LinkedIn, a social media site for professionals and business people
LinkedIn website
Introduction
LinkedIn, a social media site for professionals and business people, can be an important tool for your small business. It's like Facebook for grown-ups: you can connect with potential customers and make new professional contacts. And if you haven't heard about Linkedin yet (it's been around since 2003), consider yourself ahead of the curve
LinkedIn is a social media site
LinkedIn is a social media network. It's different from Facebook, Twitter and other sites you use to connect with friends and family. LinkedIn is a professional network where people share information about their career and education
LinkedIn shows users who they know in common and makes it easy for them to connect. Users can also post jobs on LinkedIn, which means that your profile will be seen by recruiters looking for talent like yours
LinkedIn is a professional network
LinkedIn is a professional network. It's not Facebook, and anyone who tells you it is won't be taken seriously by the group at large. LinkedIn is not intended to be a place where people share their personal lives with others; it's a place where professionals connect with other professionals in their fields. Because of this, there are etiquette rules that govern how you should behave on LinkedIn
- Don't post pictures of your family or friends unless they're related to your work in some way (for example, if someone works for the same company)
- Don't share personal information about yourself unless it's relevant to your job or skillset (for example, don't include details about what kind of music you listen to or what kind of movies you like)
- Respect privacy settings and never send unsolicited messages (this is spamming people)
LinkedIn is not Facebook
There are lots of reasons why you shouldn't use LinkedIn like a social networking site, but we'll just give you the three main ones
- You're looking for a job and your boss might see it
- It's not as easy to hide from people who don't want to see your updates on LinkedIn as it is on Facebook (and much less fun)
- It's really not cool anymore
LinkedIn provides job opportunities
LinkedIn is a great place to find jobs and job opportunities. Since you already have a profile, it's easy to search for positions that are available in your field of expertise. You can also use LinkedIn to network with others in the industry, and they might give you some good suggestions on how to advance your career
Start with a complete profile
Your LinkedIn profile is your professional calling card, so make sure it's as complete as possible. Be sure to include your education, work experience and interests in the appropriate sections of your profile
Additionally
- Include a picture of yourself — people are more likely to connect with someone who looks like them. It's also helpful for employers to see what you actually look like when they're considering hiring you for a job
- Use keywords that are relevant to your job search — when someone searches for jobs on LinkedIn, the results will include any profiles that contain those keywords in their titles or descriptions (or have them in their job titles)
Use the right keywords
Keywords are the words that people use to find your business on search engines. They're important because they help you appear higher in Google, Bing, and other search engines
Here are some tips for using keywords
- Use keywords that are relevant to your industry. If you're a dentist, then you want to include popular dental terms like "dentist" or "teeth whitening
- Use keywords that are relevant to your experience level in LinkedIn's fields like education and skills. For example, if you went to school at Harvard University and majored in computer science, then include those terms on your profile
- Use geographic-based keywords when it makes sense (e.g., "San Francisco"). You can do this by adding a location field under Your Current Location when editing your profile for LinkedIn (see above)
Write your profile from the third person perspective
Use a third person perspective
Include your name and job position in the first sentence of your profile. If you're writing a LinkedIn profile as part of a team, use the word "our" instead of I
Use the word "you" to refer to the reader (for example: “You are probably looking for someone who can fill this role”). Use the words "we," "us," and "our" when referring to yourself and your company (for example: “We offer competitive salaries”)
Show off your skills
Have you been searching for a new job? If so, you should take some time to review your LinkedIn profile. The more people who see it, the better chance you'll have of finding your dream job
In order to optimize your profile for search results, there are a few things that need to be done
- Update your resume and portfolio links with the latest versions
- List all of your skills in one place (make sure they're spelled correctly!). You can do this by creating a "Skills" section on your LinkedIn profile or adding descriptions in the main body of text under each skill category. Don't forget to include keywords related to what you do
- Brag about yourself! Use positive words like "increased," "developed," and "led." Avoid negative terms like "lost" or "failed." In addition, don't forget to add links back into these sections from other sections on the page (like Education) so people can see how much experience you've earned over time—and make sure those pages are up-to-date too
Keep your profile current
Keep your profile current. LinkedIn users who update their profiles monthly are viewed as more credible than those with stagnant profiles, so check back and make sure that your information remains current. Also, be sure to list your skills so that you're ready for any job search or new opportunity
LinkedIn is a great resource for finding new job opportunities and networking with professionals from all over the world. To make sure that you're getting the most out of LinkedIn, be sure to
- Keep your profile fresh by updating it regularly—if you haven't refreshed in six months or more (or if the last time was just after graduating), now's the time to do it again! Use this time period as an opportunity to reflect on what's happened since then—did you complete any courses or training programs? Perhaps there was a big project at work that required extra effort on your part? Whatever has happened since then will help shape how potential employers view your skillset moving forward
- Be honest and accurate when filling out all fields of the "Profile" tab (the main section) of their account page; don't forget about keywords either! This can include where they went to college/university along with degrees earned there too; going through these steps will allow others visiting their page clickable links leading directly back into conversations already started between them specifically
Learning how to make money on Linkedin is a valuable business skill
To start making money on LinkedIn, you’ll need to have a complete profile. This means adding your name, a photo of yourself (or at least your face), and filling out every possible field that’s available. You can also add links to your website or blog so people can find more information about you
LinkedIn is not Facebook—it's a professional network aimed at connecting businesspeople who share similar interests. It's all about showing off what you've done professionally and who you know in the business world. Think of it as an online resume with a twist: instead of just listing jobs and education history, use this space to tell people why they should hire or work with you
When writing your profile from the third person perspective, keep these tips in mind
- Use keywords that describe what type of job or career path might be right for someone with those skillset/expertise level
- Don't mention any names unless specifically asked; this could get awkward depending on who knows who else there already
Don't use the same resume for every single job. Instead, tailor each one to the specific company or position you're applying for
The best way to do this is by using the company's website as a reference point. Search for keywords that are relevant to their industry and then use those words in your resume (but don't copy the text verbatim!)
Conclusion
Now that you know what to do and how to do it, I hope you can start making some money with Linkedin. If all else fails and your profile still isn't getting any results, try changing up the keywords or even switching careers completely! Happy job hunting
