Just a few weeks ago LinkedIn celebrated it’s 15th Birthday Party

Never really having it’s moment in the spotlight as the trendy new platform, quietly LinkedIn has grown to a huge 530 million users

With 60% of UK workforce on LinkedIn it’s the social network that you can’t afford to ignore

In our latest article we look at 10 Essential Things To Remember When Using LinkedIn

1. LinkedIn Isn’t Just For Job Seekers
Of course recruiters and job seekers are on there – you’d be mad not to with 60% of the UK workforce on there

But there’s a common misconception that LinkedIn is just for jobseekers and hence people don’t feel there is value for them as a business owner or a senior decision maker

If you do business with people there is a value on being on LinkedIn

If you want to win more clients there is a value to being on LinkedIn

If you want to collaborate with partners there is a value to being on LinkedIn

The CV and Profile element of LinkedIn is a but a small part of a much bigger picture

2. About 20% of LinkedIn’s Users are MAU
LinkedIn does not specify monthly or daily “active” users—just users in general

The last figure announced was in Q3 of 2016, which was 106 million at the time

That LinkedIn have not publicised monthly active users since them hints that whilst growth on the platform has happened, MAU have stalled a little

For those that are active on the platform this means you’re more likely to be visible

For those that have a profile, but are inactive, it means your missing out in a big way

Tip of feed means tip of tongue

3. Your Profile Photo Is The 1st Thing People Will See
The 1st thing people will see on your LinkedIn profile is your Profile Photo

And people will make judgement on that if they’ve never met you before

Within seconds they will play word association games with yourself

Does your profile photo portray yourself as professional, friendly and approachable?

Or

Does your profile photo portray yourself as unprofessional, awkward and unapproachable?

4. LinkedIn Endorsements Are Pointless
A few years ago LinkedIn introduced something called Endorsements

Have you ever been endorsed for something you do?

Have you ever been asked to endorse people for skills you didn’t know they had?

Have you ever looked at someone’s profile and wondered how they got so many

Stop worry – LinkedIn Endorsements are entirely pointless and no one takes them seriously

It’s just LinkedIn’s way of adding a gamification element to the platform

5. LinkedIn Recommendations Are Everything
If LinkedIn Endorsement are pointless … then Linkedin Recommendations are everything

Your online reputation is your Social Currency

LinkedIn recommendations are the 2nd most trusted form of recommendation – the only thing more trusted than a LinkedIn recommendation is a video testimonial

Let’s say for instance someone is looking for social media training or management

They look at my own profile – they see I have 275 +LinkedIn recommendations (and a large percentage are from people they know)

And they look at one of my competitors profiles – and see they have zero recommendations

Which social media marketer do you think they’ll choose?

LinkedIn Recommendations are EVERYTHING!

6. Relationships Matter
You go to a networking meeting, you chat to people, swap business cards and then never chat to the person again

You wouldn’t operate in business that way

But that’s the same as having a LinkedIn profile, connecting with someone you meet and then never chatting to them again

That is what people do with LinkedIn

They’re obsessed with the number of connections they have, but they never count the conversations they had

7. Lurking Is Not A Strategy
“I have a LinkedIn profile, but I just look and never post”

It’s one of the most common phrases we hear prior to our LinkedIn training

After our training they never act the same way again

Lurking is not a strategy

It’s like going to a networking meeting and standing in the corner not chatting to anyone

You need to be active on LinkedIn and share updates, otherwise it’s pointless in using LinkedIn

8. Don’t Scrape Email Addresses
You might be aware of a think known as GDPR

Ok, I know you’re sick of hearing that phrase at the start of emails by now

But remember this – connecting on LinkedIn does not give you the right to scrape email addresses from profiles and add them to your database

This has never been ethical and it’s certainly not in 2018

9. Links are demoted in the newsfeed
LinkedIn has changed

If you wanted to present yourself as a “thought leader” or “expert” pre-2017 on LinkedIn you shared interesting news stories and maybe offered your opinion

Generally that doesn’t work now with the LinkedIn Algorithm

Links (which take people away from LinkedIn) are demoted in the newsfeed

Why? Like Facebook, LinkedIn would naturally want you to stay on LinkedIn rather than go elsewhere

In 2018 you have to focus on content that sits and works within the platform

10. Automation Is A No No
LinkedIn is For Humans, Not Robots

Automation on the platform is a BIG fat no no

If you think you can automate the following and build real relationships then expect to lose

– LinkedIn connection requests
– LinkedIn profile views
– LinkedIn messages

It takes longer to build relationships organically, but the results speak for themselves

NEED HELP WITH YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA?
Chat to us about Social Media Marketing for YOUR organisation , so we can better understand YOU and what will grow your organisation

We can only find out what is unique to your business by chatting with you

Look at our Social Media Training and Social Media Management services

Or

Please call Alex on 07806774279 or email alex@altrinchamhq.co.uk

Alex

Alex McCann is owner of Altrincham HQ – a social media management and training company based in Altrincham, Cheshire that has worked with 100s of local business developing their social media strategy. Alex has 500+ LinkedIn testimonials and is Ranked Number 1 for Social Media Marketing in the UK via independent customer reviews on Freeindex.