LinkedIn is a fantastic networking tool that has been around since before Facebook and Twitter. This platform allows anyone to connect professionally with other people in their field and build a career. LinkedIn has become a network that anyone and everyone can use; however, not everyone knows how to use it to their advantage. Knowing how to best construct your LinkedIn profile could be the difference between a company overlooking you or reaching out to you. In this episode of Influence Factory, Wayne Breitbarth, author of “The Power Formula for LinkedIn Success,” teaches you how to leverage your LinkedIn profile for ultimate networking success.
The Original Social Network
LinkedIn has been around since 2002 and A LOT of things have changed since then. With new social networks popping up left and right, LinkedIn has had to make some changes to keep up with all other social networks. By adding features such as an accomplishments section and recommendations on how to strengthen your profile, LinkedIn has become stronger than ever. Even though LinkedIn has all these amazing features, it is important to know how to use them effectively to get the most out of your profile.
Get Your Point Across
This platform has a ton of sections and features that allow you to highlight all of your amazing achievements and show everyone how awesome you are! Just make sure you are doing it in the most efficient way. LinkedIn’s summary section is set up so people viewing your profile will only see the first two lines of the summary unless they click the “see more” button below it. Because of this, Breitbarth stresses how it is crucial to have all your important information at the top of your summary section. Most people will likely scroll through your profile quickly and scan it for the most important information. This is a great way to ensure that people will get a good understanding of who you are and what you can do immediately.
Not Your Average Resume
The original purpose for LinkedIn was to have a space to put your resume online and connect with professionals in hopes of getting hired. Today, the underlying purpose is still the same but with a little bit of a new take. Breitbarth says that “The beautiful thing about (LinkedIn) profiles is they don’t have resume rules.” It is a little less strict than an actual resume, because it’s like any other social media platform. You have a profile picture, there is a messaging feature to chat with other members, and you can even make posts. The only difference is that the people you are interacting with are also professionals in your related field of work.
Using Key Words
LinkedIn is a social media platform for professionals looking to connect with other professionals in related fields of work, but it is also used as a search engine to find specific people, skills or job titles. Utilizing key words can really make your profile stand out – literally! When you use LinkedIn’s search function, you can type in a word and LinkedIn will compute all businesses and people that use that word in their profile. The best place for you to use key words in your profile according to Breitbarth are, the headline, all job titles if applicable, and the skill section. By doing this, your profile will be easier to discover and you will gain a lot more exposure.
In Summary
LinkedIn is one of the first social media platforms and has stayed relevant in the ever changing world of social media by constantly updating and adding new features. Knowing how to properly utilize each feature is essential in order to get the most out of your profile. Using key words and organizing your information efficiently are just a few ways you boost up your LinkedIn profile. By following Breitbarth’s tips, your LinkedIn profile will surely bring you success!
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