A quote that I like to use about different social media types goes like this; Twitter is like a bar sit down and talk to everyone, Facebook is like your living room more intimate but still very social, and LinkedIn is like your Chamber of Commerce where everyone is shaking hands and doing business. LinkedIn is one of the most valuable tools in social media today. It is an online representation of you as a professional. While Facebook and Twitter may garner more attention, it is LinkedIn that is built to last. Can you say the same about your profile? Here at AIMS, we want to help you project your services to the right audience. Follow our tips for making LinkedIn work for you.

Know what you are trying to accomplish with your LinkedIn profile. Are you seeking to grow your professional network? Looking to explore possible career opportunities? Or maybe you’re looking to join groups and interact with other likeminded professionals. Whatever the reason, for one or all, concentrate your efforts to see an increase in successful returns. 

Your profile is the first impression other LinkedIn users will have of you. Your background and experience information should exude confidence. It should be brief, engaging and accurate. The best profiles will make others want to interact with you; they will view it as an opportunity. Typos and grammatical errors however, are the number one turn off to potential connections. Do yourself a favor and periodically give your profile a once over to see what information needs to be edited or updated.

Groups are a great way to keep in touch with peers, learn about an area of interest or to keep up on the happenings of a specific industry. What they should not be however is a promotional tool. Not only is offensive to the group, but likely a waste of time. Pick groups that mean something to you and interact with them appropriately. 

Having 500+ connections does not make you a networker; face to face communication does. That doesn’t mean LinkedIn can’t serve to enhance those experiences. Check in to see just how many meaningful interactions you have initiated with your connections. Each week, you should identify several connections and send them a brief, personal message asking to connect by phone. Look for ways to help them as they move forward on their journey. You get what you put in.

When requesting a connection, LinkedIn’s auto-phrase may be useful to a busy professional such as you, but it also shows a disregard for meaningful interaction. Research the individual you would like to connect with and give them a brief overview of why your connection is worth the time.

No, that doesn’t mean spam each of your groups or feeds with information that may not be relevant to the topic at hand. Instead, try to choose articles and information that are of real interest to your followers. Give only materials of value to your online community.