Step 1 to a successful LinkedIn campaign: Creating a presence

Some of my LinkedIn workshop attendees have told me they were encouraged to join LinkedIn because LinkedIn is the answer to their job search. I cringe when I hear this because what they were told is only partly true.

Being on LinkedIn will increase your chance of getting a job, but it isn't a guarantee, especially if you don't understand what it takes to be successful on LinkedIn.

I tell my foks their LinkedIn strategy involves 1) creating a presence, e.g. your profile, 2) connecting with others, and 3) being active. Without all three, your LinkedIn campaign will crash and burn.

Creating a presence. Let me make this easy for jobseekers who are starting their LinkedIn campaign. Leverage what you've already created, your professional résumé, by copying and pasting it to your profile. However, don't stop there. After doing this you need to revise it to reflect a networking document.

Many pundits have written about how to create a powerful profile, so I'll simply outline the necessary components:

Your Snapshot area is where you capture readers' attention with your quality photo and branding headline. Don't waste this area with a poorly done photo and a headline that simply states your title at your previous job. Both your photo and headline can brand you--a photo that shows you're a professional and a headline that states your strong areas of expertise.

Let's not forget how your headline can contribute to the keyword count. These are the skills recruiters/hiring managers/HR type into Search. Having the proper keywords and more instances of them will rank you higher and, consequentially, garner more visitors.

Make your Summary worth reading by writing it in first- or third-person point of view; include some Wow statements; and express your passion for what you do. You're allowed 2,000 characters for you Summary, so use them all. This will allow you to tell your story, as well as give you more space for those ever important keywords. For more on this, read 4 reasons why you need a strong LinkedIn Summary.

Your Experience section can resemble your Work History from your résumé or you can simply highlight the accomplishments. I favor the latter, but some think their profile might be the only document an employer sees, so showing all is the way to go, duties included.

One of the areas weighed heavily for keywords is the position's title. You're not limited to your title, e.g., Project Manager; you can add some areas of strength as well.

Ex. Project Manager | Budget | Lean Six Sigma | Cost Reduction | Leadership

Publish a post feature. For more than a year LinkedIn has offered the  feature which allows you to publish a post on LinkedIn. If you enjoy writing and feel you’re a good writer, show off your expertise and writing style. One of the posts I’m particularly proud of is 8 major job-search changes for older workers. I have published over 80 posts on LinkedIn. Obviously I enjoy writing. You can also be featured in Pulse, providing you receive enough “Likes” and views of your posts.

The Media section is where your profile can be really dynamic. I tell my workshop attendees that it's their online portfolio. There are a number of different media you can include in your Summary, Experience, and Education sections. On mine I share PowerPoint presentations and a link to my blog. Others, like my valued connection Anton Brookes, have YouTube videos and/or documents. What do you want to share with your LinkedIn visitors?

The Skills section, once called Skills and Expertise, and then called Skills and Endorsements. To reach 100% completion you must list at least five skills, but you're allowed to include up to 50. Endorsements are a big draw for this section and a feature that many LinkedIn members are drawn to. People can endorse you for your skills, whether they've seen you perform them or not. That's the drawback of Endorsements, if you ask me. On the other hand, they promote engagement and increase one's status.

Recommendations is a section I talk about in my LinkedIn workshops, and I am sure to say how valuable it is to receive from and write them for others. It's appropriate to mention this section of the profile below Skills because there is a debate brewing as to which are more important, Endorsements or Recommendations. In my mind, Recommendations take more time and thought to write than Endorsements which simply take a click or the mouse to give.

The Interests section is awesome. I don't know why I love this area of the profile, but I always point it out to my workshop attendees with enthusiasm. Tell me where could you include such cool information on your résumé. I explain that this is similar to their Hobbies and Interests, but much more. Here are some snippets from my profile:

PERSONAL ME | Spending time with my family, Spending too much time on LinkedIn, blogging about things career related, chillin' at Starbucks....PROFESSIONAL ME, LinkedIn training, LinkedIn strategy, LinkedIn profile critiques, LinkedIn profile writing, LinkedIn for business marketing....

You'll note these interests are hot links to people who also have these words on their profile. This is a great way to find people who also have interests in, say LinkedIn training or blogging.

Your Education is more than what you include on your résumé. It allows...or rather encourages you to expound on your degree and/or training. Along with the traditional information--college or university, dates attended (optional), GPA (also optional)--you're given the option to include Activities and Societies, as well as Description.

Next we'll look at the second of three components necessary for a successful LinkedIn campaign, Connecting with other LinkedIn members.

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Bob McIntosh, CPRW, is a career trainer who leads more than 17 job search workshops at an urban career center, as well as critiques LinkedIn profiles and conducts mock interviews. Jobseekers and staff look to him for advice on the job search. In addition, Bob has gained a reputation as a LinkedIn authority in the community. Bob’s greatest pleasure is helping people find rewarding careers in a competitive job market. For enjoyment, he blogs at Things Career Related. Follow Bob on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bob_mcintosh_1; connect with him on LinkedIn, https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/bobmcintosh1; read his blog,https://www.thingscareerrelated.com

Photo from Coletivo Mambembe, Flickr.com