Are you among those that are looking for how to boost their network on social media and networking platforms? Many people also find it difficult to build their network. In case you have been trying and it looks as if it is not working, we will teach you how to use your LinkedIn profile as an online networking tool. You can use LinkedIn to grow your connections, build your relationship with people you don’t even know, connect with professionals in different fields etc.
How To Use Your LinkedIn Profile As An Online Networking Tool
Is it difficult for you to build your network connections online? LinkedIn is one of the easiest ways you can do that. We will show you how to use your LinkedIn profile as an online networking tool. The following are the steps to use your LinkedIn profile as an online networking tool.
Read Also: How to Create Your Company Profile on LinkedIn – See The Steps You Should Know
Be Intentional About The Keywords You Use On Your Profile.
One of the steps on how to use your LinkedIn profile as an online networking tool is to use your keywords with intent. Keywords are very important when you are doing anything online. It is your keywords that people will use to find you easily. People can use keywords to search for you on LinkedIn and get you. So it is advisable to use the right keywords on your profile. Using the right keywords on your profile will help you to be visible on LinkedIn.
Ensure you identify the words you want to know so that when people use them on the LinkedIn search button, they will find you. After identifying the keywords, include them in your headlines, profile and summary. The right keywords will expose you to more opportunities and potential connections to people.
Pick The “Other” Website Option
There are options under the contact information section on your LinkedIn profile where you can add links to your website or blog. You can use the options to add links to multiple pages within your website instead of just your homepage only. To use the options, you will select the “other” option when you are editing the “websites” area of your profile. Then customise the categories to show all the things you do.
Personalise Your LinkedIn Profile URL
A normal LinkedIn profile URL contains random letters and numbers at the end of the web link to your LinkedIn profile. To make it personal, you can delete random numbers and letters to keep your URL consistent with all your social media profiles. You should customise your LinkedIn Profile URL within your contact information to reflect your personal or business brand or name. Personalising your LinkedIn profile URL will make it easier for your profile to be found.
Arrange Your Endorsements
You might be getting endorsements of all sorts from people, so you don’t need to show all your unique and random skills to other LinkedIn users. Ensure that all irrelevant endorsements are removed from your LinkedIn profile. Removing them will enable you to showcase your uniqueness which is what you want to be known for.
Connect With Other People You Don’t Know Yet
One of the steps how to use your LinkedIn profile as an online networking tool is to connect with people you don’t know. Most users of LinkedIn think using the platform as a networking tool is to connect with the people they know. This approach is wrong, you need to reach out and connect with other people and from there, they will know you. You don’t need to be adding only the people you have in one way or ther another met in real life.
Online networking is all about reaching out to people, getting to know them and connecting with them. One of the benefits of building your network using your LinkedIn Profile is that you can be easily seen by influencers thereby getting more endorsements. Also, more people will see and share your content, become your valuable customers and have regular visits to your website.
Personalise Your Invitations To Connect To People
If you want to invite someone to connect to your LinkedIn profile, make it personal. Don’t use the regular default invitation “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn”. Personalise your invitation by telling the person how and where you met Maybe during an interview, the topics you have discussed on a LinkedIn group you too belong to via a phone call or over email. Engage them in a conversation and tell them the mutual benefits you can get from when you connect.
Publish Amazing Posts On Your Profile
Regular posts on LinkedIn are another step on how to use your LinkedIn Profile as an online networking tool which helps to increase your visibility, grow your influence and get more connections. Ensure you always think about the audience and post what they can read and want to reach. Posts things that are relevant, helpful and interesting and you will them engage in it. Doing this will make people always remember you and also establish your authority in your network while publishing your posts. When publishing your posts on LinkedIn, use hashtags to make it easy for your audience to find your content and they will start following your page.
Find And Join Groups On LinkedIn
Another step in how to use your LinkedIn Profile as an online networking tool is to find and join a group. This will help you to connect to relevant people on LinkedIn. These groups might comprise people with certain job titles, people dedicated to a niche topic etc. There are so many groups you can join, you can easily find them by typing the the keywords or topics you are interested in on the search box.
Find And Connect With People Through Search And Advanced Search
This is one step on how to use your LinkedIn profile as an online networking tool. You can use the LinkedIn search bar as a way to find people using their names, company names or even a skill. The advanced search helps you to find people you can connect with using their job title, relationship, location, industry, school, current and past company names, ono profit interests and profile language. There are other search options you can use like to find Premium members. Using these search options will help you to find and connect with the right people you need in your business or career.
Ask For Recommendations From People
Asking people for recommendations is one of the steps on how to use your LinkedIn profile as an online networking tool. LinkedIn has made it easier by providing an “Ask to be recommended Link” You can be specific and tell the people what you want to be recommended for, who you want to recommend you and also add a personal message. Be specific and selective in choosing the people you want to recommend to you. Don’t just pick people randomly from your contacts to do so. You can tell your contacts the specific skills you want them to highlight while sending in their recommendations.