Whether you’re interested in business development, career advancement, or networking, LinkedIn has become an increasingly important tool for you to market yourself. The fact is, more and more businesses are checking out your LinkedIn profile instead of asking for your resume and portfolio.

As you may know, your connections through friends and co-workers via LinkedIn are becoming an increasingly important source of referrals. And, it’s crucial that you implement these three ways to market yourself on LinkedIn.

1. Build A Comprehensive Profile

A LinkedIn profile is more than a resume. It is where you inform others of current projects, career highlights, and future goals, in addition to work history. You also have space to share more information about past jobs than allowable in a resume. So, building a comprehensive profile is essential for better marketing yourself. Remember your audience: What skills and experience do you want to emphasize for a particular job or industry? What “key words” will they be looking for? What information can you provide that shows your expertise? Answering these questions when building your comprehensive profile is essential for marketing yourself.

2. Keep Your Profile Updated

One of the great things about LinkedIn is that you are able to update your information on an on-going basis. Unlike with a resume, marketing yourself doesn’t have to be static. You can also emphasize or add information depending on what your current goals are. Do you have a recent accomplishment? Mention it on your profile. This is the place to toot your own horn while giving details about what you have done recently.

3. Use Other Features

But building your profile and keeping it updated isn’t enough. Using all the features of LinkedIn is important in marketing yourself. The different tools on the site allow you to use your profile for different purposes. Looking for a new job? Getting recommendations from past co-workers is important when updating your profile. Wanting to network more? Adding yourself to relevant groups is essential. Want career advancement? Send messages to people who might consider mentoring you. One of reasons LinkedIn is an important social-networking site is in the ability to update your status. This allows you to inform others you are connected to about what you are thinking about and what you find important. This allows you to stay relevant.

Marketing yourself via LinkedIn is becoming increasingly important. If you are interested in more ways to utilize LinkedIn and other social networking tools, contact us.

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7 Steps to Help Your Business “Get Found” on the Web
15 Website Mistakes You Should Avoid (Part 1)
Is There Still Gold in Cold Calling?

This article is published by Will Sherwood | The Sherwood Group |Website Design | Graphic Design | Marketing Communications: The Sherwood Group has over 30 years of experience working with all sorts of companies, small and large. Our clients range from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 firms, in nearly every business sector, from across the street to around the world (and yes, even Europe, China, and South America). Our goal is to create advertising,  graphic design, website design, and marketing communication that still looks fresh and relevant 10-15 years later. Our mission is to stir your imagination and leave your competition shaken and wondering,  Now what do we do?”  We are located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

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