LinkedIn is “the world’s largest professional network.” The online platform helps people stay in touch with their colleagues and professional peers in a way that old-school networking cannot touch. When using LinkedIn to progress your career goals, you’ll want to know how to use the platform effectively.
Tips to Get You Started
Start by using a professional photo. You want to avoid selfies or pictures showing you engaging in social activities. You might look great, but if you wouldn’t use the image on your company’s bio page, it doesn’t belong on LinkedIn.
When writing your bio, focus on a summary rather than hard skills. This will give potential connections a better idea of where you are in your career and where you want to go. You want to build on that by claiming your professional presence and sharing only current content that helps you create your professional persona.
Don’t forget the recommendations. Ask as many former or current colleagues as possible to endorse your skill set. That way, people looking at you for potential business dealings can see that real people have seen what you can do and know what you’re capable of.
Get Noticed with Top Strategies
You’re using LinkedIn to connect and get noticed. You can do that if you know how to utilize top strategies, such as:
- Use effective keywords in your profile and create an engaging headline. You want to use keywords like real estate in your headline because they are highly searched but not overly specific.
- Joining groups and affiliations that are in the same niche as your business
- Building relationships with others on the site by posting updates and engaging with others on their posts
- Creating a professional profile using LinkedIn’s Professional Builder
- Sharing your work and education history with your connections
- Coming up with an engaging headline
If you manage to do all that, your profile will be one to stand out amongst a sea of competitors.
Mistakes to Avoid
Knowing what not to do on LinkedIn is just as important as knowing top strategies and tips. You’ll want to avoid making mistakes on the site, such as over-promoting your listings. The platform isn’t for sales, so you must watch what you post. You don’t want to act like a spam account.
You can use what people say about your brand to build a better network if you listen more than you talk. Lastly, keep in touch with existing clients and friends. Established relationships are just as—if not more—important than new ones.
A LinkedIn Secret You Should Know
There are some things about LinkedIn that many on the site aren’t privy to, such as where it stands on Google. If you put a listing on LinkedIn, Google trusts the listing far more than if it were posted elsewhere, and because of that, it will appear in the top results.
How to Use LinkedIn Like a Pro
How you act on LinkedIn will drive how well the site works. If you want to use it like a pro, you’ll have to:
- Reconnect with everyone you know.
- Stay on top of your profile and keep it updated for the people that look you up on the site.
- Join groups to help you reach potential customers outside your real estate network.
- Post relevant and helpful real estate information for people who may need help buying or selling in between listing posts.
- Always, always, always be professional. It is not Facebook or Instagram, and posting anything you wouldn’t share with your boss is a no-go.
LinkedIn can be a valuable tool if you use it correctly. If you want to increase your productivity on LinkedIn but don’t know where to start, book a strategy session with us today! We can help get you where you need to be so that your LinkedIn profile grows your business.