9 Reasons Why You Should Start Using LinkedIn Today

LinkedIn is the web’s leading social media site that focuses on professional connections. With over 740 million members, you would be joining a community that values building your own personal brand to share your value with the world. LinkedIn makes you discoverable to people around the world in sectors that you would not normally gain access to. Here are the top 9 reasons why you should join LinkedIn today:

1. Professional networking

LinkedIn is the unrivaled place for online professional networking. It is a good rule of thumb to only connect with people you know in some shape or form, but through posting and commenting regularly, one is able to network with people without even meeting them. 

2. Search for Jobs Efficiently

A savvy LinkedIn user not only pays attention to the “Jobs” section but also can leverage their feed in getting a new job as well. Oftentimes, an individual that you admire or that works at a company you are interested in will post a status about looking to hire someone. When that happens, it is a great opportunity to reach out to the person directly which will make you stand out from the crowd who applies for a job in a more traditional way. You can leverage your existing “connections” on the platform to see jobs that they are reposting on their feeds too.

3. Show your expertise to the world

We know that you have years of expertise that you want to share with the world. Having a consistent and reliable LinkedIn presence will allow you to do just that. You can post different kinds of content on the platform such as articles, links, photos, videos, documents, and polls. This makes it possible for you to share a link to your blog or Medium page to grow your audience but also gain valuable feedback from your connections. If you are more of a visual person, you can share your artwork or videos on your feed which will most likely yield a different and valuable reaction than the comments section of other social media platforms. 

4. Follow groups and companies

Be in the know by following your favorite companies and people. You will be shown all of the content that they post and content that they interact with through likes and comments. This is a tremendous way for you to see all the different kinds of things they are interested in while just following one person or company. 

5. Mentorship opportunities 

Mentorship is a crucial part of one’s professional and personal development. Everyone can benefit from having one and you may be in the right place in your life to be a mentor for others. You can connect with people in the comments, but a better place is in the chat function of LinkedIn. But think of this as a starting place, and once you both feel safe and comfortable, you can migrate your mentorship to video calls or in-person meetups.

6. Research companies

LinkedIn offers a glimpse inside companies that was at one point not possible. You can see what kind of content they put out and create, but also what they value as a business. We know that trust is important to all, so being able to research what a company stands for and promotes will allow you to make more informed decisions as a consumer. 

7. Build your brand

Having a presence online today often centers around your personal brand. Having a personal website is a great way to propel your brand, but those can be expensive and time-consuming to customize. LinkedIn is a free and easy way to get your name out there and make it known. Your profile and profile picture will say a lot about you, so do your best to follow best practices to ensure businesses, recruiters, and casual users get the best impression of you and what you offer.

8. It can rank your name on Google

If people are interested in you and your work, one of the first things they are likely to do is to Google your name. Being an active user on LinkedIn will allow Google to prioritize your profile over others with the same or similar name as you and show it higher in their search results. 

9. Reconnect with former coworkers

Facebook isn’t the only place for you to reconnect with friends and former colleagues. LinkedIn allows you to draw on their network of nearly a billion users to search for people you have lost touch with. It is always a good idea to include a message when you connect with someone on LinkedIn, and remember, unless you are a LinkedIn Premium user, people will be able to see that you have viewed their profile. So don’t be shy and send a message to reconnect.

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