In my previous post, we went over how to set up your LinkedIn profile for digital marketing, but then what?
What is the next step?
Back ten years ago, after setting up your account, if someone searched for your name on Google, more than likely your LinkedIn profile will be the first result.
But now that LinkedIn is now an established social media platform, it is harder than ever to position your profile to be discovered on the first spot, unless you have a very unique name.
In using your LinkedIn profile to establish your own personal brand, there are several things you can do to help you rise to the cream of the crop.
Set up a complete profile
The simplest and best way to rank higher on search results is to provide as much detailed information are you can to have a complete LinkedIn profile.
You have probably noticed LinkedIn also actively tries to get you to complete your profile so that employers or recruiters can find the best candidates.
You will know you have a complete profile when your profile strength says “All-Star.”
Set up valuable skills
LinkedIn allows you to set up to 50 skills on your profile, but I would not recommend you try to fill out all 50 of them.
Instead, you should focus on the skills that you are really strong at.
This way, people from your network are more likely to endorse your skills without having to feel guilty that they are lying about it.
You also don’t need to bullshit your skill set during an interview when asked.
If you aren’t sure what skills to add or to focus on, LinkedIn recently posted the top 25 skills that can get you hired in 2017.
Create a compelling job title
Based on search engine results, besides your name and location, only your headline will show up on the listings.
This is why it is important for you to have the right message on there. Explain your job title clearly to show exactly what you do and where you skills are.
A bad job title example would be a marketing ninja growth hacker. This explain nothing to the reader and looks more like pure BS.
A better job title could be a junior email marketing coordinator. This clearly shows what career level you are at and what area of digital marketing you are focusing on.
Use your network
Based upon LinkedIn’s search algorithm, your profile is more likely to show up and rank higher if you have good quality connections.
Good quality connections means other professionals who are in your industry, have a high profile strength, and is actively engaged on LinkedIn.
Of course with most things, there are diminishing returns to the amount of connections you have. So if you go from 10 connections to 300, this will really impact your profile rankings, but then going from 1000 to 1300 won’t make as big as a different as the initial jump.
As stated earlier, you can also use your network to endorse your skills and give you recommendations, which will do wonders for your profile.
The best way to go about this is to simply do a trade off with others in your network, where you both endorse and give each other recommendations.
Use keywords in your work experience
A big part of what makes up your LinkedIn profile is your current and past work experience. Use this section to highlight your skills and employment record.
The key here is researching keywords recruiters or employers tend to use in job ads for digital marketing positions you are looking for.
The more fine-tuned your keywords are in your skills, job description and title, the higher the chance employers or recruiters will come across your profile when they use the LinkedIn search algorithms.
Use the LinkedIn publishing platform
LinkedIn’s publish platform is a fantastic way to not only build your portfolio and show your expertise, but it also helps boost your engagement and LinkedIn profile strength.
When you publish an article on LinkedIn, it will appear on your profile, which will help extend your reach and impress any potential employers or recruiters.
Be active in LinkedIn groups
LinkedIn is for professionals, but it is still a social networking platform.
It is easy for most digital marketers to leave their accounts alone once they settle down into their job.
But LinkedIn has been putting more importance on being engaged whether it is through user groups, replying to updates in your network, or sharing and creating posts.
All these different engagement activities will help drive your profile views up and make you more likely to appear at the top of search results.
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