12 reasons why you are losing out if you are not taking LinkedIn seriously

With the number of startups and small businesses increasing exponentially over the last decade the need to communicate and engage has never been higher as businesses look for customers to sell to, employees to increase productivity and investors and partners to scale their business to the next level.

If you find yourself in any of these categories social media will play an extremely crucial role in what you might be looking for. You only need a glance at the statistics to know what I am saying:

·        Over 3 billion people are using social media right now (Social Media Today)

·        The average user spends 6 hours a day on the internet and an estimated 2 hours and 24 mins daily on social media. (Statista)

·        40% of users do so stay up-to-date with current trends, 33% use it for networking purposes and 31% use it to research/find products to buy. (Statista)

Simply put, you and your business are either on social media presence or planning to go extinct. That said, today I want to put the spotlight on the world’s number one social platform right now for businesses and professionals: LinkedIn.

For those who have no idea what LinkedIn is for, well it’s for just about anybody who is pursuing a professional career. So it is ideal for students, employees, employers, freelancers, entrepreneurs and businessmen and many more. But only a few people are harnessing the immense career-building opportunities LinkedIn has to offer. You can't just dump your resume and think it ends there. Ever since I started taking it seriously I have fallen in love with LinkedIn and it is no surprise that serious professionals and companies consider it their leading platform for generating leads, getting a job or discovering their next business partner. Look at some interesting stats below:

·        According to Microsoft, its holding company, on average every 7 seconds someone is hired on LinkedIn. (LinkedIn, 2020)

·        There are nearly 675 million members in more than 200 countries on LinkedIn. (LinkedIn, 2020)

·        LinkedIn is considered the most trusted social platform for the 3rd year running. (Business Insider)

·        92% of Fortune 500 companies use LinkedIn (Social Pilot)

·        There are over 30 million companies listed on the platform (LinkedIn, 2019)

·        It is the 2nd most popular platform for B2B marketing after Facebook (Social Media Examiner)

·        52% of buyers use LinkedIn for their research before they purchase anything. (Demandbase, 2018)

·        LinkedIn generates revenue for 38% of B2B marketers (Social Pilot)

·        About 45% of LinkedIn article readers are in upper-level positions (managers, VPs, Directors, C-level) [Social Pilot]

·        80% of all B2B leads coming from social media are from LinkedIn. (Social Pilot)

Now I will run you through twelve ways you can leverage LinkedIn to take your career to the next level:

1. Build Trust with an All-Star profile

There’s a reason LinkedIn ranks high on trust and it is due to the professional nature of the network. Whether you are looking for a job, customers or investors, or simply looking to grow your network, nobody would work with you if they do not trust you and the first step in winning their trust is with a presentable profile.

One of the mistakes beginners on the platform make is thinking simply signing up is enough to gain attention. It’s not. You need to have a respectable profile that would leave a solid first impression on your potential clients or employers. You can do this by completing LinkedIn’s step-by-step tutorial guide for completing an All-Star profile.

A complete profile will display your achievements, recommendations, endorsements & relevant skills publicly to anyone who checks out your profile. Taking the time to craft an All-star LinkedIn profile will go a long way in erasing certain doubts that would-be employers or partners might have if you contacted them.

2. Become an Industry Authority

There are many influencers littered on LinkedIn just like the other platforms but many did not get there by magic. They did so by choosing to post useful content on relevant niches and building connections with the right people in their industry. For example, if you want a brand name in the field of HR, look no further than Brigette Hyacinth's profile and it is easy to see why: She is always posting useful content that resonates with her connections. The takeaway here is to post content relevant to your industry and audience and do it consistently. Are you in the construction field? You can post tips on the latest construction trends or give updates on upcoming industry events. With time, you would build yourself as a thought leader and leverage that for your career.

3. Build a solid network through valuable connections

As the name suggests, social networking sites are primarily for growing your network. Unlike Facebook and IG where you connect with people just for fun (and for business purposes too), LinkedIn is geared towards building a network of professionals. The site is home to millions of people building careers and based on your chosen industry, it seeks to connect you with others in your field. Depending on how well you develop a relationship with these connections (and I’d be happy to show you how), they could come in handy someday. All you have to do is send a connection request to anybody. But remember, LinkedIn frowns on spamming. Don't spam people's inboxes. It's the quickest way to remain obscure...

4. Generate Leads for your business

If your business provides services directly to other businesses (which is what B2B actually means) then you're right at home. 90% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to distribute content to potential customers. Lead generation is easier than on other networks because with LinkedIn you are engaging with already-qualified prospects who are ready to buy your products and services if you earn their trust.

5. Build a personal/company brand

Similar to point 2, you can leverage the features of LinkedIn to build your personal brand. This strategy will work better in collaboration with other social platforms. You can write articles about your products or services you offer. The Professional Headline feature on your profile is a great way to show who you are in as few words as possible. 

