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How to use LinkedIn? The 30 secrets of the expert

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With more than 722 million members, including 20 million in France ( LinkedIn key figures ), LinkedIn is becoming the ESSENTIAL professional social network. Do you want to master LinkedIn? To network? To find a job ? To boost your business? To promote your site or blog? To prospect new customers? If you are looking for how to use LinkedIn , You are in the right place ! In this article, I’ll share all my expert advice on making LinkedIn your own.

But before giving you my list of effective tips, I offer a quick reminder on LinkedIn.

What is LinkedIn?

Launched in 2003, LinkedIn is a professional social network that allows its members to connect with each other, exchange information and communicate. It differs from other social networks by its purely professional approach.

Thus, on LinkedIn, you are not looking for friends, but for professional relationships: partners, colleagues, employers, colleagues, prospects, customers, etc. You don’t share distractions, but experiences around your business. You create your personal branding and manage your e-reputation in order to generate a controlled image of you or your company.

On LinkedIn, everything revolves around 3 elements: your profile, your connections and your publications:

  • Your profile is your sales page . This is your description, your knowledge and your know-how. Your profile is an essential element of your personal branding since you can shape it to your image.
  • Connections remain the basis of how LinkedIn works . They are of several types: your direct contacts and the contacts of your contacts. You develop your network according to your objectives by connecting with professionals from all sectors.
  • The publications allow you to share your experiences and your knowledge thus promoting your visibility and your notoriety on LinkedIn.

Do you want to optimize your profile, make your connections and publish your content efficiently? I give you in the list below, 30 tips for using LinkedIn well.

Often, professionals ask me: “why do you put so much emphasis on the ‘personal’ profile more than on the company LinkedIn page”? The answer is simple, the business page is necessary, but it is not the one that generates the most business results. The human is a social being who prefers to address a human rather than a logo.

1. Create a LinkedIn account

If you don’t have one yet, creating an account on LinkedIn is easy, free and immediate . LinkedIn asks you for an email and password. I advise you to enter a professional email address and not to link your Google account (unless it is an account that you use for your professional activity). Validate your email from your messaging to finalize your registration.

Use LinkedIn: create an account
Use LinkedIn: create an account

2. Put a professional LinkedIn profile picture

The LinkedIn profile picture is the only thing that humanizes the relationship on LinkedIn!

After creating your account, LinkedIn invites you to fill in the first section of your profile: last name, first name, title… and add a photo! I recommend that you upload a professional photograph of yourself. That is to say a photo of ¾ on a neutral background with a suitable outfit. This portrait is crucial, studies prove that profiles with photos generate more interaction.

To go further, read my article: 20 secrets of a perfect LinkedIn profile picture .

The LinkedIn profile picture is the only thing that humanizes the relationship on LinkedIn! It is to LinkedIn what the handshake is in physical life. An element that allows you to make a first impression and that allows you to lay the foundations of confidence. Trust, which is the basis of any business relationship.

3. Create a LinkedIn banner

The first thing a user sees is the background photo of your LinkedIn profile. It should reflect your activity and remain consistent with your graphical charter . It can contain text and your logo while respecting your colors. The correct dimensions for a LinkedIn banner are 1584 x 396 pixels. To change the banner, click on the small pencil icon. And if you want more tips for getting your cover image right, check out my article and tutorial video on it: LinkedIn banner: complete tutorial .

97% of the LinkedIn banners I see need improvement. It is an unmissable field of expression and communication. It is located at the top of the profile in the hot zone (understand the most watched zone).

4. Fill in your LinkedIn title carefully

Your professional title is the text that appears below your name. By default, LinkedIn shows your current job followed by your company name. But you can modify it by filling in the “Title” field.

Use LinkedIn: profile title
Use LinkedIn: profile title

Your title should be unique, punchy, and polished. Write down your function and your promise. Or if you wish, use a slogan eye-catching that sums up your business. You can add keywords and insert LinkedIn emojis . Read my dedicated article to find out if your LinkedIn title sucks?

