USING LINKEDIN TO GET NOTICED

Using LinkedIn to showcase your talents is a vital step to get right in your search for a new Marketing role. But not just about recruitment! Getting yourself noticed as someone with something relevant to say will set you apart from everyone else. But it's no easy quick fix. Buckle up because you are in for a bumpy ride!

There are 5 things you should do to stand out on LinkedIn right now. Nearly all of them are easy to get in place with a little time and patience. All will help you to develop the two main things LinkedIn is great for, networking and job searching. 1. Your Headline Try and stay away from calling yourself a " Marketing Guru" or "Business Genius". It's just a bit tired, and lets face it, don't you laugh when you see things like that on someone's profile? Make your headline sell what you do and what you are good at. For example "Marketing Director and Non-Executive Director" is a good Ronseal approach. "Marketing Director in the Foodservice Sector and experienced NED" would be better. The combinations are endless so get creative but steer clear of "guru" it will get you nowhere!

2. Get Posting

If you don't say anything people can't see how good you really are. Posting on a regular basis is a must. How much time you devote to this activity is up to you. The first and most important thing to nail down is the type of post you use. A combination of video, articles and opinion pieces is a good mix but we aren't all good in front of a camera. So steer well clear of video if you think you'll bore the hind legs off a donkey. Test it first on a friend. Seek feedback because once that cringe worthy video is out there, it's out there! Check your posts for spelling and grammar. There is no excuse under the sun that can make basic errors acceptable. Don't forget it's your reputation and your company's you are 'promoting. Use #hastags and make the posts searchable and posts with white space between the paragraphs increases likes and shares by 75% apparently so get spacing! 3. Your Profile Image Firstly even in 2020 and a new "working from home normal" pictures of you bare chested (men) or holding a glass of wine (anyone) are not that great when you are trying to win people over to joining your network. Make it a smart professional image. Doesn't have to be a professional photographer headshot that cost the earth. A good shot or selfie that gives us all a clear idea about you is fine. Good clear in focus images are a must. 4. Career History Make sure your career history matches your CV and ensure you have a summary for each role to help bring your profile to life and showcase the great things you've done in your career. Giving something back these days will add some weight to your profile. If you have donated your time and volunteered make sure you enter these as they are as important as your various jobs. Vocational qualifications are another good section to add. If you scroll down in your profile LinkedIn gives you the option to add a section. Qualifications are good to add as they demonstrate your ability to continue learning during your career. 5. Follow Companies and People Liven up your feed by following companies and people that interest you and are specific to your current or past roles. (Following is not the same as connecting with someone) The more the merrier. It will enable you to like and share content that's relevant to your profile and lots of this content is a good way to pick up new things. Joining groups will enable you to participate in discussions and you can add your posts to the group you belong to, as long its content that's right for the type of group. That way your messages have a much broader reach and put you in front of people outside your 1st Network. These are just a few quick and simple things to change and update when you have a few spare minutes. Getting your LinkedIn profile right takes time and effort. Being a regular contributor will help to get you noticed and gain your followers and even connections.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR I'm Stephen Moore FCIM, a Strategic Marketing Consultant and part-time Marketing Director living in beautiful Suffolk. I support businesses large and small in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and London. I have been writing about marketing developments for 20 years with articles in The Metro, City AM, Fresh Business Thinking, AllWork, The Marketer and Marketing Week.

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