LinkedIn is a popular social networking website that allows you to build your professional network. Aside from the obvious connecting with other professionals you know, LinkedIn is a build your business by participating in discussions, groups, posting and finding jobs and building new relationships with others in your industry. You can learn to leverage your existing contacts to connect with others outside of your network.
The first thing you need to do when joining any social site is to set up a profile. Setting up your LinkedIn profile is quick and easy (and free!) Be sure to complete your profile 100% by adding your work experience, education and relevant accomplishments and skills. A full profile with increase your visibility and help others find and identify you. Be sure to include a photo with your profile, as people are more likely to connect with you. If someone recognizes your face, that makes it easier to connect also people like to feel like they are connecting with an actual person.
Once you have your profile set up, start adding colleagues and other professionals you are currently connected with. Request recommendations from employers, colleagues, friends, partners and clients. Recommendations will help add credibility to your profile and industry.
Be sure to add as many links in your profile as possible. Include a link to your company website, blog and other social media profiles. You are allowed to list up to three websites so choose the most important ones.
You can also customize your personal LinkedIn profile url. You should edit your URL to reflect your name. It should look like this: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yourname. This will help others find you when they are searching for your name in search engines. Search engines will also associate your business name to your name if that’s how people recognize you.
Be sure to take advantage of all the options and space LinkedIn provides. Optimize your summary section with keywords and important information you want others to know. For SEO, you can add anchor text in the summary section which can help you rank higher for certain keywords. There are lots of ways to optimize your profile, so be sure to complete it 100%.