Linkedin users can connect with other professionals in similar lines of business for support or resources.
A s the largest professional online networking site LinkedIn is the place to be if you want to remain current in today’s business world. Whether you’re looking for a job or running your own company here’s how to make LinkedIn work for you.
"When I first transitioned from school leadership into coaching I had no social media accounts ” says Naphtali Hoff Psy.D. president at Impactful Coaching & Consulting. “I quickly realized however that for me to expand my business I would need to connect with other professionals on a regular basis.”
LinkedIn was his first choice because of its professional platform and its many tools such as groups messaging and the ability to post and publish content. It turned out to be a smart choice. Through LinkedIn Hoff gained an exponential network with over 3 700 connections and over 3 800 followers!
What this means in practical terms is that his published content and the resultant exposure has marked him as an authority in his field.
“I’ve gotten onto leading podcasts to talk about my work and my new book Becoming the New Boss and have landed many new clients and speaking engagements ” Hoff says.
Why LinkedIn?
More than just a rיsumי bulletin board LinkedIn is an online networking site focused on business relationships. After all success in business isn’t so much about what you know say experts but who you know. Networking opens the door to opportunities you’d never have been able to access on your own. And unlike other social media sites LinkedIn is purely professional which is why it’s the social media site of choice for many frum people.
A wealth of information on business and personal topics is available on LinkedIn.
With over half a million users on LinkedIn networking opportunities abound. Users can connect with other professionals in similar lines of business for support or resources; they can also connect with service providers for their own business needs. They can even search for qualified employees to fill positions in their companies. Because LinkedIn is used by people at all business levels all over the world it’s relatively easy to reach out to someone high up on the corporate ladder — something that would otherwise have been impossible.
In addition to information on people a wealth of information on business and personal topics is available on LinkedIn in the form of expert posts. On any given day your feed may display articles on say identifying your unique selling point written by a marketing expert on couples fighting “right” written by a psychotherapist and on the benefits of chia seeds written by a nutritionist.
Users can browse company pages to learn about the companies with which they’re thinking about doing business or applying for work. Additionally since LinkedIn posts are viewed by your own followers (which essentially means all of your connections save for those who unfollow you) and followers of anyone who liked or commented on your post you’re getting a free marketing opportunity in a huge market making it a valuable business tool.
Proofing your Profile
Your LinkedIn profile is your very valuable opportunity to present your professional face to other professionals. There are many tools you can use in order to get noticed but before you actively work on networking consider the “face” you’re presenting.
As your headline is prime real-estate and will appear wherever your name appears on LinkedIn (such as if you view a profile comment are tagged appear in a search etc.) it’s important to invest thought into how to set it up.
Though many people put their job title into the space right beneath their name a much more effective way to engage other users is by telling people what you can do to meet their needs. Using action verbs in your description — “Helping Moms Love Parenting” or “Guiding Your Business to Six-Digit Figures” — draws readers in. (Excerpted from Family First Issue 565)