That’s not all. LinkedIn also provides a Summary section that allows you to write a brief bio (2300 character max limit) about yourself and what you do. Take advantage of the space and sell yourself to potential clients.

6. Get support from Industry peers & leaders

Remember when I said building connections would come in handy someday? This is why. A well-built network can be leveraged to gain support from people in your field. You could ask or advice from more established professionals concerning a job or task. You could access your network to gain public speaking gigs or organize events together. The support is almost endless, and all it takes is a click of a button.

7. Create and consume valuable and relevant content

Use your profile to post useful content with your connections to build engagement. Just like other platforms, LinkedIn gives more coverage to the most engaging posts. Ways you could post include articles on the latest industry trends from credible websites, and asking for people’s opinions on specific issues.

You can use the ‘Write an Article’ feature to write blog-like articles and give a more detailed account of your thoughts. I especially like this feature because LinkedIn notifies everyone in your connections whenever you publish a new article. Easy way to get eyes on your work and strengthen your presence.

Also, take advantage of hashtags to discover new content about topics that interest you. Read this comprehensive guide to using LinkedIn hashtags for better understanding.

8. Use LinkedIn Learning and Slideshare to gain new knowledge and skills

LinkedIn has teamed up with thousands of educators through Slideshare and LinkedIn Learning to create online courses to equip people with new skills and knowledge. You could learn about almost anything. From Microsoft Office to Graphic designing to blockchain technology and ethical hacking, there is something for everyone. The world is evolving and so are the skills and abilities required for certain jobs. So if you lack any new skills relevant to your industry it is the best way to brush up and remain competitive. LinkedIn Learning offers a free 1-month trial. If you like the program you can start a monthly subscription and continue learning as much as you can. Good luck!

9. Find Jobs

LinkedIn was created with this reason in mind and I can comfortably say it has lived up to expectation. There are now a whopping 20 million open job listings on LinkedIn! The company earlier this year claimed that someone is hired on the platform every 8 seconds. Use LinkedIn Jobs to create custom job alerts and get notified when LinkedIn finds a result with your preferences. It goes a step further to help you prepare for common job interview questions with the test prep feature in the LinkedIn Jobs tab. Make sure your profile displays skills and experiences relevant to the type of job you are looking for. This way employers will not rule you out of potential vacancies.

10. Recruit people for jobs

Getting the right staff to work with should not be a struggle and LinkedIn gets the full mark for acing this section. If you are hiring, your best bet of finding qualified prospects would be through LinkedIn. There are millions on the platform who are ‘open to new opportunities’ and looking for jobs. You can set up a job listing in less than five minutes and get a shortlist of people you want to interview. You can view your shortlisted applicants’ profiles to have a look at their relevance. When you upgrade to LinkedIn Premium, you can view profiles in private mode so that you are not bombarded with spam requests in your inbox.

11. Start a show

This is a relatively new trend I have observed for some time. Video content on the platform has increased considerably over the past year. Research shows that video content gets the most engagement compared to text and image combined. YouTube is the undisputed leader in video content consumption, and it's safe to say it’s going to stay that way for a long time, but there’s still no stopping you from using LinkedIn live to start your own live show. LinkedIn notifies your connections whenever you go live. This is especially effective if you have built up a following and have become an authority in a niche. Use the live feature to share new content or engage with your followers through a Q&A session. This will build trust and strengthen your personal brand.

12. Start a blog

The 'Write An Article' feature allows you to create long-form posts. This can be a great way to kickstart your writing career. (I for one am doing just that). Considering that it will cost you zero bucks to write, you lose nothing. Use this to practice your writing and compare it with the quality of your mentors. Include a call-to-action for readers to give you feedback. This might not fill your pocket just yet, but it can help you gauge whether you would succeed in the field of blogging. Your articles will then begin to generate some revenue for you indirectly. How? An exhaustive list of articles will serve as your proof when you start applying for paid writing gigs and a client requests for an example of your work.

13. Join a community with LinkedIn Groups

Just as you will find subject-specific groups on Facebook, you have the same options on LinkedIn. There are a lot of benefits to joining a group. LinkedIn is a very professional network and so you need to be intentional with your networking. Find industry-specific groups, or create one. Grow a strong community of professionals with a common interest. Create engagement among members with interesting videos, news updates. Start a discussion with a popular topic. Controversial topics can generate a lot of opinions, but be careful; go over the top and you might lose them for good.

Conclusion

Others have elevated and revived their careers through LinkedIn. There is no reason why you can’t do same. Exploring and experimenting with the social site could land you your next big opportunity. And judging from the stats, LinkedIn is only going to get bigger and better. The best time to join LinkedIn is now. The second best time to join LinkedIn is now.

So are you ready to get started with LinkedIn? Which tip did you like best? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Sources

https://www.socialpilot.co/blog/social-media-statistics

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/linkedin-reaches-675-million-members-continues-to-see-record-levels-of-en/571435

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/10-linkedin-stats-to-guide-your-social-media-marketing-strategy-in-2020-in/572388