Instead of letting LinkedIn slide to the bottom of your to-do list day after day, dedicate some time to it. Here’s what you need to add to your LinkedIn post.
LinkedIn is often low on a working professional’s to-do list, especially if they’re not actively on the hunt for a job. This social media network, however, is an exceptional tool for building connections, learning new things, landing jobs and expanding your opportunities. Whether you’re a job seeker looking to grow your network or a professional looking to establish a presence in your industry, LinkedIn is a great place to start. Here are a few of the best ways to optimize and enhance your LinkedIn profile.
Share Industry-Specific Content
The focus of the content you put on LinkedIn should be relevant to the industry you’re currently in or trying to break into. This will show your connections that you are knowledgeable, passionate, and committed to your field. Industry-relevant content in a LinkedIn post will build your credibility, start meaningful conversations and display your skills and abilities to potential employers, future employees and colleagues.
Share Your Accomplishments
It’s okay to brag a little on LinkedIn! This shouldn’t be the only type of content that you post, but if you’ve recently won an award, completed a degree or certification, or exceeded expectations on a project at work, show off your accomplishment with the LinkedIn posts. This will further display your strengths and industry success while inspiring others to work toward common goals.
Keep Up With Industry Trends
If you find yourself digging into a specific topic at work or in your personal time, share what you learn with your connections on LinkedIn. Just like relationships, LinkedIn connections go two ways: they’re a give and take. So, including information about industry trends or current research in a LinkedIn post can be something to give the digital network you’re building to support other professionals in their work.
Spread the Wealth
Just like you can give relevant information on LinkedIn, it’s also helpful to share tips, tricks and lessons that you’ve learned or developed. Posting ways for people to be more efficient and successful will demonstrate that you strive to improve as a professional, have the ability to innovate processes, care about supporting others’ development, and enjoy critically thinking. All of which are attractive qualities to show off online during current and future job searches.
Inspire and Motivate Others
If you see a quote or image that inspires you and is relevant to your industry or career, share it in a LinkedIn post. Chances are, it’ll motivate someone else and spark a great conversation. A great way to have meaningful connections is to provide meaningful content for others. And content that will inspire and encourage others is just that.
What Not to Post on LinkedIn
Because LinkedIn is a professional platform, there are a few topics you should avoid including in a post on your profile. These include:
- Controversial and polarizing posts that create an “us vs. them” mentality
- Sales pitches that aren’t relevant to the industry or supportive to your network
- Too much personal information that is better suited for other platforms
- Negative or unprofessional content that could hurt your chances at a job in the future
How to Curate the Perfect LinkedIn Post
Even though LinkedIn is a professional networking tool and you shouldn’t share too much personal information, you can still showcase your personality. Write your LinkedIn post with the style of language that you would use in a business casual setting and avoid using stiff, legalistic sentences just for the sake of sounding professional.
While you need to remain professional, LinkedIn is a social media platform, so engagement is key. And adding your personality to your posts is a great way to draw people in and make them want to read more.
Use Pictures
To engage your connections even more and establish a LinkedIn presence, add pictures and graphics to your posts. Research has shown that visuals catch and hold readers’ attention much more than plain text. When you add pictures to your posts, make sure they are relevant to the post topic, LinkedIn appropriate, and high-quality.
The pictures you post are a reflection of you as a professional. Before you post a picture, ask yourself how you would feel if the CEO of your dream company saw it. If the answer isn’t positive, consider finding a different photo.
Proofread. Twice.
Having spelling and grammar mistakes in your LinkedIn post can make you appear unprofessional to your network. On the other hand, the absence of errors shows you can communicate professionally and that you have great attention to detail. So proofread and edit your content multiple times before hitting the “post” button.
Engage with Others
Take an active role in your LinkedIn network by engaging with other people instead of just passively posting. If someone comments on your post, respond to them. If you see someone else post something that resonates with you, share it. If one of your connections starts a new position, send them a congratulations message. These simple efforts can go a long way in getting your name out there.
The Bottom Line
So instead of letting LinkedIn slide to the bottom of your to-do list day after day, block off half an hour on your calendar once a week to create a LinkedIn post and engage with your connections. It’ll pay off in the long run with an authentic and expansive network of colleagues and future employers.