5. Accurately complete the first section of the profile

In addition to your last name, first name, profile title, LinkedIn profile picture and banner, you can complete the introduction of your LinkedIn profile and:

  • add your contact information in the “contact details” section (email and telephone);
  • insert the link to your website or other social networks;
  • and enter your location.

Enter your data in line with your professional goals. Words you type in sections of LinkedIn can become keywords. That is to say, promote your appearance in searches. Select them carefully to adjust your visibility with your projects.

6. Take care of your LinkedIn summary (or info section)

The summary or also called the info section, is the central element of your profile, so write it very carefully!

An effective summary:

  • is ventilated;
  • is not a summary of your professional background;
  • shows what you can do for your potential client, partner or employer;
  • contains keywords;
  • ends with a Call To Action (CTA) by enticing readers to email you or check out your website.

I wrote an article to help you write a effective LinkedIn profile summary .

7. Value your experiences

Complete the experience section by filling in the positions you have held. If the companies you’ve worked for have pages on LinkedIn, link them to your profile. This displays the company logo in your column.

To optimize the writing of this section, I advise you to:

  • place keywords in the title of your experiments;
  • describe your missions with an emphasis on the results obtained;
  • and insert media to illustrate your experiences.

8. Detail your training

Fill in your diplomas in the “Training” section as well as all the training that you have made. Don’t forget the keywords!

LinkedIn offers to link the certifications obtained, do not hesitate to do so.

To read : a perfect LinkedIn profile in 10 steps

9. Valuing your key skills

I STRONGLY recommend that you add a “Skills” section to your profile. This section remains ideal for showing your strengths. To do this, from your profile, click on “Add a section to the profile” and on “Skills”.

Using LinkedIn: skills
Using LinkedIn: skills

Fill in your skills in line with your profile. LinkedIn proposes to highlight 3 of them. You can choose the 3 skills you want to show.

If you use LinkedIn to search for a job, skills are used by recruiters to check the compatibility between your profile and the expectations of the position. You must therefore select the skills in accordance with the position in question.

If you use LinkedIn to find customers, highlight the 3 skills expected by your target customers.

10. Get recommended on LinkedIn

Recommendations bring credit to your profile! On LinkedIn, two types of recommendations exist:

  • skills recommendations;
  • and someone’s recommendations.

To appear on your profile, people must write recommendations through LinkedIn. You can ask your former colleagues and clients for advice. Do not hesitate in your turn to make recommendations (if this is justified of course).

To read : how do i request a recommendation on LinkedIn?

11. Make your LinkedIn profile public

On LinkedIn, you have the choice of sharing your information privately (with your contacts) or in public. This feature allows all Internet users to find your LinkedIn profile, even those who are not members of LinkedIn. This boosts your visibility on LinkedIn and also on internet search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.).

LinkedIn allows you to designate the sections you want to make public. Note: your photo is by default in public display.

I advise you to put your profile in public mode. To change it, you access the privacy settings by clicking on your photo (or icon) at the top right. Then, in the drop-down menu, choose “Preferences and privacy”.

Using LinkedIn: public profile
Using LinkedIn: public profile

12. Customize the LinkedIn profile URL

By default, LinkedIn gives you a URL that contains random letters and numbers. I recommend you customize this URL to make it more professional and easier to share. This setting is made in the same tab as previously “public preferences”. In the clickable field, delete the default LinkedIn address and insert your own text. Ideally, put your first and last name.

Use LinkedIn: Custom URL
Use LinkedIn: Custom URL

13. Create a public profile badge

The public profile badge is a button linked to your URL address, which you add to your blog, website, email signature, etc. To generate this badge, go to the “Preferences and confidentiality” setting, “confidentiality” tab, “modify your public profile”. Click on the “Create badge” button.

