Why L&D Professionals Need to Be Experts in LinkedIn

It’s clear that companies that are using social media effectively throughout the organization have a competitive advantage over their competitors.

Consider these stats:

• Millennials now say a prospective employer’s online reputation matters as much as the job it offers. (Spherion Staffing)
• Employees with socially encouraging employers are significantly more likely to help boost sales than employees whose employers aren’t socially encouraging - 72% vs. 48%. (Weber Shandwick)
• Hubspot employees have twice the average LinkedIn connections. That translates to 8 times the average number of shares, likes and comments on company content. (Reid Hoffman)
• 76% of execs say they would rather work for a social CEO (Altimeter)
• 50% of the surveyed journalists say social media is their main source of information. (ING)

Often, when you think about social media in a business context, the job function you think of is … marketing – after all, they’re charged with using social media to get your company’s message to the marketplace. But their charter is focused and limited.

To maximize the benefits of being social media savvy, you need to engage all of your people – not just the people in your marketing and communications departments – and develop them into social brand ambassadors. And what organization is charged with people development?

Learning and Development!

L&D has the direct route to your company’s most valuable asset when it comes to upping your social savvy – your human capital. If you're looking to stand out among your L&D peers and deliver tremendous value to your company, become the go-to social media evangelist.

Now, that might sound like a tall order. You might be thinking: I need to be on top of lots of different development topics, not just one. Or you might wonder: Do I really have the expertise to become my company’s social media evangelist?

Well, let me allay your fears. You need not make this happen overnight, and you can have a big impact with a little effort – that is, if you start with just one tool - this tool! – LinkedIn.

Why LinkedIn? It:

• Is the most “professional” of all social media
• Has over half a billion members
• Has value to individuals, teams and your entire organization
• Is replete with features that help your people learn, grow and enhance performance
• Is the “gateway drug” when it comes to social media

As an ambitious L&D professional, amping up your own LinkedIn savvy will help you understand the power of this social media tool. In other words, the best way for you to embrace LinkedIn as a talent development resource is to become your company’s or at least your department’s LinkedIn expert. And it’s not hard. Here’s how:

First, take this quiz to evaluate your LinkedIn profile and networking strategy. Then, follow this easy three-step process:

Step 1. Get your profile in order.

Even in companies with robust intranets, employees use Google to learn about their colleagues and leaders. So it’s essential that you deliver a powerful first impression – one that’s in line with your real-world personal brand. The good news is that your LinkedIn profile is likely to show up at the top of a Google search, so it’s your one-stop shop when seeking to wow ‘em with your first impression. To do that, focus on the big three – your headline, headshot and summary.

• Headline: Your headline needs to be more than your job title and company. It needs to make people want to know more.
• Headshot: Your headshot must be professional, and about 60-80% of the frame should feature your face – looking at the camera so viewers can look in your eyes.
• Summary: Your summary is not your current job description. It’s the place where you tell your story and get people to want to learn more about you. It will probably be the most-read version of your professional bio. In addition to the facts, share your personality and passions.

You can’t maximize the value of LinkedIn if your profile is mediocre. So make it the digital version of the real-world you. Once you have done that, move on to step 2.

Step 2. Build your connections strategy.

LinkedIn represents the largest community of ambitious professionals with a membership approaching a billion. That means it’s the perfect place to build your network:

• Establish your connections strategy. Ignore the LinkedIn advice to only connect with people you know. That doesn’t mean you need to accept every connection request you receive either. Come up with criteria in advance for adding people to your connections. You might choose things like – they’re talent development professionals or they work in healthcare. Feel free to connect with me.
• Join groups. LinkedIn groups are digital professional associations. They provide the opportunity to learn and grow (music to the ears of an L&D professional!). You can benchmark processes, learn best practices and keep the saw sharp in your area of expertise. When you become an active participant in groups, they will help you move your career forward.

Step 3. Build thought-leadership and engage on a deeper level

This is where the magic happens. The LinkedIn blogging platform gives you the opportunity to express your point of view and engage in meaningful discussions that will help you grow your career while you deliver greater value to your colleagues, the CLO, CEO and the rest of your company. If you aren’t ready to write your own content, commenting on others’ content lets you express your point of view and become part of the conversation. Sharing blogs and articles you find elsewhere on the web (including the content created by your company’s communications department) allows you to give value to your connections and fellow group members. It’s one of the most powerful ways to nurture your network.

Once you’ve done that, it’s time to engage others in your organization. I’ll be delivering a complimentary webinar on the power of LinkedIn and social media on June 6th at noon EST Register here. I’ll tell you all about how you can build social savvy talent in your company.

About William Arruda

Contact me:

• www.williamarruda.com
• William Arruda's LinkedIn profile
• William Arruda's Forbes Column
• CareerBlast.TV

Additional Resources:

• The LinkedIn Quiz
• Eight Things that Prevent People from Getting the Most from LinkedIn
• How to Write the Perfect LinkedIn Summary

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