Here are the best ways to Make Your Linkedin Profile Buzz. In today’s job market, every competitive edge or bit of knowledge that the next job seeker doesn’t have, can prove to be the difference between having a job and still looking for one. There are roughly 67 million Americans that have a LinkedIn profile. There are around 150 million Americans with jobs at the moment. Read about – New LinkedIn Profile Page.
As you can see, simple math tells you that not even half of working Americans use LinkedIn. Just by joining LinkedIn and creating a profile, you already have a competitive advantage over a large chunk of job seekers. So how can you maximize the potential of your LinkedIn profile? Here are five tips.
1. Collect Connections
Much like wireless broadband has made going to a computer lab at a library or school a thing of the past, LinkedIn has made going door to door at companies to network an outdated practice. As the old adage goes, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” and at no other point in history has something existed to make it so easy to connect with a plethora of people.
It seems like common sense but can’t be overstated: connect with as many people as digitally possible. Treat LinkedIn like most people treat Facebook as a high school popularity contest. Become a shameless connection collector. You never know who you might gain access to through degrees of separation
2. SEO and Keyword Selection
Sometimes keyword selection for a LinkedIn profile is prioritized over simply making connections, and it shouldn’t be. However, that’s not to say search engine optimization and keywords are insignificant. Don’t overdo it by keyword stuffing, as this will water down and cheapen your profile. However do create an original and unique blend of words that will differentiate you, while simultaneously being popular enough to make a Google algorithm produce your profile in a random search.
Sure, using the word “marketing” one hundred times in your profile might ensure that Google produces you as the first search result, but this overuse of a word says nothing about you, other than generic. Combine “marketing” with your area of expertise or specialty, like “wine marketing” for example.
3. Demonstrate Expertise on LinkedIn Answers
Providing input on LinkedIn Answers is often and easily overlooked. By participating you can share business knowledge and ask and answer questions on specific subject matter. By demonstrating your expertise, you can earn recognition that helps you build your credibility on LinkedIn.
By gaining more expertise points, the higher you will appear on lists of experts, making your visibility increase, as well as boost your profile exposure. Employers’ interest will be piqued once they see you at the top of an expert list.
4. Make Sure to Reach 100% Profile Completion
This is another obvious goal, but can’t be overstated. If you don’t have 100% profile completion, you might as well not be on LinkedIn. The first people that will be populated in search results always have 100% profile completion. You are only using a small portion of the great potential of LinkedIn if you’re not at 100%.
5. Join and Participate in Groups
This is a great way to be relevant in your business and target markets. Joining alumni groups, peer groups, and local networking groups are all effective ways to create valuable connections. The new LinkedIn mobile app has made it easier to stay involved and participate on the go.
Make sure that you try and share content rich, resourceful and relevant material that can be helpful to people and you might be lucky enough to attract the attention of a potential employer.