Virginia Franco
The idea of being active on LinkedIn strikes fear into the hearts of those who view anything other than owning a completed LinkedIn profile as self-promotional or sales-like.
While during the early years of LinkedIn a static profile more than offered a competitive advantage, with 350 million users and counting, this is no longer the case.
WHY YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO WAIT
The bottom line is that the greater your activity, the higher you rank in the RSS feeds of your connections. Furthermore, studies have shown recruiters are more likely to reach out to a candidate who is active than one who is passive.
Below are four steps ranked in size from small to giant that can contribute to expanding your network, increasing your views and elevating the status of your profile.
Small Step: Like It
If you wish to start small, begin by “liking” articles of interest to you. Thanks to LinkedIn Pulse, LinkedIn’s content publishing platform, articles are plentiful and searchable based on areas of interest. A simple click on the “thumbs up” icon and your connections can see an article that you’ve read.
Medium Step: Comment On It
Engaging in a conversation about an article is the next small step after liking it and is equally simple to achieve. Just click on the “comment” icon at the top of the story to ask the reader a question, thank them, or offer additional thoughts.
Large Step: Share It
One step up from commenting on an article is sharing it with a brief intro from you. This allows you to offer added insight or a simple shout out to the author which in turn can help to expand your network.
Sharing an article is easy – simply select “share an update” on your LinkedIn’s home page, cut and paste your story’s URL and include one or two sentences of your own before hitting “share.”
Giant Step: Author It
Many people discover after months of reading the stories of others that their perspective is unique and their voice worth sharing. Fortunately, LinkedIn Pulse is open to all members.
To craft a brief story, simply select “Publish a Post,” write your thoughts and then publish. You may be surprised to discover how quickly you can amass a minor following.
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