7 Easy to Make (and Correct) Mistakes on LinkedIn
Business Technology | November 25, 2014
LinkedIn has quickly become a social media powerhouse among professional and business people. The days of it being merely a place to dump your resume are long over, as LinkedIn now drives four times as many visitors to your home page as Facebook and Twitter combined. Not only that, newer initiatives on the site like the ability to post content and the new ad platform bode well for the future prospects of the platform as it relates to business.
But all of that makes no difference if you’re making any of these 7 mistakes. Have a look and see where you can make some improvements and have LinkedIn work well for you and your business.
7 Mistakes to avoid making with LinkedIn
- A lousy picture – You get one shot at this. Make your photo on LinkedIn one that speaks to your professional demeanor and will get you connections. The photos from your last big party are probably not what we’re going to use here.
- Use your headline well – You’ve got a mere 120 characters to tell the world what you’re about, so think it over and don’t settle for vanilla. Give an accurate headline, truthful and yet appealing, all at the same time.
- Not taking advantage of the Summary Section – Here you have 2000 characters to make a statement about you and your skills. Use as much as is necessary to sell the world on you. Think of it as an elevator pitch if you will, and do your best to craft one that will draw interest.
- An incomplete profile – Do this and you’re telling the world that you really don’t care how people view you, which is usually enough reason for them to move on.
- Not posting links – LinkedIn offers you an excellent opportunity to link to your website and social media channels. Use this. If someone is interested enough in you to want to visit your site, don’t make them head over to Google to find you. Drop a link!
- Don’t spam the community – Many have tried and all have failed. LinkedIn users can smell spam from a distance, so don’t even think about it. It’s just too valuable to do it authentically.
- Not being present – Not updating your account for months at a stretch is a sure sign of a person unclear on the concept. Update often, make connections, and use the platform the way it was intended to be used. It will pay off for you!
LinkedIn has quickly become a social media powerhouse among professional and business people. The days of it being merely a place to dump your resume are long over, as LinkedIn now drives four times as many visitors to your home page as Facebook and Twitter combined. Not only that, newer initiatives on the site like the ability to post content and the new ad platform bode well for the future prospects of the platform as it relates to business.
But all of that makes no difference if you’re making any of these 7 mistakes. Have a look and see where you can make some improvements and have LinkedIn work well for you and your business.
7 Mistakes to avoid making with LinkedIn
- A lousy picture – You get one shot at this. Make your photo on LinkedIn one that speaks to your professional demeanor and will get you connections. The photos from your last big party are probably not what we’re going to use here.
- Use your headline well – You’ve got a mere 120 characters to tell the world what you’re about, so think it over and don’t settle for vanilla. Give an accurate headline, truthful and yet appealing, all at the same time.
- Not taking advantage of the Summary Section – Here you have 2000 characters to make a statement about you and your skills. Use as much as is necessary to sell the world on you. Think of it as an elevator pitch if you will, and do your best to craft one that will draw interest.
- An incomplete profile – Do this and you’re telling the world that you really don’t care how people view you, which is usually enough reason for them to move on.
- Not posting links – LinkedIn offers you an excellent opportunity to link to your website and social media channels. Use this. If someone is interested enough in you to want to visit your site, don’t make them head over to Google to find you. Drop a link!
- Don’t spam the community – Many have tried and all have failed. LinkedIn users can smell spam from a distance, so don’t even think about it. It’s just too valuable to do it authentically.
- Not being present – Not updating your account for months at a stretch is a sure sign of a person unclear on the concept. Update often, make connections, and use the platform the way it was intended to be used. It will pay off for you!