An Essential LinkedIn Checklist for 2014

Parachute's Guide to LinkedIn in 2014

Welcome back! Are we ready for the 3rd installment in our *deep breath* ‘Essential Social Media Checklist for 2014’? (Read the posts about Twitter & Facebook here and here.) So… are you CluedIn with LinkedIn? Founded in December 2002 and launched May 5th 2003 (yes, one day after Star Wars day… obviously they had a bit of the “fourth” left over from the day before), by Reid Hoffman, Allen Blue, Konstantin Guericke, Eric Ly and Jean - Luc Vaillant, LinkedIn has become one of the most popular social media platforms in recent years. With its business orientated approach, LinkedIn can boast more than 300 million users worldwide. Different from platforms such as the mighty Facebook, LinkedIn is aimed at professionals who wish to make ‘Connections’ with fellow professionals they have worked with or hope to work with. Think it like an online CV for you as an individual or as a business.

Pro Tip #1

LinkedIn is NOT Facebook. No-one wants to see if you've fallen out with your budgie! It’s all about connecting with people in a professional capacity, literally… that’s why they’re called ‘Connections’. Similarly, probably best not to connect with people who are going to display those unfortunate 3am pub crawl stumbles for the business world to see. The same goes for a company account. You want to show cyberspace who you are as a business and why they need you, not how many pints your team can down in a minute. Choose wisely… your LinkedIn profile tends to be one of the first places employers and clients look before they hire you!

Pro Tip #2

The profile. Once again, LinkedIn is not Facebook. We know… it’s difficult to know what to say about yourself, especially when it could make or break getting that job you really, really want. Go ahead and take a minute to look at your Facebook profile… go ahead we’ll wait… done? Ok good! As a general rule, when writing something to be shown to a future employer or client (more so for your individual account rather than business) think about how you would feel if they saw your Facebook account. Unless you are one of the few people who are proud of everything on there, we suggest going in the opposite direction to how you are perceived on Facebook. You need to show people that they need you to work for them! There is nothing better than seeing a full, complete and interesting profile. This is your chance to show an employer or client exactly who you are and what you have accomplished so far… feel free to miss out the paper round… It’s important to know your audience. LinkedIn is a great platform to market your skills and achievements. Who knows… that dream job could just be a direct message away. May the force be with you (had to be done!).

LinkedIn Checklist

Perfect for: Connecting with professional people, finding jobs, marketing your skills and achievements. Profile Picture: Between 200 x 200 and 500 x 500. No larger than 4Mb! What should I post? : Post about your professional achievements and experience (like a CV). Also you should post articles or news about the industry you are in or are interested in being in. How often should I post? : Once a day is usually enough, however don’t be limited by this. If you find something else of interest to post, post it, just don’t go over the top!

Happy Linking In and remember to follow Parachute on LinkedIn! photo credit: ntr23 via photopin cc