LinkedIn can be a good way to meet new people, but it’s hard to stand out among the 500 million other people who are also trying to make a good impression.
But even a few small changes could make a big difference. Better yet, you can take your LinkedIn profile to the next level in just five minutes.
LinkedIn is always adding new features that can help you build your brand and connect with the people you want to reach.
In this article, we’ll show you how to use LinkedIn’s other important features to build your network and get more done.
5 ways to improve how you build your LinkedIn profile
List of Relationships
LinkedIn is great because it lets you keep all of your contacts in one place and keep in touch with them over time. You are in charge of your roster, so having the people on it in your email contacts is useful. But people leave jobs, and if the only way you can get in touch with them is through their work email, you’ve lost touch with them.
No matter how many times the people you know change jobs, their LinkedIn profiles will stay the same as they move from ship to ship. That means you can still talk to them even if their email doesn’t go through. Companies come and go, and LinkedIn’s features are always changing, so download and save a list of your contacts often (at least once a quarter).
Look into others
Want to hire the best people, find out more about a competitor, or find out more about a possible client? Or maybe you’re shy and don’t want people to know you’re looking at them? On the other hand, Private Mode can be your best friend. You can be completely anonymous in your investigation if you choose “anonymous LinkedIn member” in your privacy settings for how people can see your profile.
Just remember that being anonymous costs something. If you are in Private Mode, you won’t be able to see who visits your profile.
Help with saying your name right
Help people say your name the right way. If your name makes people stumble when they say it, post an audio clip of you saying it the way you like to hear it. This will make it easier for people to get to know you. It shows that your brand cares and takes some of the pressure off a new contact who would otherwise have to figure it out on their own.
Get to your property
Let’s be honest: LinkedIn has come a long way since it started out as a virtual resume and a place to meet people online. It is now the place where you can manage your job, build your brand, and talk to your audience. Changes have been huge and quick.
It’s hard to keep track of everything you do on LinkedIn because of this. On the home page, there is a helpful link called “My items” near the top of the left column. At the top of this list is your profile picture. This is where you can find information about the LinkedIn Learning courses you’re taking, the projects you’ve started, and the posts you’ve saved. It’s a feature that will grow on you as it saves you time.
You can expect LinkedIn to add more important things to the list so that you can quickly and easily get to them.
LinkedIn is full of ways to improve your brand and make your plans for success easier.
Think about how you want to show off your skills.
Do you have endorsements for Microsoft Word and Google Docs or other basic skills that don’t make you stand out? If that’s true, they’re taking away from it. Include keywords that will make you easier to find in your skills area and that will help tell the story of who you are and what you can do. So go to that part and do the three things below:
Remove any skills that don’t apply (hint: don’t list Facebook unless you know how to use social media and run professional pages).
Include the skills that are important for someone in your industry and role.
Change the order of the skills on the list so that the ones that are most important are at the top.