8 Ways to Maximize LinkedIn and Your Personal Branding

 Personal branding is key to your success and LinkedIn is an excellent tool to help you achieve that. Let’s look at 8 ways to maximize your LinkedIn profile and your personal branding.

 

1. Make the Most of your Profile

Using your LinkedIn profile properly is very important. When you communicate with others on

the site, your profile will speak for you. Don’t just upload any photo, upload a good photo. If you don't have one put on something nice and sit down in front of your web cam and take a picture.  You may not think so but people tend to ignore profiles that don't have a picture.  When you don't have a picture it makes you seem untrustworthy to some and just lazy to others.  I've talked to several recruiters that won't even talk to a canidate that doesn't have a picture on their profile.  Please don’t upload your logo here. People want to see what you look like and there are business pages for that. Also make sure you completely fill out your profile – do not leave any areas blank.

2. Build Your Contacts

When you first join LinkedIn you need to build your contact base. Connect present and past

colleagues along with your alumni from your university or college. Simple right?

3. Recommendations

Recommendations are very important. In fact, it is one of the most powerful tools that LinkedIn

has to offer.  People recognize recommendations as sincere and trustworthy.  There's a certain amount of trust that comes from another person leaving a recommendation and taking a chance on vouching for you.

Now please make sure not to try and fake or forge reviews.  LinkedIn is good about policing this and it could get you banned from the site or your profile deleted or flagged as a spam account.

4. Use Groups

There are three ways you can use groups: lead generation, increase your LinkedIn profile

development, and personal development by learning from members in the group.  There's an entire strategy I have for using groups that I'll post in another article. So for now just make sure to not ignore them.

5. Promoting Events

Using LinkedIn to promote your events is a very wise move. You can easily target your

audience and you can spread your information quickly all the while establishing your personal

brand.

6. Use Your Status Updates

The LinkedIn status updates are often not used to their full potential. Update your LinkedIn profile with relevant blog posts and news. When you use your status updates wisely they can play an integral role in your person branding.

7. LinkedIn Labs

LinkedIn Labs is an area of LinkedIn that offers various applications that help you make the most of your connections.  One that was recently talked about at a social media presentation was InMaps.   With InMaps you can see exactly how your network is connected which can be invaluable information to help you expand your network.

8. Networking for Lead Generation

LinkedIn is a very powerful tool for you to use to connect with others who are looking to

individuals from within the corporate community.  Every connection you make on LinkedIn could be a potential lead for new business if you pick and accept new connections carefully.  You don't want to accept every connection request especially if It's not related to your profession or your area of interest.  Remember to work your connections and "Keep it Classy San Diego"  No really try to connect with people that are related to your area of interest or that you can add value to by connecting with them.

Don't forget to take advantage of the free training video on LinkedIn basis posted below.  It's a great primer on LinkedIn.

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