The Best Social Networking Platform for Business Networking
LinkedIn is the best social networking platform for professionals. Especially if you’re looking for a job, LinkedIn can connect you with people who can open the door to new career opportunities.
There are 300 million active users on LinkedIn and 41 percent of visitors come from a mobile device, according to the infographic below. By 2020, it’s estimated there will be 500 million people on LinkedIn. Obviously, LinkedIn is a powerful tool for connecting professionals with each other.
Ways to Leverage LinkedIn to Your Advantage
If you want to become a LinkedIn Jedi, there are a few steps you must follow. First, you need to manage your professional identity. Use LinkedIn to tout your professional experience, discover job opportunities, follow companies, and cultivate professional relationships.
As you connect with people on LinkedIn, remember quality over quantity as you build relationships. Ideally, you should connect with people who can help you advance your career and find new opportunities.
To get noticed by professionals, recruiters, and employers on LinkedIn, you need to leverage your profile. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is filled out COMPLETELY and that you have a professional summary written.
You should also upload samples of your work and try to get recommendations from your colleagues. These elements will boost your profile and build credibility for your professional reputation.
When you’re ready to make connections, there are a few things you can do to stand out to professionals. First, it’s a good idea to start connecting with co-workers, friends, and alumni. You should also connect with experts in your field. You can also join LinkedIn groups to connect with more people and follow influencers as well.
Enter the LinkedIn Jedi
These are just a few ways you can use LinkedIn to build your professional brand online. To learn more secrets of the LinkedIn Jedi, check out the following infographic (if you click on the infographic, a small, narrow image will appear on your screen. Then click the icon at the top and the image will magnify):
Conclusion
There’s no doubt that LinkedIn is the place where you need to hang out if you’re looking to do some serious professional networking. However, so many users are not using LinkedIn anywhere close to the full potential of its reach.
Are you one of them? If so, just bookmark this article or keep this infographic handy so you can refer back to it whenever you need to work on your profile, your company page, or when you’re developing your business networking strategy.
What do you think of this infographic?
Have you seen any dramatic change in your professional or brand development after implementing the strategies outlined above?
Did the tips on improving your LinkedIn profile help you land a new, higher-paid job?
Let us know in the comments section below-and may the LinkedIn Jedi force be with you! 🙂