From the pros: LinkedIn best practices

[Monirul Islam]

LinkedIn is dominating the digital world for professionals and job seekers who use it as an online resume, a portfolio and a networking tool. Leverage some of these LinkedIn best practices and build a stellar online presence so employers can discover you and your talents.

LinkedIn is so popular that it announced it had exceeded 100 million users and is currently adding one new member per second.

With the significant increase of LinkedIn users, job seekers, recruiters and professionals should all join in order to experience the benefits this channel continues to provide to its members. After all, the mission of LinkedIn is to:

"Connect the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful. When you join LinkedIn, you get access to people, jobs, news, updates, and insights that help you be great at what you do."

So how does LinkedIn fulfill its mission while creating a great user experience?

Blogging Platform
LinkedIn allows members to build their professional brand beyond their resume by allowing users to blog through their new publishing platform. When a member publishes a post on LinkedIn, their original content becomes part of their professional profile, is shared with their trusted network and has the ability to reach the largest group of professionals ever assembled.

How does this apply to your LinkedIn best practices? Job seekers can use this tool to showcase their strengths, skills and knowledge to make them further stand out in the flood of existing resumes. Recruiters can attract talent by blogging about the company culture, values and the benefits of joining their team. And all professionals can share their thoughts with people beyond their network while connecting with others over common interests and similar opinions. This is also a great way to show your thought leadership and use your expertise to be a leading voice in your industry.

Pulse
The digital age has transformed our technologies into tools that provide endless information and news. This ease of access has made us all hungry for content. With that in mind, LinkedIn has redesigned the reading experience for its users by making it easier, faster and more enjoyable to absorb and share insights from LinkedIn Pulse, their news engine.

LinkedIn Product Manager and co-founder of Pulse, Ashkay Kathari, shares the most recent round of improvements in his blog post:

"If you're visiting LinkedIn through your laptop, you'll finish reading a piece and scroll right to the next article in a series that's curated just for you. On our mobile app, you'll find more posts at the bottom from the author who originally captured your attention. Easily share with others in your LinkedIn network and other social platforms; join the discussion with a smart comment; and follow new voices and categories of interest. If you've written a post, track its progress with views, likes and comments, located prominently under the headline. You can jump in the conversations going on in the comments below your piece – or simply take note of what resonated for your next post Job Search Tools and App."

Job Search App
LinkedIn takes job searching to another level with its Job Search app. Currently available through the Apple App Store, it provides users a one-stop shop for their entire job hunting needs, and ensures they get all the updates of new jobs without ever missing a beat. App users can search for jobs anywhere and everywhere, customize job searches on the go, and gives them access to company information and who they may know at the companies they applied to.

Connected App
LinkedIn finally adds a human-to-human approach with their new Connected app which gives users relevant, and timely, reasons to reach out and keep in touch with the people in their networks. This gives members ways to connect with others in thoughtful and touching ways that strengthen relationships and build better networks. LinkedIn's goal for this app is to "take the 'work' out of networking."

Get Started
So don't just sit at your desk and be idle. Take action towards building your professional brand, build your knowledge and share your thoughts. Strengthen your networks and build meaningful relationships in your industry to grow your career. Be a part of the solution by utilizing all of the benefits of LinkedIn and provide your feedback to help this digital tool evolve to suit your needs now and for the future.

Source: https://www.brandman.edu/news-and-events/news/2017/08/17/13/13/from-the-pros-linkedin-best-practices