Use LinkedIn: create a badge
Use LinkedIn: create a badge

LinkedIn offers several badges, the choice is yours according to your needs.

14. Disable sharing of profile changes

Each time you make a change to your LinkedIn profile (change of function, addition of experience, insertion of a certification, etc.) and on each professional anniversary, LinkedIn sends a notification to all of your contacts.

I advise you to disable this feature which can annoy your relationships. Reactivate it for major changes you want to share to your network.

You can access this setting by clicking on your photo then in the “Preference and confidentiality” section, “Confidentiality” tab. Switch the cursor to “No”.

Use LinkedIn: turn off notifications
Use LinkedIn: turn off notifications

15. Block the appearance of similar profiles

LinkedIn offers a selection of profiles similar to yours and displays them in a module on your page! People who view your profile will then see suggestions of people who are comparable to you. I advise you to disable this feature to avoid the display of competitors on your profile.

Using LinkedIn: block similar profiles
Using LinkedIn: block similar profiles

16. Use LinkedIn to develop your network

To gain visibility on LinkedIn, I recommend having more than 500 contacts (ideally at least 1,000 connections). remember that on LinkedIn, you can touch the contacts of your contacts . It is therefore interesting to always enlarge your circle. Even if at first glance, the contact does not seem qualitative to you for your objectives, its relationships can be.

There are different ways to expand your network:

  • add your knowledge and all the people you meet in trade fairs, training courses, professional seminars;
  • import your relationships from your email boxes;
  • look at LinkedIn’s contact proposals;
  • send personalized invitations with these examples of LinkedIn invitation notes ;
  • do not always refuse invitations from others, it can be an interesting professional relationship for you. Click here to follow my tactical method to find out whether to accept or not LinkedIn invitations .

To read : develop your professional LinkedIn network in 12 steps .

17. Join LinkedIn groups

LinkedIn allows you to join groups. These are communities of interest around a domain, an expertise or a function. Some are open and others are subject to moderator validation. Groups are spaces that allow you to enrich your knowledge, expand your network, share your knowledge and access opportunities (employment, clients, etc.) Be careful, groups are places of discussion, avoid to do self-promotion. I invite you to publish relevant content to position yourself as an expert and to interact with members.

18. Use LinkedIn and publish your content

After you’ve taken care of your profile and added your first contacts, you can start posting your texts on LinkedIn. The easiest way to get started is to create a post. Click on “Start a post” and write your first text.

Using LinkedIn: start a post
Using LinkedIn: start a post

Here are my recommendations for making your first posts a success:

  • write between 50 and 200 words;
  • start with a catchphrase to grab people’s attention;
  • deal with a professional subject related to your area of expertise;
  • ask a question to facilitate comment responses;
  • put 3 or 4 hashtags (read this for all about LinkedIn hashtags );
  • and add an attractive visual.

That’s all ! The hard part is trying and being consistent. Know that by publishing content you come out of the shadows, because to date, only 0.3% of LinkedIn members publish … You understand the boulevard of visibility and opportunities available to you!

19. Make your content easier to read with emojis

Emojis aren’t just for texting! Today, they have invaded the internet and social networks. And, I advise you to adopt them for their advantages:

▶ ️️ Do they express emotions? and are universal.

▶ ️️ They allow you to structure your text, especially for your summary: look how I inserted emojis in my LinkedIn profile .

▶ ️️ They capture attention by breaking the flow of content. Therefore, I invite you to include them in your posts to catch the eye of readers.

here is all LinkedIn emojis to copy and paste ! (And keep as a favorite.)

However, your LinkedIn presence should be professional and not eccentric. This is why you must measure their integration into your content.

20. Mention people in your posts

In the same way as on other social networks to tag a person, just insert the @ character and start typing the name. LinkedIn then suggests a list of people to mention.

I advise you to use the professional mention wisely making sure it is relevant and consistent. A good mention promotes engagement. It can be done in the post or in the comments.

