Over the years we have seen the launch of many new Social Media platforms and we have watched them all rapidly increase and then slowly plateau in popularity. LinkedIn is one of the oldest of these social media platforms, but its more relevant now than ever. With over 500 million people on its platform, it is the perfect place for you to build a network in your industry and your career. Here are our top reasons as to why you should be active on LinkedIn:
Career Development
94% of recruiters use LinkedIn as their primary source to seek out new talent. Most good recruiters search LinkedIn before they even advertise a job on their website or any other online platform. If you are not on LinkedIn or your LinkedIn profile is not up to date you could be missing out on your dream role to others that are! It also gives you the opportunity to be approached about roles and positions you wouldn’t normally apply for or think you might get. 75% of new employees haven’t been applying or even looking for new roles.
Keeps you up to date with Industry News
Like other social networks, LinkedIn provides a timeline when you log in. There, you’ll find news updates from your connections, groups and companies you follow, and Industry updates. It’s a great way to keep you up to date with industry trends and reports.
You can build your brand
Just like businesses build their brand it’s so important for you to build your brand too. Firstly, make sure you have a professional personable headshot.
Unfortunately, people will make all kinds of judgements about you within the first few seconds of seeing your picture and you won’t get a second chance to make a good first impression, so make sure that one shot counts! Ensure your experience is up to date and raise your profile and credibility, by asking people to endorse your skills and write recommendations for you. Connect with new people relevant in your industry. Share news stories relevant to your industry and give your opinions on the content. All the above helps you to become a thought leader in your industry and builds your brand.
It can help with google rankings
If you have met someone at a networking or industry event or if someone has heard about you and simply wants to get in touch – having a Profile on LinkedIn will help you to be found. Most people will put your name into a google search – and dependent on the commonality of your name – you could be quite difficult to find. However, if you have a LinkedIn Profile, this will show up on the first page of a Google search. So, make sure your profile is good enough to make them want to contact you again!
Gives you the opportunity to research companies and its employees
Many companies maintain their own LinkedIn pages where they’ll update information about the company, share company news and insight, and showcase current employees. If the company knows what it’s doing, they will be able to showcase who they are, and the type of environment and culture they have. This allows you to work out which companies you might like to work for in the future. For those you really like, you can start liking and sharing their content – let them know about you before you even approach them.
Helps you to build a great Network
Most people think they need to be on LinkedIn if they are just looking for a new job but that isn’t the case. Building a network is hugely important when building a career. Your network will help you to develop and improve your skill set, keep up to date with the latest trends in your industry, meet prospective mentors, partners and clients, and gain access to the necessary resources that will nurture your career development.
So, it’s not just about having a LinkedIn profile it’s about utilising it to the maximum to build both your brand and your career.
