You probably already opened a profile, but if uploading it is all you do, you won’t get noticed on LinkedIn. Why do you need to get noticed? To establish your professional brand, build your digital reputation, and develop top-of-mind presence when opportunities arise for a job referral!
The first rule is not to be shy about sharing articles you’ve read, asking for advice, or offering your comments on someone else’s post, but make certain that your professionalism is front and center. That means being judicious about the types of articles you share; they should be business-related, so no political screeds or sports team takedowns. You want to be noticed on LinkedIn for what you know – or want to know – about your field.
- Share a post with your network, but write a short introduction at the top in which you explain why you think it’s worth reading. Do you agree with what the writer says? Can you offer a different perspective? Share insights based on your knowledge, but don’t just write, “great post!” or “I agree!). Say something that informs and inspires further thought.
- Comment on the posts and updates that appear in your feed. It’s perfectly fine to disagree, but you’ll get major points for being respectful in your disagreement, and if a conversation builds around your comment, all the better!
- Tag individuals – they don’t have to be in your network – to motivate them to read and comment, and don’t forget to use one or more hashtags so that your comment shows up in a search for those terms.
Here are some of the benefits to generating this type of notice on LinkedIn. By establishing your professional brand, you create a subliminal link to others in your field who will likely recommend you for an opening, or suggest that you connect. Remember, the more connections you have, the wider the net you cast.
When I was hiring, I went straight to my LinkedIn network to source potential candidates – a smart move that saved my company from paying for a job posting. At least 40% of the hires I made were identified this way, and a lot of those people came into my network because of – you guessed it – comments they’d made on my or other people’s posts.
More recently, I am happy to refer people for jobs I’m aware of whose comments inspire, intrigue, or otherwise impress me. Think about the power of 20 other people doing the same for you.
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