13 free tips on how to use LinkedIn effectively
Love to grow your connections, engagement and opportunities on LinkedIn? Here are 13 free tips how to use the platform effectively .
LinkedIn is often known as the ‘Facebook of the business community’. Almost all working professionals around the world use the social media platform to help their careers in the long term. LinkedIn can also be used to grow your professional profile and business. But not everyone knows how to use the platform to fully maximize its benefits and use its tools.
LinkedIn’s most prominent feature is as a massive job portal. It allows potential employers and employees to connect easily. But using a new platform is not always a straightforward task and can be challenging, especially when it comes to your job job search.
Thankfully, several online tools like this LinkedIn profile writer service can help candidates increase their chances of getting hired.
In no particular order, here are 13 free tips on how to use LinkedIn effectively.
1) Share more visual or video-based content
Recent surveys have shown that LinkedIn, like many other platforms, now favors video over other content forms. But it also prefers engaging visual content in the form of images and carousels. Videos and visual content are known to grip users more effectively and can quickly be shared. Users can also add links to videos and other forms of content on external websites.
2) Be consistent with your posts
Users always need to be consistent if they want to create a strong LinkedIn profile with a big following. Without being regular, LinkedIn’s algorithms can reduce the overall reach and impact of posts. This would invariably result in a significant drop in engagement with a user’s audience. Users should also pay attention to not posting too much over a short period of time as it can be flagged as spam.
3) Add or accept connection invitations from credible profiles only
Users often use LinkedIn to connect with like-minded individuals from around the world. To keep the overall network more organized, LinkedIn also restricts specific actions. These include connecting with unfamiliar people. Users should further exercise their power of building quality connections.
This can help improve their audience’s engagement. Note – invitations sent with a personal message are more impactful than a generic reach out.
4) Less marketing and sales, more value
Several of today’s social platforms are filled with advertisements and promotions. These tend to clutter people’s timelines leading to increased frustration.
LinkedIn is one of the few platforms that have a formal and credible appeal to learning new information. So users should always focus on providing value through their posts. It helps way more than marketing or selling their products and services.
5) Create a cracking profile page
A LinkedIn profile page is the gateway to learning and understanding an individual and their accomplishments. Thus, every user should employ their best resume writing skills to add all their accolades and professional experience. Some of the vital sections to showcase one’s profile are current job role, bio, featured content, and more.
6) Like, comment on and share good content
A user’s overall activity matters as it goes on to determine their LinkedIn profile’s quality. And, LinkedIn almost always favors accounts with decent quality scores for more engagement and broader reach.
So, along with posting regularly, users should also continually engage with relevant content within their network. Note – users should engage with content that resonates with their personalities.
7) Use good hashtags and tag relevant accounts
LinkedIn’s hashtag system is one of the most powerful methods of tapping into wider audiences with content. You can use their recommendations tool to determine the most appropriate hashtags to use. Additionally, tagging various active accounts can add credibility and draw more eyes to posts. Users can also use other online tools to help with hashtags as there are plenty of methods of boosting reach.
8) Learn about the latest news in job markets
One of the most significant benefits for LinkedIn users is having unlimited access to various forms of helpful content. Because most users strive to improve their positioning on LinkedIn, one can find all types of information and news related to multiple job markets. Users can quickly learn vital information through merely browsing the platform.
9) Focus on building real and life-long connections
There are several stories of individual success and business partnerships that originated from LinkedIn. Owing to the platform’s focus on fostering stronger business connections, several individuals and organizations have partnered with each other and reap the benefits of mutual growth. Users should always use LinkedIn as a tool to foster their professional (and personal) careers.
10) Use LinkedIn analytics to improve your content
LinkedIn offers its users vital information on their activity and post performances to improve the overall delivery and quality. Users can find all their analytics data under “Me”, “Manage”, and “Posts & Activity”. Here, one can view metrics like the number of views, hashtag performance, types of audience, and more. Based on these, users can optimize their content to boost their reach and performance.
11) Select a smart profile picture and update your banner image regularly
Your profile picture is your first chance to make a great impression on potential connections or employers. A good and clean profile picture in a formal style is perfect for the business platform. Banner images could be used for giving additional information about your business and self. Regularly updating it can add to the first impression and provide information about your current situation.
12) Update your featured section regularly
LinkedIn’s featured section allows users to share their work experience and portfolios through external links or snippets. Most job seekers use this section to highlight their most prized professional accomplishments. Individuals can share their content in various forms like videos, PDFs, external links to personal websites, and more.
13) Try LinkedIn Premium to access several more features
LinkedIn’s premium service offers a wide variety of features that are hidden from regular users. Some of its main features are premium search filters, checking who viewed your profile, InMail, premium education, and more. Through its premium features, users can maximize their potential reach and impact throughout the business network.
How can you use LinkedIn more effectively?
Today, people from various parts of the globe can effectively communicate and work with each other. And, much of this can be credited to LinkedIn’s excellent user interface, content, and overall capabilities. Thanks to LinkedIn, it has never been easier to learn helpful job information or land a dream job.
But, with great power comes great responsibility. And all users hold the torch to their success. All they need to do is to apply their knowledge and skills in the right way.