For example, you could mention me by sharing this article on LinkedIn @Yannick BOUISSIERE.

21. Boost your LinkedIn posts

When you publish a post on LinkedIn, it only appears on the feed of a small number of your contacts. If your post elicits engagement, that is, likes and comments, LinkedIn broadens the target and displays it to a larger circle of people and so on.

The LinkedIn algorithm takes into account many factors to push a post including the type of content (video, text only, text with illustration), the presence of links, the presence of hashtag, the quality of your content, the quantity of your publications, the time spent to consult it, etc.

If you want to increase the visibility of your posts, I encourage you to follow these 4 tips:

  1. Publish when your audience is available . This ensures that your readers can see and interact with your post. Avoid posting at night and focus on the morning, midday or late afternoon. In order to know the best times to post, watch my video and read my article on: when to post on LinkedIn?
  2. End your post with a question to start a conversation in the comments and respond to comments. On LinkedIn, interactions and discussions are preferred.
  3. Create quality content your audience will stay on . Because LinkedIn analyzes the time spent on the publication.
  4. Use hashtags . I recommend inserting 3 to 4 hashtags in line with the theme of your post. For more advice, check out my article: how to use the hashtag LinkedIn?

22. Create articles

If you want to dig deeper into a topic or show your expertise in an area, you can create a post on LinkedIn. This longer format looks like a blog post where you fill in a title and cover image.

From the home page, click on “Write an article” and let’s go: you can start writing your article and publish it! Same as for posts, articles allow comments from LinkedIn members.

To dig into this topic, I wrote two articles:

23. Publish native videos

LinkedIn allows the posting of videos under 10 minutes. Internet users greatly appreciate this short format which is very easy to consume. You can therefore use them to improve your visibility on LinkedIn and to develop your notoriety.

It is better to import a native video rather than inserting a link to YouTube or Vimeo that takes the person off LinkedIn.

To find out how post a video on LinkedIn , it’s here and to find out what are the right formats of LinkedIn videos , it’s over there.

24. Understand how the LinkedIn algorithm works

The display of posts in your relationships newsfeed is governed by an algorithm. Knowing how it works is essential to gain visibility.
I regularly update how it works in this article: know everything about the LinkedIn algorithm .

25. Use LinkedIn for your personal branding

Personal branding or “self-marketing” is the use of corporate marketing techniques to promote your own image and develop your personal brand. Developing your personal branding is essential today, whatever your objectives: finding opportunities, having influence in your sector of activity, promoting your business, selling …

LinkedIn remains the ideal tool to manage your online reputation. Through your profile, your publications, your interactions with other members, you transmit your values. You control your interventions. You communicate your vision, your skills and your know-how.

I advise you to position yourself as an expert in your field. Once you’ve targeted your market, you share useful content, provide relevant advice, and help solve problems. Thus, you become a key person in your sector.

To read : how to self-market .

26. Use LinkedIn to prospect new B2B clients

LinkedIn is a real business prospecting tool if you know how to use it. Sending promotional messages directly to your targets doesn’t work. On LinkedIn, you don’t sell immediately!

On the other hand, LinkedIn allows you to target your prospects, obtain information on their needs and show them your talents. Prospecting on LinkedIn is done through the process of social selling : it is the tactful use of social networks to sell.

I created a method that allows using LinkedIn in the sales journey. Here is a summary of the Proinfluent method in 6 steps:

  • Step 1 #target – After you’ve identified your prospects, you can laser target them on LinkedIn and then add them to your network.
  • Step 2 #publish – By regularly posting quality content that is useful to your target audience, you expose yourself and show your expertise in your industry and your values.
  • Step 3 #interact – You interact by posting comments on your contacts’ posts and replying to the ones you get. Give useful advice and solve their problems.
  • Step 4 #contact – it is only at this phase that you can relate to your targets. Thanks to your monitoring on LinkedIn, you know when is the time to contact your prospect. You know its news and the issues it encounters. Be careful, if you send messages, don’t forget to personalize them.
  • Step 5 #call – Once the relationship is established, you can exit the social network to contact your prospects by phone offline. At that point, you know the person is interested.
  • Step 6 #conclude – The last step is selling your products and services outside of LinkedIn.

