7 LinkedIn Secrets You Need To Know

So you think you're doing everything you can on LinkedIn.

Think again.

LinkedIn isn’t just an online resume, it is a social network. It’s time to stop lurking on LinkedIn and draw attention to your profile by actually using the many features and functions.

 7 Things To Do On LinkedIn

Before you start applying these new ideas, get a benchmark of how many people are currently viewing your profile.

You can see how many people (and which companies) have viewed your profile. LinkedIn summarizes this information for you when you view your profile. You will see two numbers on your homepage: how many people have viewed your profile and how many people have viewed your posts.

When you click on either number it will take you to a new page with greater detail. (FYI: I use the free version of LinkedIn, so you can do this too.)

Who are the companies and what job titles of people who are looking at your profile? Are these companies you want to work for and job titles of people who could hire you? If so, you’re on the right track. If not, you’ll need to be smarter in what you say in your profile and what you are sharing on LinkedIn.

[Read: Is Your LinkedIn Profile Awesome? A 20 point checklist]

Write down your numbers so you can compare them to the number after 30 days of implementing some of these actions. You will notice a difference. More importantly, you’ll experience more activity on LinkedIn too!

1. Tag Someone

To make sure someone sees something you are sharing, tag them in your status update and they will receive a notification from LinkedIn.

To do this, type the @ sign and begin typing the name of the person (or organization) you want to tag in the status update field. You will see a dropdown list appear under the name you have typed. Just click on the correct listing.

You know you’re tagging someone when the name is highlighted in blue. You don't need to be connected to the person you are tagging so this can be a good way to get on someone's radar. Use this with caution! Don't spam people. Make them glad they see what you've shared.

2. Personalize Every Invite To Connect You Send

As common as this may sound, the majority of invitations people receive are generic. People you invite are more likely to accept your invitation if you explain why you want to connect. In fact, some people consider the generic invite lazy or even unprofessional.

To prevent this from happening, always visit the member’s profile and then click “Connect.” If you accidentally send a generic invite, immediately send an InMail or message to the person you connected with and explain who you are and why you want to connect. We all make mistakes, but taking the time to explain yourself to a future connection may actually strengthen your relationship.

3. Like, Comment or Share One Article Every Day

It may seem extreme to post something daily, but most people will not log into their LinkedIn profile every day, and even if they do, they may not see your activity.

When you share relevant daily updates, it increases the odds that people in your network will see your name and face in their home feed and associate you with the information you share.

Add an introduction or short explanation about why you are sharing the article to catch a reader’s attention.

Another option is to like an interesting post someone has shared on LinkedIn and leave a comment. (Commneting on posts within Groups is another great strategy!)

[Read: 10 LinkedIn Status Updates for Job Seekers]

2 Ways To Find Great Articles to Share

Skim your home feed on LinkedIn. Look for interesting and relevant news your network is sharing. Then share (or re-share) the article. Don’t forget to tag the person who originally shared it. It’s nice to receive this type of recognition!

Read industry publications. If you search for and find something outside of LinkedIn, most publishers offer “share” buttons which allow you to share it on LinkedIn. Search your home feed on LinkedIn Whenever you like or comment on something someone has shared, it will ping them. This is one way to keep your name in front of your valuable network.

4. Write A Recommendation For Someone

Before you visit a new restaurant or order a new product online, do you read the reviews? Recruiters and companies are no different. Before they hire you or even interview you, they want to know what others think about you.

If it’s uncomfortable or awkward to ask for a recommendation, why not write one instead? Writing a recommendation for a colleague, manager or client is not only nice, it makes you look good, too. A well-written testimonial shows your professionalism, leadership and strong moral character. Seeing these characteristics in action may be more powerful than just listing them in your summary or on your resume.

A well-written testimonial shows your professionalism, leadership and strong moral character. Seeing these characteristics in action may be more powerful than just listing them in your summary or on your resume. And one added

An added bonus: The person who receives your recommendation may be prompted to write one for you in return, which will only bolster your LinkedIn profile.

5. Publish An Article On LinkedIn

If you’ve always wanted to blog or have a knack for writing, this is your opportunity to show off your communication skills or tell a story about your job, company or career. You may choose to write a case study about a job success you took part in, list your favorite “tools of the trade,” provide your opinion on an industry trend or describe a personal career achievement.

Anything you write should be free of grammatical and typographical errors so be sure to proofread your work before hitting publish. Once published, share your article as a status update on LinkedIn and the other social media channels you are active on to gain greater readership.

FYI: When someone searches your profile, your most recent article is featured immediately below your summary section.

6. Create a Career Summary Using SlideShare

Sometimes it is challenging to condense your work history onto one or two pages. What if you could create a presentation highlighting your career achievements instead? Start by creating a visual summary of your career using your favorite presentation software. If you aren’t sure what to use, search online for the presentation program that you feel comfortable with. Then upload it to SlideShare, which is owned by LinkedIn.SlideShare is a repository of presentations on many different topics.

Once you have uploaded your presentation into SlideShare, share it as a status update on LinkedIn.

You can embed it in your Summary section or under a job. Use your creativity and you’ll find endless options for ways to use SlideShare to highlight your personal brand.

(You can see 3 examples here)

7. Let Recruiters Know You're Open To New Opportunities

UPDATED: This is now under "Career Interests". This feature on LinkedIn allows companies and recruiters to see that you are actively open to new jobs and opportunities. Recruiters who work for your current employer listed on LinkedIn will not be able to see this annotation, to prevent the wrong people from knowing you are in a job search.

To turn this setting on, go to the jobs icon and click on “Update career interests.”

Next, make sure you fill out all the fields requested by LinkedIn, such as the job title, geographic preference and types of companies you are interested in. This should help match you with the right jobs or opportunities.

If you want more advice for your job search, try some of these articles:

• Use the LinkedIn Publishing Platform to Tell Your Story
• Make Your LinkedIn Profile Media Rich
• The Easiest Way to Research and Find Alumni on LinkedIn