likely respond in kind.

6 ➔ Create engaging content on Linkedin

Just like with other social networks, you can share posts from websites but also other posts from your connections. But make sure your post is useful, informs others, and is relevant to your professional relationships.

You can also record or publish videos directly on Linkedin from your computer or smartphone. Linkedin also allows you to publish full articles, via its publishing platform. The articles you write appear on your profile. They can be shared by other users and can also appear in search engine results. But you retain the rights to any original content you publish.

This is a great way to showcase your expertise. SlideShare is another feature to provide high-quality content. It is integrated with Linkedin and allows you to post presentations and infographics.

Use hashtags on your posts to help your content reach more users. Typing a hashtag into your search bar will help you find people who follow it and the content they are interested in.

7 ➔ Recruit and find new opportunities.

Linkedin allows you to search for people with the skills and experience you need on your team. It can even completely replace traditional recruitment advertising, depending on your industry and the position you need to fill.

The advanced search function allows you to search by many different criteria: location, company, past companies, language, interests, education, degree of connection, etc. You can also opt for Linkedin‘s paid recruiting feature with more options to help you find, prioritize, contact, and manage a list of candidates.

You can also use Linkedin to search for jobs. In addition to browsing job postings, many people use it as a search tool. Let’s say you have two interesting job offers: you can use Linkedin to learn more about your potential new bosses and colleagues, as well as to get a feel for the company.

A Premium Career account allows you to search even more efficiently for job opportunities that match your preferences and skills and to see who has viewed your profile in the last 90 days.

8 ➔ Boost your company page.

Linkedin can increase the visibility of your company, brand, and products. It can also tell a story about your business. It’s important to create emotional connections with your potential customers and employees. Consider creating a Linkedin page for your business so that consumers, customers, vendors, and new employees can research your business.

Your page administrator can also use Linkedin Analytics to get the typical profile of people who visit the page. This can help you target your content more effectively. Linkedin can also benefit your business in other ways. You can use Linkedin to research your competitors, official partners, and new suppliers. And the paid feature, Sales Navigator, also allows you to reach out to potential prospects and track changes in those you follow.

Don’t hesitate to use applications that will allow you to post to multiple social networks at once. Remember that Linkedin is part of an overall marketing strategy.

9 ➔ Always be professional on Linkedin.

Success on Linkedin depends primarily on developing and maintaining a good reputation. This means that it is important to look professional at all times. So, avoid posting on it what you post on Facebook for example. Be careful when talking on Linkedin, that’s where your potential clients or bosses are. Always be careful about what you say about your business.

And finally, remember that honesty is the best communication. Don’t oversell yourself when talking about your accomplishments.

Conclusion

Linkedin is the largest professional social network in the world. You can use it to build relationships in your industry and to stay in touch with colleagues, clients, and partners, past and present.

It’s a great tool for finding a job, recruiting, keeping up with the latest news, improving your professional reputation, increasing your brand visibility, and finding new clients.

To make the most of it, here are 9 strategies to adopt:

• Complete your profile
• Make connections
• Talk to your connections
• Give and receive referrals
• Use Linkedin groups
• Post compelling content
• Find new opportunities
• Improve your company page
• Stay professional