Thom Singer and Elizabeth Quintanilla presented “LinkedIn 101: LinkedIn Basics To Grow Your Business” on March 25th, 2020 through Zoom. Thom Singer, a professional speaker, has worked with IncubatorCTX before when he emceed our inaugural Pitch Perfect event back in February. Elizabeth Quintanilla is a marketing professional at Marketing Gunslingers and a mentor at IncubatorCTX.
You can leverage your LinkedIn experience by treating it as a piggy bank – the more that is put in, the more you’ll get out of it. The following are 20 tips for making the most out of Linkedin:
Tip 1: Take the time to make yourself look AWESOME!
- Make yourself available if you are looking for a job, especially college seniors!
Tip 2: Choose Great Photos and get your custom URL!
- Don’t use generic photos that come pre-designed on your LinkedIn banner. You can use Canva to make collages and personalized graphics for your page. Promote your company name or your contact info, for example.
Tip 3: Write a Headline That Rocks!
- Your headline should help explain exactly what you do, who you are, and what you want to accomplish!
- You don’t get a second chance for a first impression. Be a human being – speak in the first person! People want to work with people who seem likable.
Tip 5: Highlight Your Best Self and DON’T just list your job duties!
- Even if your past jobs don’t seem impressive, you can relate what those job duties were and how they apply to your current job.
Tip 6: Write a Ridiculously Great Summary
- Thom believes your summary is the most important part of your profile. Have a summary that’s robust and full, it’s the first thing people look at. Let them know why they should work with you!
- You can add videos, photos, logos, and other visual things to supplement your profile.
Tip 8: Request LinkedIn Recommendations
- Requesting LinkedIn recommendations helps give people an idea of what you’ve done for or with other people. Elizabeth suggests giving recommendations to receive recommendations!
Tip 9: Manage Your Endorsements
- Take this one seriously. Hide endorsements that are silly and off-topic from friends, and highlight endorsements that highlight a skill you want to show off.
Tip 10: Update Your Status – Just don’t tell us what you had for lunch …
- Tell people what you’re up to – but make it meaningful and business-related. If you don’t update your status a few times a week, people may not see you at all. Stay relevant, but don’t over post!
Tip 11: Publish Amazing Posts!
- Make sure you post photos and videos! Thom uses Canva to make personalized photos to post on his feed.
Tip 12: Be a Groupie … aka join relevant LinkedIn Groups!
- This is one of the greatest ways to connect with people you don’t know. Elizabeth finds mentors and peers in these groups with similar interests she can learn from. How can you add value and help others in those groups?
Tip 13: Make sure people can find you!
- Make sure you add your contact information somewhere on your profile and make sure it’s up-to-date! Make it easy for people to reach you.
Tip 14: Use Keywords with Intent
- A lot of recruiters scan resumes. Your LinkedIn is a living and breathing document, but make sure recruiters can search keywords you relate to and can find you!
Tip 15: Personalize Invitations to Connect
- Thom believes you should not add everyone you can find. When you send invites, make them personal and even bring up a memory or two to remind them who you are and why you should be connected. Add the kind of people you would do business with, or can recommend you to others!
Tip 16: Be a strategic liker! – Don’t just like puppies and kittens!
- Let people know you are paying attention to them. Don’t make your like cheap, make it intentional; like and comment on people’s posts to put yourself out there! In Elizabeth’s words: “Don’t act like a bot.”
Tip 17: Stay in Touch before you need the next job!
- Remember to say Congratulations to old colleagues when they get new jobs, say Happy Birthday, or even reach out to say hello and well wishes. You never know when a simple comment can put you in front of someone looking to hire someone with your skills!
Tip 18: Export Your LinkedIn Connections – Keep in touch with your network
- Elizabeth suggests updating your database of followers to keep in touch with them – even if it’s to make sure you say Happy Birthday! One thing to note is you are not allowed to export these contacts and upload them to an email marketing software, like Constant Contact or MailChimp because they are not organic and did not click “yes” willingly to be on a newsletter. Ask first!
Tip 19: Don’t Add People You Don’t Know…Find a reason to connect first!
- Make your followers meaningful and personal – don’t add people you have never met or spoken to. Have a reason for adding someone!
- Be a light in the darkness, especially on LinkedIn! Being positive shows people you are likable, warm, welcoming, and can add value.
Thom Singer: [email protected]
Elizabeth Quintanilla: [email protected]
Written by Hannah Watson
About IncubatorCTX
IncubatorCTX helps startups and early-stage companies grown and succeed. Our goal is to promote innovation and impact in Northwest Austin along the HWY 620 corridor. We are located on the campus of Concordia University amidst 400 acres of Hill country preserve.
IncubatorCTX members have 24/7 access to vibrant co-working space alongside other entrepreneurs. IncubatorCTX is much more than a co-working space; our members also benefit from a network of mentors, entrepreneurial programming, classes, events, and access to faculty and student workers.
For more information or to become a member, please go to www.incubatorctx.com or to learn more about Concordia University Texas go to www.concordia.edu
