It is fast becoming one of the most used social media platforms and from a portal that started out as mostly a place to find a job, it has hugely evolved.

What are we talking about?

LinkedIn.

Most people are a wee bit scared of LinkedIn, not sure what they should be saying, and worried they will make a faux pas Facebook post and get ratted out.

Well, stop fretting, and become a LinkedIn Uber Networker!

Pimp that Profile

A few stats to convince you that LinkedIn is the place to be if you are a professional. There are over 500 000 million members. 40% of these members use LinkedIn daily, 61% are high level influencers, 94% of B2B marketers are using LinkedIn to distribute content and 3 million users share content weekly.

And, to get a piece of all of that, you must start with your profile. This is where your first impression is made, so make sure you have a kick-ass profile, from your professional head and shoulders profile image to the background that speaks to your brand. Then focus on your personal bio, your education and qualifications, the projects you have worked on (brag a little, why don’t you?) and rev up those skill keywords too.

Be The Brand

Yes, you may work for a company, but you, at the end of the day, are the brand. Developing your personal brand is vital if you want to be seen and taken seriously. LinkedIn is all about representing you and you are so much more than the person that works for ABC company. As the owner of a company, the same can be said. Be the brand you want others to see and work with.

Keyword Kingster

If you want to be found on LinkedIn, amongst all those 500 000 million users, then you have to optimise your profile and that includes all the content you write too. Keywords are a great way to do this, so be sure to research what keywords speak to your brand, your profession, and your services. And, then pop them into your profile and all content you put out there.

Write Up A Storm

Now that you have that awesome profile, you better get writing. What, you ask? Posting on LinkedIn regularly is key but don’t just post any old thing. Make it original, relevant, educational, and above all, engaging. You are the expert in what you do so tell the world what that is, why you do it, and how you can be of assistance to them. But, big BUT, try not to be too salesly though. No one likes product and services pushed down their throat all the time. There are subtle ways to get your message across. People will realise what it is you do through your tasteful and powerful content.

Connect Carefully

Much like you would ‘friend’ someone on Facebook, so can you ‘connect’ with someone on LinkedIn. But, be super cautious who you connect with. Don’t just connect for the sake of connecting. Have a mission and purpose in mind. How can you and that person work together? After all, this is a professional networking platform, not a social “be my friend” portal. And, one last tip, don’t just click on the CONNECT button, add a personal note to introduce yourself and to tell them why you want to connect. (only available on desktop mode though)

And, so you are now on your way to becoming that Uber LinkedIn Networker – good luck and happy networking!