LinkedIn is the must-have social media account for anyone in business, but there’s often been a somewhat love-hate relationship with the platform. However, with constant upgrades and new features being added, what once was a seemingly clunky platform is now proving useful.
Yes, it can be daunting, but once you’re into the habit of checking in regularly, engaging in the topics and conversations that interest you, and sharing your own compelling and useful content, as well as sharing the content of others, you’ll find you’re getting more out of it and reaping the benefits.
1. Make a Good First Impression
If someone is visiting your LinkedIn profile page, the first thing they’re likely to look at is your profile picture. Consider what your profile picture says to a new or potential contact.
- Ensure your photo is up-to-date and a realistic representation of what you look like in the present day.
- Go for a head and shoulders shot, taken by someone else (not a selfie), with your face taking up approx. 60% of the space.
- Use a decent quality photo and avoid anything grainy or using long-distance shots that you’ve zoomed in on.
- Smile! You’ll appear far more approachable if you’re smiling. This doesn’t have to be a big cheesy grin. You could even try smiling with your eyes (Tyra Banks eat your heart out).
For more information on what else you can do to improve your LinkedIn profile page, click here.
2. Join in Conversations
Liking a post is fine, but having something to say and engaging with posts that interest you is far more likely to get you noticed. Starting a conversation is even better, so share content that interests you and ask others what they think, create your own posts and invite conversations.
3. Expand your Network
Are you actually connected with all of your contacts? If you sync your email address book with your LinkedIn account, the platform will suggest people for you to connect with. This will highlight people that you haven’t spoken to in a while and even people that you just hadn’t realised you weren’t connected with. Gaining an insight into what they’re posting and letting them do the same, is a great way to grow those connections and even to start a new conversation.
Check out some of our other blogs on improving your company’s social media:
7 Ways a Small Business Can Improve its Social Media Presence
