I have been using LinkedIn for many years now and have also been through an intensive LinkedIn certification Programme. Based on my years of experience and my learnings from the certification Programme and LinkedIn specialists, I have provided some tips on what you should and shouldn’t do on LinkedIn. The list is not finite however it contains some of the main considerations. 1. Read and absorb articles before reacting Before liking and sharing your connections' updates or articles published on LinkedIn Pulse, make a point of READING the article first. Provide a comment that aligns with the content of the article...
There are many types of users on LinkedIn ranging from users who publish new content daily and spend hours on LinkedIn to those who never post content, never Share, never Like and never comment. These users are content to browse and read content without engaging or interacting with anyone. There are those however who would like to publish content, but they are terrified to take the first step. One thing is certain, if you are hoping to get noticed on LinkedIn, you have to connect, publish content, share relevant content and interact with other LinkedIn users. So how do...
LinkedIn never used to be the ideal place to publish content, however this has changed and the platform is attracting more readers, and more importantly, more writers. Initially, the LinkedIn publishing platform was only available to a select group of individuals, however this has changed. LinkedIn has now made the platform available to all English-speaking users. The LinkedIn “Influencers” program now comprises approximately five hundred subject matter specialists. Potential to reach millions If you are publishing on LinkedIn, there is the potential to reach millions of LinkedIn users who are interested in what you are publishing. It extends way beyond your...
If you are a thought leader and want to expose your online brand and thought leadership on LinkedIn, you need to start publishing content on the LinkedIn publishing platform. The LinkedIn publishing platform is an ideal platform to publish blog posts which your connections can easily view, like, share and provide comments. In order to maximise the exposure of your published content, I have provided five suggestions below. 1. Reach out to your network Once you have published your post, LinkedIn will immediately send a notification to your connections, however not all connections will see the notification or may not respond...
For those of you who use LinkedIn on a regular basis, you will have come across a wide range of LinkedIn users. These users range from those who know how to interact in a pleasant, engaging manner and those who really upset other LinkedIn users. I have listed 5 bad habits you need to stop now. 1. Using standard LinkedIn text There is nothing worse that receiving a LinkedIn connection request which says “I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn followed by your name. It implies that you have not put much thought around why you would...
Silicon Valley-based LinkedIn's shares closed down 43.6 percent at $108.38 on Friday, after hitting a three-year low, following a sales forecast well short of analysts' expectations (source Reuters.com) Barclays analyst Paul Vogel said he was not surprised by the sharp reaction in LinkedIn stock. “It is definitely a lot harder not to wonder if the company is starting to hit saturation levels with certain users or enterprises,” he said in a note to clients (source The South Africa Technology News) As a Premium Account LinkedIn user, I have a good understanding of how LinkedIn users are able to derive...
I have been using LinkedIn for many years now and have used everything LinkedIn has to offer other than the recruitment environment. Based on my experience I have listed five things that may help you derive more value from your participation on the platform. 1. Add value to others Make your primary focus on LinkedIn to add value to others. Take time to understand the needs and requirements of your connections. Share content that will enrich their lives that will educate, inform and help them do their job better. The ultimate id to share content which they would be willing to...
According to figures published by Statista LinkedIn had 364 million users globally, as of the third quarter of 2015. Whilst this is an impressive figure, many of these accounts are dormant. Even though LinkedIn is the top global business-related social media network for job seekers, recruiters, networkers, consultants, small business owners, large corporation and marketing and sales people, there are millions of LinkedIn accounts that have as yet to reach their full potential. If your account is barren, you are most probably not reading this article on LinkedIn however it has been shared with you from LinkedIn. To reap the tremendous...
Facebook was created to be a casual social platform: a place to post things that interest, inspire or amuse you; a place to make new acquaintances and reconnect with friends and family members, and a space to share important news. Career-driven individuals and brands noticed an opportunity and promptly decided to use this platform to their advantage. The career-driven individuals hoped to make career- advancing connections and the brands hoped to build an audience. Some brands had great success and a lot of the career-driven individuals did alright. B2B companies, meanwhile, found themselves standing mostly on the...
It's that time of year when social media platforms spill their secrets, recapping the year that was. This in many ways is thanks to the explosive impact Big Data has had on 2014, giving companies a better understanding of their world and target market at large. So far, we've heard from Google with the top search terms for the year, Facebook with the most searched-for and talked-about events of 2014 too. Now LinkedIn, everyone's favourite social-cum-professional platform, has outed the 25 most common skills recruiters have searched for and candidates have boasted. It's hilariously telling too, considering that at number one we...
I met Richard Schagen during a mountain bike ride the other day. Richard is an independent businessman who runs his own business called Assessed Threat Solutions providing protection and assessed threat solutions. After hearing what I do, Richard told me that he started using LinkedIn and other social media platforms to look for new business opportunities, and he asked me for some advice. The advice I offered prompted me to write this article. Here are three tips to connect with and influence your potential clients on LinkedIn. 1. Make your LinkedIn profile shine This is one area where you need to expend a...
I receive numerous LinkedIn connection requests on a daily basis, many of which I delete. The reason why I delete the requests is I have no idea in some instances if the person is real or fake. There is a lot of personal information contained in our LinkedIn profiles which we blindly give up when accepting connection requests. I have five suggestions which LinkedIn should consider. 1. Remove access to contact details As a Premium user, LinkedIn provides me with functionality to extract all the contact details of my connections. This is a great feature but in the interests...
LinkedIn has attracted more than 300 million members, the majority of whom are business professionals; most of your potential prospects and clients now have LinkedIn accounts. To use LinkedIn to generate new business opportunities for yourself or your company, start with these five proven strategies: 1. Understand your company's business strategy Before you start doing anything, make sure you have a good understanding of where your business is going and what your leaders are hoping to achieve. Identify the key stakeholders in your business, and study their mandate (i.e. how they are being measured). 2. Develop a strong...
This week my LinkedIn connections passed the 10 000 mark, and I got to thinking that if this was announced, most of the responses would be something along the lines of "So what?". Anyone can get 10 000 connections on LinkedIn with enough time and effort. Deriving real value from your LinkedIn connections is another thing entirely. Here are four of my best suggestions. 1. Who are you connected with? It is very easy to send out connection requests willy-nilly and to accept every LinkedIn connection request that comes your way, but what is the purpose? My suggestion is...
LinkedIn has tweaked the design for its mobile app, giving user profiles a major makeover. The new profiles aim to provide a lot more context around how people connect and make it easier for people to talk to each other, even when they don't share connections. The new design, called "Blue Steel" internally, is meant to provide you with information about a person such as where they work, where they went to university and what interests they have. According to the professional social network, the new profiles are designed to help you "tell your story to other professionals when...
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