To deepen the social selling process and generate 1 lead per day and 5 customers per month on a lasting basis, I invite you to discover my training to find clients with LinkedIn and generate up to 1 prospect per day and 5 clients per month with LinkedIn.

27. Use LinkedIn to find a job

LinkedIn is the benchmark platform for job search since it allows:

  • candidates to be present and display their profile;
  • recruiters to post job offers and find candidates;
  • to easily connect the applicant and the employer.

do you know that 92% of recruiters are on LinkedIn ? You have to use LinkedIn to get yourself a new job.

To find a job, I recommend my training to find a job with LinkedIn .

All of the tips discussed above are helpful in finding a job with LinkedIn:

  • add a photo and a professional banner;
  • make the basic settings (URL, public mode, deactivate similar profiles, etc.);
  • use keywords;
  • fill in the “experience and training” sections;
  • update the “skills” section;
  • ask for recommendations;
  • develop your network;
  • join groups;
  • publish content;
  • use emojis;
  • boost your publications …

Here are my specific tips for appearing on the recruiter radar:

Your title should contain the position you are targeting, the keywords that match it and your promise. Similarly, include keywords in the title of the experiments.

Activate the “Listening to job opportunities” feature found in the first section of your profile. Click on the “Get Started” link.

Using LinkedIn: job opportunities
Using LinkedIn: job opportunities

Then, complete the information requested according to your objectives: position sought, places of work and types of employment. You can also decide who can see this section: all LinkedIn members or just recruiters. If you are currently in office and want to remain discreet about your research, it is preferable to check this second choice. Finally, click on “Add to profile”.

Using LinkedIn: Job Search Preferences
Using LinkedIn: Job Search Preferences

There are other possible settings for setting up LinkedIn for your job search:

From your home page, click on your photo at the top right. In the drop-down menu, choose “Preferences and confidentiality”. In the “Confidentiality” tab, go to the “Job search preferences” section. Here you have access to several sections that I advise you to fill in according to your objectives.

Using LinkedIn: Job Search Preferences
Using LinkedIn: Job Search Preferences

I invite you to see my article: find a job with LinkedIn, the 10 steps .

Do you like these tips? They are just samples of what I can give you to find a job! Discover my training which allows you to get 10 times more opportunities and access the hidden market .

28. Export contacts

I’ll share with you a little-known and very profitable LinkedIn feature: export your LinkedIn connections to Excel file (.csv format). If you need to retrieve your contacts’ email addresses, follow the guide:

Click on your photo at the top right and go to “Preferences & Privacy”, then in the Privacy tab, click on the “How LinkedIn uses your data” section and choose “Get a copy of your data”. Finally check “my relations” and “ask for the archives”. You then receive an email from LinkedIn with a link to download the CSV file of your contacts.

Use LinkedIn: export contact
Use LinkedIn: export your contacts

Since the GDPR, LinkedIn limits this possibility as much as possible, luckily I wrote you a guide to retrieve email addresses on LinkedIn . With the bonus of a reminder of the RGPD and the CNIL.

29. Create a LinkedIn company page

If you want to use LinkedIn for your business, you can create a dedicated page to promote your business and services to the community. A business page provides many advantages:

  • It is public, which promotes visibility to all Internet users (not just LinkedIn members).
  • It promotes e-reputation, you can talk about yourself by controlling your content.
  • It allows you to regularly post content to widely promote your business.
  • It allows you to recruit by posting your job offers.
  • It gives the possibility of creating showcase pages. These are pages affiliated with the main page, but dedicated to a specific service. This is useful for segmenting your audience who can subscribe to a showcase page only.
  • It opens access to LinkedIn’s advertising levers (paid features: LinkedIn Ads ).
Use LinkedIn: create a company page
Use LinkedIn: create a company page

Like your profile, your business page must be well constructed and configured. This is why I have created a complete tutorial to help you create a LinkedIn company page .

