LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts

LinkedIn is a service that individuals use to find jobs and also seek out employers, but did you know there are many services LinkedIn offers that you might be using wrong? By reading our LinkedIn Do’s and Don’ts, you are bound to find a few ways to improve your profile!

DO

Choose a great profile photo.

First impressions are essential. By creating a good first impression, you will establish the baseline for all thoughts and opinions a potential employer will make of you. Did you know how long it takes to make up for and eventually reverse a bad first impression? By having a clear, professional photo, your chances of making a good first impression automatically increase.

“A photo can go a long way to convey passion, energy, charisma, empathy, and other soft skills that are hard to write about.” The Muse

Keep your page up-to-date.

There are many different functions on LinkedIn that allow you to keep followers updated on your professional career. One of the most important sections to keep updated is your profile section, which is located at the top of your profile. Keeping your profile section up-to-date is important because it is the first section viewers see when they open your page and can give potential employers a quick synopsis of who you are. In this section, you can include where you currently work (with your position title), your education, and a short summary about yourself. Another vital section on your page to keep updated is your ‘experience’ section. Showcasing past jobs and responsibilities you’ve had is important as, for some readers, this section can be viewed essentially as a resume.

Take advantage of the Summary section.

The Summary section is crucial because it allows you to tell viewers about yourself in your own words. Show off your personality, touch on your professional experiences and skills, and tailor it all exactly the way you want it to be presented. According to Career Horizons, “your summary should be around 3–5 short paragraphs long, preferably with a bulleted section in the middle.” Don’t miss an opportunity to showcase your writing skills and personality for potential viewers.

Include multimedia

When given the chance to show off your expertise through work you have produced, do it! Having multimedia on your page will likely help you stand out when compared to competition. Including any multimedia work you have done on your page gives employers an accessible showcase of your skills. You can include multimedia In your ‘Summary’ and ‘Experience’ sections on your profile.

DON’T

Don’t add people you don’t know.

Although it is important to have many connections on LinkedIn, it is not professional to add people that you do not know. Did you know that if enough people deny your invitation, LinkedIn can shut down your account? White it is important to have at least 50 connections, it is essential you know who you are connecting with.

Don’t forget to add your contact information.

Although it seems like a common thing to remember, many people look over the ‘Contact Info’ portion of their LinkedIn profile without realizing it. You can find this section under your profile settings. If you do not list any contact information, it makes it difficult for a company to reach out to you.

Don’t forget to be social.

LinkedIn is meant for many things, but one of its most important functions is to be social with others—this is social media after all. Sharing recent news and staying active on LinkedIn shows others that you are comfortable on LinkedIn and know how to use it effectively. It is easy to make a profile and then leave it dormant, but it is important to use LinkedIn fully, especially when you are in job search mode.

We hope these do’s and don’ts help you to improve your presence on LinkedIn and the overall impact of your profile. Whether you are seeking employment, or simply looking to get the absolute most of social media, these best practices will get you moving in the right direction.

Do you know of any other LinkedIn practices that weren’t included here? We’d love to know them!

Influencer Marketing

Influencer Marketing

Influencer:

The individual whose effect on the purchase decision is in some way significant or authoritative (Cambridge English Dictionary)

How influencing works:

Influencers on social media, as vessels for advertising and marketing, have become a phenomenon that many brands have turned to. Influencer marketing benefits the brand by  exposing it to a large number of people in their target audience. This exposure is secured through compensation paid to the influencer. Successful influencer marketing often requires a great deal of coordination and planning between parties. A brand must identify and establish a relationship with an individual who matches their target audience. Depending on the arrangement, the influencer might also receive free products. The influencer must then post about the brand in a creative way for the purpose of engaging their followers. Influencers are effective because their followers look up to them are more likely to receptive to the products they recommend.

Types of influencers:

Mega-influencers:

Mega-influencers are individuals who have more than one million followers on their platform. These influencers are mainly celebrities, such as musicians, actors, athletes, etc. Mainstream brands often reach out to celebrities for advertising purposes, as bigger celebrities often have the greater ability to influence their fans and followings. Mega-influencers are able to reach a broad audience, which is why brands spend the extra money for their endorsements. Some of the most expensive celebrity influencers include Beyonce, Kylie Jenner, Khloe Kardashian and Selena Gomez. Although celebrities are not the ideal influencer for every brand, research can help brands identify when a celebrity will work best for for them.

Khloe Kardashian

Khloe Kardashian’s primary social media platform is Instagram, where she has more than 76 million followers. Khloe has been an influencer for brands such as Amazon and Calvin Klein. It is rumored that Khloe makes around $250,000 per post.

Jonathan Morrison

Jonathan is an influencer in the tech and business world. Jonathan’s main platform is his Youtube channel where he has over 2 million followers. In many of his Youtube videos, he is giving paid reviews for gadgets and also giving away free products to viewers.

Carly Waddell

Carly first gained media attention by being a contestant on The Bachelor in 2015. Since then, she has reappeared on the show and gained many followers. Today, she is a social media influencer for health products, baby products, and everyday usage products.

Macro-influencers:

Macro-influencers are individuals who have between 10,000 and one million followers. These influencers mainly post about everyday lifestyle or business matters. Pet influencers, beauty influencers, food influencers, and travel influencers are just a few of the kinds of individuals who are considered to be macro-influencers.

Lindsay Arnold 

Lindsay Arnold is a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars. Lindsay’s following includes a large number of younger females and she has partnerships with many food, health and travel companies.

Tuna 

In 2011, Tuna’s owners created an Instagram account for their dog, who became famous online. Tuna has over 80 thousand followers and has been featured by Cosmopolitan, The New York Times and many other sites. Tuna’s posts feature the partnerships with many pet-friendly hotels around the world.

Micro-influencers:

Micro-influencers are individuals who have fewer than 500,000 followers. These influencers are individuals who partake in an everyday work-life, who relate with their followers through real-life authenticity. These influencers can create a relationships and develop trust with their followers.

The Planet D  

Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil are a husband-and-wife travel influencing team. They have traveled to over 100 countries and have partnerships with American Express Canada, Intrepid Travel, and Expedia. Their main source of blogging is on their personal website and Facebook account.

Tina Jui

Tina Jui is a breakfast food blogger via Instagram, and her website known as The Work Top. Tina has over 50,000 followers and is an influencer for all things cooking. She makes sponsored posts for food brands, specific cookware items, and also does sponsored giveaways.

Why influencer marketing works:

Influencers create a personal level of trust between themselves and their followers through relating to them and having similar interests. Followers value an influencer’s opinion because they are ‘fans’ of the influencer, and often feel a personal connection to them or aspire to their lifestyle. Big brands have taken notice that having an influencer mention their brand can be one of the best ways to inspire consumer trust.  Some followers even rely on influencers to learn about new brands and products, which can make influencer marketing a cost-effective method of getting the word out under the right circumstances.