Throughout these early #31DaysOfLinkedIn, we have focused on what you can do to be more proactive and what you can do to bring others into your new activities. Let’s focus on getting you found today, tomorrow, and in the future.
How to get found on LinkedIn
Complete your profile: Every time I go to my LinkedIn profile, I am prompted to share something else about myself. If this is happening to me, and I am still far from perfect when it comes to LinkedIn, it is happening to you. Take a minute and tell the platform where you went to middle school and what certifications you have picked up along the way. These tidbits will help you to be discovered by folks searching for those terms…and will also show up in your connections timelines. Word of advice…spread these updates out over time. A connection recently updated her profile in about ten different ways, which were all published to the public. She surely now has a giant red flag over her head from her employer. If they are paying attention.
Keep your skills updated: Along with the point above, if you learn something you should say something. Learn a second or third language through an accredited school? Update it. Take an evening course in something related to your career? Publish it. Take a tango class at the rec center and get a certificate for your cha-cha-cha? Publish it as well. Even the lighter skills you pick up in life can be, and should be with moderation, published on LinkedIn as it will show how well-rounded/cultured of a person you are.
Optimize your headline: According to the link here, we have talked about this previously. And we will until the end of the 31 Days series because it is that important. Sell yourself in those 120 characters.
Keep your connections: There is a lot to be said in life about the company you keep. The same holds true for LinkedIn. We have discussed LION before and recommended a more judicious connection acceptance policy. Remember, every time you connect with someone it is published to your connections. If you accept every connection from every monorail salesman what sort of image are you projecting to the rest of your professional connections?
Obligatory
Backlink yourself: Your LinkedIn profile will (should) be one of the top items in Google search results for your name. Another way to make sure this is the case is to install your LinkedIn web address as a link in your other social media profiles, your Medium account, as your link in professional online directories related to your profession, and every other place you can think of. It’s not a perfect science but it will not hurt for you to take these actions!
Your own private/public History Channel: Be sure the history which you publish about yourself on LinkedIn is accurate, up to date, and covers all of your professional history. You’ll never know when someone from that first job out of college will connect with you and she is now the president of a jillion-dollar corporation!
Be active, dang it: As we have said before… Use. LinkedIn. Daily. (Does this count as two Simpsons references in one post?) If you aren’t active, you fall behind. If you look at the activity in your timeline, you’ll see most of your connections are inactive. Is that really where you want to be? Interact with those who are active, post a post, post a blog to Publisher, comment on activities in a Group. All of these actions will help you to be found on LinkedIn.
These all seem like fairly simple steps, don’t they? What else would you recommend LinkedIn users do to be found on the platform? Leave your thoughts and tips in the comments below and be sure to hit the share links on this page to get these nifty Simpsons references the audience they deserve!
Gus Wagner is the President.Owner of The Rocket Group – an award-winning marketing and communications firm headquartered in Jefferson City, Missouri which serves clients across North America. The Rocket Group has specialized in building effective tools across traditional means and new media for clients in businesses, organizations, and nonprofits since 2001. Gus is also a five-time certified Social Media Strategist, a former Chief of Staff in the Missouri State Senate, a retired national champion amateur hockey coach, and a would like to be a singer/songwriter.
