How to Use LinkedIn to Become a Networking Superstar

As the Internet buzzes with social media activity, knowing where to network can be a challenge.

While LinkedIn is still viewed by many as an online resume (huge mistake btw!) – it lives at the top of my list for professional networking.

Not spending any time on LinkedIn? Let me tell you why you should.

• LinkedIn operates the world’s largest professional network on the Internet with more than 347 million members in over 200 countries and territories.
• Professionals are signing up to join LinkedIn at a rate of more than two new members per second.
• Average time a user spends on LinkedIn is 17 minutes.
• There are 42 million unique mobile visitors each month.
• There are over 39 million students and recent college graduates on LinkedIn. They are LinkedIn’s fastest-growing demographic.
• LinkedIn provides extended visibility for the business professional looking to establish themselves as a subject matter expert.
• While Facebook, Twitter and other social sites build familiarity and awareness for your personal brand, LinkedIn is unique in its business focus. LinkedIn is a society designed to connect business professionals, marketers and vendors interested in building a community.

And did you know that of those 347 million members, 111 million are in the United States alone?

It’s easy to see that whether you’re looking for B2B or B2C connections, LinkedIn is the place to be.

So, what are you waiting for?

Let’s get you networking! (and don’t forget to grab the Infographic below)

Use LinkedIn to Become a Networking Superstar

  1.  Create a Captivating Bio

Did you know that adding a photo to your profile makes it 7 times more likely to be found in searches?

Or that filling out your most recent positions – the last two to be exact – makes your profile 12 times more likely to be found?

Simple updates like these make a BIG difference.

And they’re critical updates to make before you begin to make connections.

Take the time to make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete.  There’s nothing worse than trying to connect with business professionals when you have an incomplete bio.

If your profile is incomplete, take a quick moment to log into your account and walk through each step until you’re 100% complete. Do not proceed until this is done.

A few profile optimization suggestions:

• Add a profile photo
• List all the jobs or positions you’ve held, along with descriptions of your roles
• Have 5 or more skills on your profile
• Write a summary about yourself
• Fill out your industry and postal code
• Add where you went to school

And here’s a great Linkedin Profile checklist from Melonie Dodaro of Top Dog Social Media to get you started!

rebekahradice.com/