LinkedIn and the Pandemic
Nov 22, 2020
As a social platform, LinkedIn is a bit of a hybrid. One side of the coin geared towards job seekers and the other side, towards business growth.
For many individuals, especially students and graduates, the platform is viewed as a means to move your career forward.
It’s a place to explain your professional background and provide your digital resume.
It’s also a means to look for job opportunities.
For others, perhaps those already started on their career journey or fresh start up entrepreneurs it is seen as a business development tool to find and engage with decision-makers in particular industries.
Since the start of the drastically changed climate, LinkedIn has completely shifted and cemented its place as the social networking platform for people when they are at work.
With the increase in flexible working arrangements, LinkedIn has become one of the few places for people to connect, engage, learn and contribute ideas with other professionals in their communities.
There has been an increase for business development and utilising the platform for selling. Small business owners and leaders wanting to know how they can use LinkedIn to continue engaging with their most important customers and leads without their usual, in-person channels.
It is a big shift for small business owners. However, one that will inevitably make LinkedIn a more dynamic and friendly platform to take part in every day.
For business owners looking to deepen existing relationships, make new ones and communicate with hundreds of people from behind their computer screen, here are tips on how to get the most out of LinkedIn.
Do your research
Take some time to get to know the platform.
Look at what companies and individuals in your industry are doing including your peers. And take note of what posts you are interested in or stop to look at.
Set up your profile
Set yourself up, and act as the representative of your company.
People connect with people more than they follow companies, so being active and consistent on LinkedIn as an individual is your first step.
Make sure your headline connects you to your company, and you also have your company set up and listed as your current place of employment.
Build your network quickly
Connect with people at your work, in your industry, people who may be potential customers, people you went to college or university with, and so on.
Most likely, they will be happy to accept your connection and you will begin to get a regular news feed of interesting content.
Add it to your social rotation
Remember that LinkedIn is still a social networking platform, just like Facebook or Instagram — with the key difference that you have your professional attire on.
If you think of it as a work event versus a New Year’s Eve party, you can keep tabs on your behavior and language.
Not sure what to post?
Most things you do day-to-day may seem a bit ordinary because you have been doing them for so long. However, to others, they are very cool, even entertaining.
For example, a businessman who sells a product for train tracks, whenever he visits a site he posts pictures and talks about the history of the train line, and what work they are doing to service it. He isn’t pitching to his audience, but is adding value instead.
Adding value is something people will remember.
Check in consistently
See if you can make a habit of jumping onto the platform every few days and interacting with your connections.
Take a few minutes right now and connect with someone new.