If there was ever a time to be active on LinkedIn, it’s now! In their latest report, LinkedIn shared that they continue to see “record levels of engagement” – up 31% in the latest quarter. LinkedIn now boasts a staggering 722 million members and we don’t think the growth of the platform is going to slow down anytime soon. Covid-19 is, of course, one reason LinkedIn is seeing increased members and higher usage. Many users are looking for work while others are finding new ways to connect while face-to-face interactions out of the question with social distancing concerns.
If you know ODEA, you already know that we’re big fans of LinkedIn. Its ever-growing user base tells us that folks are realizing just how much value there is in our favorite social platform. With many of us spending chunks of our day perusing LinkedIn for work or potential hires, new products or services, or new connections, we wanted to share three little LinkedIn tips that will have us all putting our best (virtual) foot forward on the platform.
Three LinkedIn Reminders to Spruce Up Your Profile
1. Use your inside voice
DOES OUR USAGE OF ALL CAPS MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE? Wow, that was painful just for us to type! Using all caps for your name, headline or about section may be an attention grabber, but not in a good way. Users are going to think you’re yelling at them (not good!) and desperate for attention (even worse!)
Our suggestion? Stick to your inside voice when using LinkedIn and only cap when appropriate – like the first letter of your first and last name, the first letter of a sentence, etc.
2. Don’t go wild with emojis
We’ll admit to being a little emoji crazy here at ODEA! So we’re happy 😊 to see the buttoned-up world of LinkedIn finally giving the fun and quirky emoji some acceptance. An emoji can be fun to use sparingly in a headline or about section on LinkedIn. But just like all good things in life, there is such a thing as just too much.
You know the old saying about jewelry – before you leave the house, go back in and take off one piece. We think the same rule applies to emojis. Use them sparingly to add some quirkiness to a headline, About section or a post. Just don’t get too crazy!
3. No funny business isn’t always a good thing
Maybe you love those no-nonsense people who get right down to business. But on LinkedIn, how short is too short? People visit your profile to learn more about you and find things you have in common. If your About section is a single sentence, it’s going to be hard for them to get any idea about your career, interests, or anything else! Don’t get us wrong, we’re not suggesting ten paragraphs detailing every twist and turn of your personal and career journey. But do give us more than the generic, “[Insert title here] with [insert number here] years of experience.”
The About section of your profile is the perfect place to do a bit of a humble brag to let readers know what makes you excellent at your role or the role you’re looking for. And – get this- it’s totally okay to get a little personal! Are you an expert geocacher? That is so cool! Master soap carver? Tell us more! LinkedIn is a professional networking platform but we’re all humans and those little details can be the unexpected “link” that we connect on. (See what we did there?)
With more users joining LinkedIn or reactivating their profile every day, the opportunities to make connections are going to grow right along with those member stats. We want your profile to look its best and help you to be successful with whatever your goal is on LinkedIn. So excuse us while we take five minutes to skim through our profile to see where we can make some quick improvements!
If you’re interested in more LinkedIn insights, check out our other blogs where we dive into LinkedIn. And if you have a question, drop us a line here.