30. Take my LinkedIn training offered

You have seen through this article that LinkedIn requires knowledge, mastery and spending time. It is precisely this time that I save you by sharing my free LinkedIn training to multiply your results by 10.

Proinfluent's Perfect LinkedIn Profile Checklist

As a bonus, I offer you my checklist for an effective LinkedIn profile!

So, click here to: receive your free training .

Use LinkedIn, in conclusion

LinkedIn is a rich platform! Many professionals use it every day. You have many reasons for wanting to adopt it: develop your professional network, stand out, prospect, find a job, recruit, boost your sales, etc.

LinkedIn is a social network accessible to everyone! My 30 tips given in this article are a real gold mine for learning to master LinkedIn. They relate to useful settings as well as best practices to use on LinkedIn.

These 30 tips are only part of what I can share with you to achieve your goals! Truly !

Looking forward to it.

Comment utiliser LinkedIn pour le personal branding ?

Dans le B2B, LinkedIn est un outil majeur qui peut optimiser votre prospection commerciale. Cependant, le démarchage sur ce réseau social ne peut se faire de façon directe. LinkedIn est avant tout, un espace de discussion et d’échange. La prospection s’effectue donc selon un processus de social selling. Il faut d’abord donner avant de vendre. LinkedIn vous permet de cibler au laser vos prospects avec des fonctionnalités de recherche efficace. Vous trouvez également sur la plateforme des informations sur les besoins de vos prospects que vous pouvez aider en donnant des conseils avisés. Vous pouvez exposer votre marque grâce à la publication de contenus riches respectant vos valeurs. Vous pouvez entrer en contact avec vos cibles. La vente de vos produits et services s’effectue en dehors du réseau social une fois que vous avez établi une relation solide.

Comment utiliser LinkedIn pour prospecter ?

Dans le B2B, LinkedIn est un outil majeur qui peut vous permettre d’optimiser votre prospection commerciale. Cependant, le démarchage sur ce réseau social ne peut se faire de façon directe. LinkedIn est avant tout, un espace de discussion et d’échange. La prospection s’effectue donc selon un processus de social selling. Il faut d’abord donner avant de vendre. LinkedIn vous permet de cibler au laser vos prospects avec des fonctionnalités de recherche efficace. Vous trouvez également sur la plateforme des informations sur les besoins de vos prospects que vous pouvez aider en donnant des conseils avisés. Vous pouvez exposer votre marque grâce à la publication de contenus riches respectant vos valeurs. Vous pouvez entrer en contact avec vos cibles. La vente de vos produits et services s’effectue en dehors du réseau social une fois que vous avez établi une relation solide.

Comment utiliser LinkedIn pour trouver un emploi ?

92 % des recruteurs sont sur LinkedIn, cela propulse ce réseau en plateforme incontournable pour votre recherche d’emploi. Avoir un profil attractif est la base ! Vous devez afficher une photo de votre portrait de ¾ sur un fond neutre dans une tenue professionnelle. Renseignez votre titre avec le poste recherché, des mots-clés et votre promesse. Le résumé est la partie la plus importante et doit être lisible, agréable à lire et décrire ce que vous pouvez apporter à un employeur. N’oubliez pas de compléter toutes les autres sections en détaillant le mieux possible et en ajoutant des mots-clés. Les compétences sont indispensables et doivent correspondre à celles des postes ciblés. Demandez des recommandations à vos anciens employeurs et collègues. Enfin, paramétrez votre profil pour la recherche d’emploi en renseignant la fonctionnalité « à l’écoute d’opportunités d’emploi » proposée par LinkedIn.

Cet article a été publié en premier sur https://www.proinfluent.com

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