A personal branding consultant weighs in.
So you’ve created the perfect LinkedIn profile. It reads well and the black-and-white photo makes you look like a real pro. So what next? Should you just leave it and hope that one day someone reads it and offers you an opportunity you can’t refuse? Well, no. If you want make the most out of it, you need to update it regularly.
Here are five ways to do it:
You may not know, but you can now add media to your profile such as videos, documents and presentations. Utilise this and upload relevant files as they come. If you have recently spoken at an industry event, upload your slides. If you have written for an industry publication, upload the article. It’ll make your profile look really dynamic and get people clicking through.
Online relationships should be treated just like you would an offline one, by keeping in contact. That doesn’t necessarily mean over a Sunday brunch, but you should try and nurture the relationship where you can. Engage others in their posts, tag people in posts that relate to them and inform others of upcoming events that they may be interested in.
LinkedIn groups won’t seduce you with cute cats but they may land you the next big opportunity, so keep up-to-date with the ones you’re in and join new ones in your industry. Groups give you an opportunity to meet members of the industry and provide the perfect online environment to discuss mutual interests.
One of the best ways to gain recognition across your industry is to be identified as an “expert”. Contribute to group discussions and add your industry knowledge or opinions where applicable. If you really want to impress, write a LinkedIn article and share.
Note: Pick and choose where to comment. If you are too trigger-happy you’ll risk commenting on material that you aren’t 100 per cent down on, which may come back to haunt you.
When people flick over profiles, nothing stands out (and impresses) more than a glowing recommendation, so regularly allocate time sourcing them and updating your profile accordingly. The best way to go about this is emailing rather than messaging your target referees, as it’s more professional, and prioritise getting recommendations relating to your most recent roles.
Johnathan Maltby is a personal branding and career mentor with proven strategies designed to empower you to energise and ignite your career. For more information, visit www.johnmaltby.com.au.
