Why Should I Be Active on LinkedIn?
From a job search standpoint, the notion that LinkedIn is THE place to see and get seen is grounded in fact. According to Product London Design, 97% of HR and staffing professionals use LinkedIn in their recruiting efforts, and candidates with a comprehensive LinkedIn profile have a 71% higher chance of getting a job interview.
From a networking standpoint, by engaging on LinkedIn regularly, your network gets to hear from you. It stands to reason, then, that the more you engage, the more you appear in the feeds of your connections – and the greater the chances of staying top of mind with your network.
My 2 cents: If you want to increase leads and keep your name front and center in people’s minds, using LinkedIn is a logically great place to start.
How Active Should I Be?
The true answer is it depends.
Rather than a magic formula, Sendible suggests focusing on proven posting strategies that stress posting consistency over frequency and content quality over quantity.
I advise job seekers to shoot for 2-3 updates during the work week and to add insights through comments on the feeds of others 30-45 minutes 5X a week.
If your job search is more passive, however, this can be scaled back.
My 2 cents: If you’re new to LinkedIn engagement, test the waters by commenting. Once you get your feet wet – take things a step further by creating your own content.
What Should I Share?
As a job seeker, I recommend avoiding posts where you discuss your desire to land a new role. Instead, consider sharing industry insights, company news, or even information about products and services related to your industry.
Other meaningful ways to engage include asking questions. While I’d stay clear of questions related to job search per se, posts requesting input on an industry event or a new technology being used are perfectly acceptable.
My 2 cents: Think about your target audience – be it a company, industry or role. Use this to guide the content you collect and share.
Stumped for Content?
Monitor industry news, and find things to share, by setting up Google Alerts or even subscribing to a free content aggregator like Pocket, Scoop.It! or Flipboard.
For one-stop shopping, you can conduct a search by hashtags, or ring the bell on contributors of interest.
If the idea of daily sharing is overwhelming from a time or organization standpoint, consider opening a free account with a social media content sharing site like Buffer or Hootsuite. These sites allow you to schedule a certain number of posts per week ahead of time. If you would like to share more than the allotted amount, you’ll have to bump up to the paid version.
When low on content, it’s OK to go for professional funny. The web is rich with funny GIFs, Meme’s and jokes that when sprinkled throughout the month can go a long way toward showing people your sense of humor and lightening the mood.
Here are a few of my favorite resources to get you started engaging on LinkedIn. You can find both on Job Search Journey, the world’s first digital marketplace for all things job search:
Get Active on LinkedIn: Build Thought Leadership
Why (and How) Job Seekers Should Create Content on LinkedIn
My 2 cents: Consider getting in the habit of getting on LinkedIn first thing in the morning, and last thing before you wrap up your day. Spending just 5 minutes each time may be all you need to maintain a consistent online presence.
The Case for Getting Active on LinkedIn
If you prefer to stay off LinkedIn for privacy concerns, or because you flat out despise social media – I get it. But if you’re looking to have the shortest job search possible and get your name out to as many people as possible, staying active on the site may prove to be a differentiator.
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