How to Win on LinkedIn

 I still remember when I created my LinkedIn. I was a freshman in college and I had little to no idea what the purpose of LinkedIn was. I knew it was a professional social media site, but besides that I did not understand how to truly use it. Like most college kids, I created my profile only to leave it sitting there collecting dust, checking every so often. When done right, LinkedIn can lead to exciting opportunities. When done wrong, it turns into an online resume for people to view. Like any social media, it takes work and activity to get the most out of it. I am going to discuss seven tips to help you build your brand, expand your network, and ultimately establish a presence on LinkedIn.

1.      Joining Groups

Joining groups can be used to stay connected with people you already know and meet people you don’t know. I recently joined the UF Warrington College of Business group. There are about 10,000 people in the group and I have about 70 connections who are also in the group. I can search through the group for people in my field to connect with. They are a part of the gator nation and I am sure they would be open to a conversation about what it is they do and how they got there. Join groups with which you are affiliated along with some that are related to your interest. Go through your groups, search for people in your industry, and connect with them. Do not be afraid to reach out to a group member to introduce yourself, learn more about their experience, and any tips for how they got there. People are more willing to help than you think, join groups and meet some new people.

2.      Who to Follow

This can be a great tool to expand your network, which is one of the primary goals of LinkedIn. Make sure to follow your role models and companies you may want to work for because they post content relevant to you which you can share to your network. Read what they post to keep up with the industry, which is something you can show in an interview! (If you know the fed just raised interest rates 50bp, bring that up in your interview to show you follow the market). You can control what content you see by who you connect with and who you follow. Take advantage and follow leaders in your industry.

3.      Endorsements

The importance of endorsements is it shows recruiters and people who don’t know you how others perceive you. (i.e. if 45 people endorse you for leadership, then recruiters can see you are a leader within your community). The great part about endorsements is you can control what people endorse you for. I recommend selecting 3-5 attributes you have that relate to industry. Endorsing others will drive them to your profile to endorse you, which may lead them to check out some of your experiences or articles. Would endorse as frequently as possible, helps your friends and helps yourself. You never know who your friends know (Friend sees you are good at programming on LinkedIn they may mention you to somebody who is looking for a programmer). I am not saying this is likely, but if you remain active on LinkedIn it is going to lead to opportunities.

4.      Posting Statuses

Post frequently to build your brand, expand your network, and drive people to your profile. I recommend posting a status once or twice a week, whether it be sharing an article or a simple post. The reason for this is because you can use it to build your brand. (i.e. if you post a lot of investing and finance articles, people will perceive you to know a lot about finance). In addition, posting articles allows you to expand your network. If your connections like, share, or comment on your posts, it will come up on their connections (2nd and 3rd) newsfeed to view. Inevitably, the extra exposure to your posts is going to lead to an increase in profile views. People tend to view profiles of people on their newsfeed. You are more likely to click on what is in front of you instead of simply searching their name. Unless you have a large following, people are likely not going to search for your name. Utilize statuses to build your brand, engage with your connections, and increase activity.

5.      Like, Comment, and Share others Posts

LinkedIn is give and take. Don’t expect everybody to read what you post if you don’t do the same for them. Read their articles and comment, like, or share their posts to show you value what they say. You don’t have to do this for everything you read. Only comment, like, or share if you feel it deserving. Remember what you like, comment, and share is seen by your network. This all ties together into branding yourself. If you like, share, and comment others posts, it will lead your networks to believing you are engaged in a certain topic and it may draw the author of the post to click on your profile. (e.g. I comment on bob’s post about snapchat IPO, people who follow me see I follow the market. Bob, who cares about the market, may be inclined to view my profile because I have something in common with him and my name is right there to click on.) I find myself clicking on people's profile who like, comment, and share my content to see if they are somebody I would like to connect with professionally.

6.      Congratulate others on Promotions and New Jobs

This one goes with the last one, you have to give to receive. Show your support to people who have been promoted or landed a new job. You never know what power they have or who they may know, which can help you down the road. People remember, and that congratulations might be the difference between them referring you over another person (this isn’t because of the congrats itself but because your name is in their head more recently). Don’t let people forget about you, and not everybody goes through the newsfeed, so go out of your way to stay in their head.

7.      Write Articles

Writing articles is the most effective way to engage with your network, but it takes the most effort, which is why I would recommend writing anywhere from 1-3 articles (the more the merrier of course). Writing articles drives TONS of traffic to your profile. It also allows you to show your personality to recruiters and connections (you can get to know somebody through their writing and you want to differentiate yourself from others). You can write about whatever you want, but make sure to keep it relevant to your audience. I would also steer you away from discussing anything controversial or political. Writing articles allows you to show your personality, expand your network, and practice your writing skills. In addition, it is another awesome way to engage with your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd connections. I recommend you read some articles on LinkedIn to get a feel for the content, style, and length of articles (you should read my other articles).

If you follow these seven tips, I can promise you will successfully build your brand, expand your network, and increase the amount of activity on your profile. Don't let your LinkedIn only be an only resume. There is a ton of opportunity out there, go take advantage of it. I love meeting new people so please feel free to connect with me or reach out if you have any questions. Good luck!

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