When we think of social media, we typically think of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, but we often forget about one of the biggest and most reputable platforms of all, LinkedIn. LinkedIn offers organizations a means of sharing information and resources with potential members and partners while establishing a strong, consistent brand presence. It is a great professional social networking tool for working individuals, where LinkedIn users can view your professional background and history at any time, even if they aren’t connected to you.
We had a client recently who came across a situation where a major business affiliate stumbled upon her LinkedIn account, which hadn’t been updated in some time. Her profile lacked a certain pizazz of crucial information, information that might provide her more professional opportunities if she was looking for them. When these opportunities arise, they can be instrumental to branding yourself and building further connections.
Looking back, she said she wished she had kept her profile more current so this important professional contact could have seen what she does on a day-to-day basis, learned more about the significant results she delivers for their shared business interests, and see that the company they invested in was worth every dollar. First impressions tend to last, and if she had updated her current information, this important business affiliate could have potentially offered up further connections/opportunities within their industry.
So do you ever wonder, “Who will look at my profile next?” The answer is simple based on what happened with our client. Someone who is connected to you that you’ve built a professional relationship with, someone who may be interested in working with you or your company, a business affiliate, or someone who wants to invest in the company you work for.
Even if you’re in a satisfactory workplace and happy with your job, it’s extremely important that you keep all of your LinkedIn profile information up to date because other business connections and vendors you work with just might be viewing your profile — and it is one more opportunity for you to make that good first impression. Keeping yourself relevant is extremely important for maintaining relationships, building new ones, and in some cases, maintaining your current job.
Establishing professional relevance while providing the right tone on LinkedIn often offers more benefits than you realize, including business referrals, increased SEO for you and the business you work for, personal branding, differentiating yourself from competitors, and beyond.
So if you haven’t yet, may we suggest updating your LinkedIn profile? You never know who might want to connect with you for a wide range of reasons…