Introduction to LinkedIn
LinkedIn can help you develop your business or professional life. It is a valuable platform for business professionals to connect, access resources and support, and build relationships with potential clients and partners. It is ideal for home business owners, freelancers, and remote workers, as it can help them grow their businesses and careers while staying connected to the outside world.
Overview of LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a social network specifically designed for business and professional networking. As of 2020, more than 722 million professionals use LinkedIn to advance their careers and businesses. Unlike other social networks where you may become “friends” with anyone, LinkedIn is about building strategic relationships. Therefore, the number of connections is less important than the quality of those connections. In fact, LinkedIn stops displaying the actual number of connections once you reach 500, as it’s about quality, not quantity.
The platform boasts members from all countries and all possible industries. In fact, many executives from the Fortune 500 list are on LinkedIn. The platform does have some advertisements, but they are not as intrusive as those on other social media sites.
The platform operates on the concept of “six degrees of separation,” where you start by connecting with those you know and who know you, and from there, you build a larger network for the purpose of accessing resources, freelancing, finding clients, and building alliances and partnerships. LinkedIn is perfect for building freelance connections, a client base, potential partners, or simply keeping your job opportunities open.
How to Use LinkedIn
LinkedIn has its own platform and system, but learning how to use LinkedIn is not harder than learning how to use any other social site. Start by creating a personal LinkedIn account and profile.
However, networking on LinkedIn is very different. You won’t find members posting cat videos or pictures of what they cooked for dinner. LinkedIn is geared toward professionals, so everything is directed towards professional life and business. As you build your profile and seek connections, endorsements, and recommendations, you’ll want to be professional.
Creating a LinkedIn Profile
All you need to get started is to create a LinkedIn login. You can also upgrade to one of LinkedIn’s paid subscriptions: Premium Career, Business Plus, LinkedIn Learning, Sales Navigator (three tiers), and Recruiter Lite. Using the basic free services is sufficient for many employees and home business owners, offering you features like:
- A professional profile that includes skills, experiences, and more
- A limited view of who has visited your profile
- The ability to see 1000 profiles in each search
- The ability to save three searches
Upgrading enhances some of these features, such as seeing more information about who has viewed your profile, the number of profiles in each search, and the number of searches. Additionally, upgrades can include extra features like InMail credits, which allow you to send messages to people who are not connected to you, and premium filters that make the search process faster and easier.
Once you sign up for a LinkedIn account, whether free or paid, you can create your own professional profile. Remember, this is a career-focused site, so it’s important that the information in your profile represents your work or professional life. LinkedIn is not the place to share cute pictures of your child or party photos.
You can add many elements to your profile, including the essentials of your resume, a summary about yourself, your contact information, links to your website or blog, previous employers, published books, and notable projects. Don’t forget to add a professional photo, as people are hesitant to connect with someone who doesn’t have a picture.
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Because your LinkedIn profile is akin to a resume or business card, it is essentially a marketing tool. Thus, consider writing a profile that focuses on benefits, so potential partners can recognize the advantages of working with you.
Once you complete your profile, you can publish it and start searching for “connections.” A connection is someone you know or want to get to know. Essentially, the idea is to create as many direct connections as possible by adding people within your professional circle and expanding to include their connections. Your connections can also provide you with introductions to other professionals you may be interested in meeting. Connections can also endorse your skills and provide you with recommendations.
Using LinkedIn to Build a Home Business
LinkedIn can help you start and grow a home business. It offers you the opportunity to network and collaborate with other professionals who are interested in sharing knowledge in the business and industry fields. It is an effective tool for finding those who may contribute to your business’s success.
LinkedIn allows you to:
- Have an online resume and business card where potential clients and partners can learn about you and reach out to you.
- Receive online endorsements and recommendations for your professional skills and personality.
- Get introductions to potential clients and partners.
- Search available jobs posted on LinkedIn by members. While you can also search for jobs online, the significant advantage of LinkedIn is that many jobs are exclusive to LinkedIn: they are not advertised elsewhere. These jobs often require one or more LinkedIn recommendations. Additionally, there is a chance that someone within your LinkedIn network works there or knows someone who does, increasing your chances of landing an interview.
- Join various groups that align with your interests and participate in discussions. Having a shared group with another LinkedIn user is one way you can invite others to join your network. Each group discussion has its own job listings. Furthermore, it is a place to share your expertise and build the trust and connections necessary to acquire new clients and customers.
Not staying connected to the outside world is not the only benefit of LinkedIn. Learning how to use LinkedIn and leveraging all it has to offer can provide you with strong professional connections and enhance your online reputation better than most other social networking resources.
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Sources
The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts found in our articles. Read our editing process to learn more about how we verify facts and maintain the accuracy and reliability of our content.
LinkedIn. “About LinkedIn.” Accessed November 30, 2020.
LinkedIn. “Search Results for Free and Premium Members.” Accessed November 30, 2020.
LinkedIn. “LinkedIn Free Accounts and Premium Subscriptions.” Accessed November 30, 2020.
LinkedIn. “In-Mail Messages – Overview.” Accessed November 30, 2020.
Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/introduction-to-linkedin-1794572
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