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Are you using LinkedIn to help you grow your business? One of the best ways to use this platform is for business networking.

Ways to Use LinkedIn to Showcase Yourself and Connect with Others

• LinkedIn provides a number of ways for entrepreneurs to showcase their brand. Examples include the profile headline, the about section, the featured section, position titles and descriptions in the experience section, and much more.

• You can share your expertise on LinkedIn. As an entrepreneur, you are a subject matter expert in your field. Along with using the elements of your profile, you can share your expertise through the posts and articles you write. In addition to creating your own material, you can share the posts of others in your field.

• LinkedIn works well for connecting and communicating with other business people. In a business environment, people expect to have others reach out to them on LinkedIn. It’s is a great site to use when you want to celebrate the accomplishments of others and also to comment on the posts they share.

Three Key Components of Your LinkedIn Profile

• Your LinkedIn profile photo. Your profile photo is an important part of your brand and should represent you well. Be sure to use a professional head shot.
• Your LinkedIn profile headline. Include key words and phrases related to the work you do to help increase your search engine optimization (SEO). Also reference the types of clients you serve. Add your company tagline to generate more interest in you and your business. You have up to 220 characters for your headline.
• Your LinkedIn about section. Think of the about section as a narrative about you in the context of your current business and past career. If you are a business owner, avoid the common tendency to only talk about your company. Be sure to write from the first-person point of view, which makes you come across in a more accessible manner.

In addition to these three critical sections of your profile, look for ways to add visual interest to the profile. Examples of ways you are do this are in your background photo, featured section and the media you attach to your position listings in the experience section.

Suggested Ways to Spend Time on LinkedIn

Unlike other social media platforms, a little bit of time on LinkedIn goes a long way. Therefore, spending about 10-15 minutes on LinkedIn twice a week is plenty for most business owners.

During these scheduled times, plan to do the following:

• Review your pending invites and decide whether to accept them or not.
• Scroll through your messages and respond to ones that are timely and relevant.
• Skim through your notifications to find special occasions to comment on, such as your connections’ work anniversaries or new jobs.

On a weekly basis, create a post on LinkedIn or share a blog post from your website. Once or twice month, publish an article on LinkedIn.

Check out the webinar we hold regularly on LinkedIn and Social Media Marketing