The professional community has learned to appreciate the value of LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a huge network of professionals online and serves as a great place to find work. Freelancers have been using this platform for quite some time and know very well that it is not easy to attract work over here. The competition is high, and you will have present a picture likable by clients.
In this article, we will talk about ways one can use LinkedIn to attract work. These ways, if duly observed, will help you gain access to work opportunities. So, take due note of the following ten things and get started.
1. Engage In Conversations
One of the most productive activities you can engage in is participating in conversations which happen across the platform. LinkedIn is more than just a networking website—it enables professionals to engage in forums or start a discussion with the world at large.
These forums and discussions offer perfect opportunities to highlight your thoughts and profile. However, you must not spam on these forums and discussions for the purpose of getting attention. You will have to give your input only when it essentially pertains to the discussion. Forcing yourself to fit into the discussion will project you as desperate.
2. Your Profile Should Stay Fresh
Your profile is the reference point through which you sell your skills. If your profile is not updated, then clients may hesitate in approaching you.
When you update your profile, you will have to add new credentials in as well as remove the ones which are outdated from your profile. You can consider changing your profile picture once in a while, but ensure that it does not lack in professional appeal.
An essential tip: if you want to keep your profile fresh, you must continue seeking new experiences and gaining skills to add value to your profile.
3. Make Your Presence Feel
You need to interact with the community you are connected with on LinkedIn. A way to do this by regularly updating statuses on matters which might interest the community. You can type down your thoughts, share a link, or ask a question.
Sources recommend that you update your status every day, but do not write anything you think. The content of your statuses should be work-related and informative. Just make sure that the LinkedIn community does not forget you.
4. Get To Know SEO
If you did not know already what SEO is, let us help you with that. SEO is, in simple words, a practice that lets user increase the traffic to their websites through standard search engine results. It is a commonly used practice and works out quite well—so why not put it to use in your LinkedIn profile?
You will have to optimize your profile, and for that, you need to do a couple of things: Shortlist a set of keywords which can help you get identified among the LinkedIn community members such as “Ghostwriter” or “Sales Manager”. Secondly, whatever keywords you identify, use them as much as you can throughout the substance of your profile.
5. Personalize Every Message You Send
You should never underestimate the importance of a personalized message in a professional community. Clients are more likely to respond to your message if it has been customized to address the client specifically.
We understand that personalization requires more time from you, but there is no better way to do things than this. A personalized message is inferred to be a reflection of sincerity—something which the market is in desperate need of.
6. Get Recommendations
If you have a good professional network on LinkedIn, you should put it to use. It is advisable that you seek recommendations from highly talented and acclaimed professionals in your network. Getting recommendations from such individuals will improve your profile score and make you more marketable.
7. The Headline
You need to be careful with what you write as your headline. The substance of your headline should convey to the people how they should identify you. You cannot type a summary in your headline. You need to use a few words in a manner that best market you to the public. For example, “Freelance Writer at XYZ” or “Self-Guru with a Passion to Travel”.
8. Some Changes ToYour E-mail Signature
One of the easiest ways to promote yourself online is through E-mail signatures. A typical e-mail signature contains your name, qualifications, and contact details, and you can consider adding the link to your LinkedIn profile.
9. Share Your LinkedIn Profile On Social Networking Website
All the mainstream websites such as Facebook and Instagram have a massive following online. Sharing your LinkedIn profile on these websites will help you increase and improve your network significantly. Add a customized message to the link shared, as this tells people what the link is about and why you are sharing it.
10. Widgets
There are several widgets available that can be integrated into an application, a blog or website. The widget can help you conveniently show your profile details on any platform you are on. For example, if you run a website, then you can insert a LinkedIn widget therein to market your LinkedIn profile to the world.
LinkedIn can be a great place to find qualitative work. It has been designed keeping in mind the needs of the professional world. However, one needs to tap the most out of this platform to get the maximum results. For that, the list of things as mentioned above can be of great assistance.
We aim to educate people about the importance of LinkedIn and how it can help them kick-start or grow their freelance career. We want this article to reach out to as many people as possible, and therefore, we ask our readers to share it with anyone they know. They can also help us improve the quality of this article by commenting on their views on it.
