How To Master LinkedIn For Your Professional Development

Are you aware of a photography portfolio? Incase you are not, it is a collection of some of the finest works of a photographer, assembled in a single place to showcase their best work to the people. LinkedIn is the place for every working professional to showcase their work, and their LinkedIn profile is their portfolio. This article will teach you how to master LinkedIn and create a professional portfolio with finesse.

In this article

1. Why is LinkedIn different and how to leverage it
2. How to Use LinkedIn To Builds Trust and Solid Rapport with Your Followers
3. The Best Way To Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
4. Conclusion

Why is LinkedIn different, and how to leverage it?

Our generation is accustomed to many social media platforms. From Orkut to TikTok, we know how to use it, but building a social network is not its primary goal when it comes to LinkedIn. You are not there to socialise but to build your professional network, which is what sets it apart. Quickly replacing traditional resumes, LinkedIn is becoming a primary job-talent search tool. But to get the best of it, it is essential to know how to use it judiciously.

1. Build your community: It is essential to be connected with like-minded people. Building your tribe is important not just in life but in business as well. Engaging with the right people can be enlightening and give your life that little nudge to steer in the right direction. Worldwide, LinkedIn is used for networking. It’s great to help you connect with like-minded individuals and stay in touch with the latest developments in your field of expertise.
   
   Further, 80% of people on LinkedIn are in decision-making roles [1]. If you are looking for a job, a fresh start, or simply intrigued about a particular topic, you can directly reach out to the person concerned. This gives you immense power over someone who couldn’t even get an appointment with that person (before the advent of LinkedIn), forget having a conversation.
   
2. Give and receive recommendations and endorsements: Recommendations and endorsements are LinkedIn’s very own way of giving back. If you have worked with a person and know their strengths and weaknesses, don’t just sit there. Recommend and endorse. This not only builds that person’s credibility but also helps others understand how the other person can contribute to their organisation. 
   
3. Use LinkedIn Groups: Thanks to LinkedIn groups, it is now much easier to connect with people with similar interests owing to the platform’s massive reach. Be a part of such groups. Not just to decorate your profile but to learn what’s new and keep up to date with the developments in your field and interest.

Also read: What Do You Plan To Achieve With LinkedIn?

How To Use The Platform To Builds Trust & Solid Rapport With Your Followers ?

Did you know that LinkedIn gives the best organic results and is responsible for driving a majority of social traffic media to B2B websites? [2]. In fact, it is also considered the most trusted source of content. So, the trust in the platform is already there; all you need to do is maintain that trust. Be authentic and follow the dos and don’ts of a professional space:

1. Be wary of the content you post: Content is the king, only when it is authentic. There is a massive surge of duplicate content on the internet. The copy-paste trend is ruining the value for readers as they often end up reading the same content. If you are creating content, make sure it is authentic, adds something novel and is valuable to the end consumer. Who knows? You may end up becoming an influencer with massive reach.
   
   
2. Focus on video content, preferably go live: Over time, it has been proved that videos drive higher engagement. It has been reported that LinkedIn live streams get 7 times more reactions than regular videos [3].
   
3. Keep up with the consistency: Don’t vanish, and don’t ghost your audience. While building connections is meaningful, keeping them engaged is even more important, and all it takes is one post a week! According to a study, it was reported that a weekly post doubles the engagement rate [4].
    
4. Observe professional etiquette: This is by far the most critical point in my view since, what sets LinkedIn apart from other platforms is its professional capacity. Therefore, it is primary to maintain professional decorum in the forum. Don’t spam, don’t lie and don’t spy. When addressing an individual, use personalisation and always remember to follow up. Nobody likes being ghosted. So get active and reply.

Also read: The Rise of UGC & The Consumer’s Love Affair With Word Of Influencers 

The Best Way To Optimize Your Profile

Coming back to your LinkedIn portfolio, your mascot, your profile, your very selling point! It goes without saying that it should be the best and MUST stand out. Your profile matters! Have an up-to-date & complete profile. Here’s what you can do

1. Add a picture: A professional photo can get you 14x more views. What are you waiting for? Add it to your profile [5].
   
2. Complete your profile: It is essential to have a complete profile because as you already know, the LinkedIn profile is the new resume. Therefore it’s imperative to have a complete and up-to-date profile that depicts your professional journey, right from your first internship to your current position.
   
3. List all the relevant skills: Did you know that listing 5 relevant skills can improve the chances of your profile getting discovered by 31 times? Yes! It’s true [6].
   
4. Use your profile page as a canvas: Lastly, treat your LinkedIn profile like a canvas and put down everything relevant to you and your prospective recruiter there. Your work experience, education details, about yourself, likes, dislikes, interests, skills, etc. and a sample of your work (if possible). Also try getting endorsed and get recommendations from others, as it helps others see your capabilities put to use through various other lenses.

Conclusion

LinkedIn is a gold mine if tapped correctly. It is important to understand how to use it effectively to make the most of it. The suggestions and pointers listed represent just the tip of the iceberg. LinkedIn offers many other remarkable features to boost your professional career. For instance, you can learn new skills and enhance your professional expertise and remember, let your profile do all the hard work. Once you have fully tapped into your LinkedIn profile and get the full advantages, professionally and personally, you’ll be surprised at what a difference it makes.

Also recommended: LinkedIn Brings Virtual Events To Connect Communities Online

Endnotes:

1. https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/audience
2. https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/content-marketing/linkedin-b2b-marketing
3. https://blog.hootsuite.com/linkedin-statistics-business/
4. https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/cx/20/08/read-me-if-you-want-to-advertise-better-on-linkedin
5. https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/2014/12/5-tips-for-picking-the-right-linkedin-profile-picture
6. https://kinsta.com/blog/linkedin-statistics/#:~:text=LinkedIn%20now%20has%20830%20million%20members%20with%20over%2058%20million%20registered%20companies.&text=Of%20those%20LinkedIn%20users%20who,1%20billion%20interactions%20every%20month.