Over the course of the past few weeks, LinkedIn newsfeeds have been filled with excited new college graduates announcing their impressive achievements and continuing their networking quest in order to obtain their first post-grad job. On a more somber note, LinkedIn feeds have also seen an increase in layoff or furlough announcements and those affected reaching out to connections to seek new employment opportunities.

Within its Q3 2020 Performance Report, Microsoft reported that LinkedIn has seen significant growth in both users and engagement. Within the last 5 months alone, the social network has seen an increase from 675 million to 690 million total members. While LinkedIn usership is booming, advertising demand and job listing demand are slowing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, although the hiring gates have not fully opened, now is certainly the time to make sure that your LinkedIn profiles (personal pages and company pages alike) are not only up-to-snuff, but stellar for the hiring frenzy on the horizon. Keeping LinkedIn profiles current, professional and active is a vital piece in the puzzle to staying ahead of your competition and attracting top talent. Take the time now to brush up on some LinkedIn best practices and hire your next top recruit.

Personal LinkedIn Profiles

Do you love your job? Been working for the same company for the past decade? Even longer? Chances are, you fall into the group of individuals who have not recently updated their LinkedIn profiles, as you haven’t seen the immediate personal need. However, you (and your company!) are really missing out.

Job seekers utilize LinkedIn to learn more about the company they are interested in working for. That includes current company employees. Maintaining a LinkedIn profile doesn’t need to be a taxing ordeal.

Below are some quick tips to optimize your profile. You may just find that connecting with colleagues and staying informed from reliable news sources within a professional social platform is well worth your time, (gasp) enjoyable and fosters a sense of community.

• Use a professional photo.

We probably shouldn’t have to mention this, but given the number of profile photos we come across that are grainy, from a group family shot at a relative’s wedding or feature users donned in their ski apparel, it’s definitely worth a quick note.

Your photo doesn’t need to be a professionally taken headshot. However, we recommend a high quality resolution image, professional attire, good lighting and a simple background.

• Keep your profile updated.

Did you get a new job with a different company? Let LinkedIn and your connections know. Were you promoted? Share this achievement within the “Work Experience” section of your profile or via a post. Have you earned an industry certification? Add it to your profile within the “Licenses and Certifications” section. Learned a new skill? Add it to the “Skills” section of your profile.

Your connections like good news and they want to celebrate achievements and updates. Give the people what they want!

• Post or share thought-leadership content. 

LinkedIn has become much like Facebook as there is an increased emphasis on sharing posts that are visually appealing, engaging and earn vanity metrics. However, there are do’s and don’ts when it comes to sharing content on LinkedIn.

• DO
  • Post about your thoughts and perspective on industry news or industry trends (industry thought leadership).
  • Post about personal trials and triumphs. Taking the time to share a success story or period of turmoil can be extremely helpful to others and spark continued conversation.
  • Provide comments on topics that you know well to share knowledge and insights.
• DON’T
• • • Tag people or companies in excess. Irrelevant tagging appears spammy and reduces credibility.
    • Post constantly. LinkedIn should not be used as Twitter is used. Ensure what you’re posting is of quality and is useful to followers and connections.

Company LinkedIn Profiles

• Keep your page updated and OPTIMIZE!

Much like a personal LinkedIn page, you’re going to want to ensure that your company page is updated. Ensure that your address, phone number and website URL are accurate. Also be sure to complete all elements of a company LinkedIn profile, such as a correctly formatted banner image, add any upcoming events, include a company tagline, write a company overview, add any featured groups, etc. Sharing accurate information will help job applicants get a sense of what your company’s mission is and how you go about achieving such goals.

• Share posts and original content.

Sharing original, relevant content positions your organization as a thought leader and naturally leads to a larger reach. In addition, sharing and championing another organization’s content is a great way to foster engagement and get your company in front of a different or new audience.

When your company does post an update, make sure that you share the link with your colleagues. LinkedIn has found that employees are 70% more likely to click, share and comment on a company-generate update compared to an “outside” LinkedIn user. Make it easy, encourage participation and reap the rewards.

• Keep tabs on other company pages.

Gain insight on what’s working from other LinkedIn companies using the platform’s “Companies to track” feature. When diving into your page analytics, this feature can be found within the “Followers” section. LinkedIn gives its best effort at showing you companies similar to yours and the key metrics associated with those accounts such as total followers, new followers, number of updates and engagement rate.

Using this tool can help you compare your company profile that may have a low engagement rate with a similar company profile with a high engagement rate and determine what key differences are. It’s not an exact science, however, social experiments on this social network can help achieve social media goals (say that five times fast!).

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