The Problem with LinkedIn
There is a problem with LinkedIn. Acquired by Microsoft for an eye-watering $26 billion in 2016, LinkedIn now has 770 million users, but do we need another social media platform in our lives? What does LinkedIn really bring to the table. Matt Craven, Founder of CVIA Careers and Personal Branding expert explains what job seekers, sales professionals and senior professionals need to know about LinkedIn.
Job seekers on LinkedIn
To access the 770 million professionals that we mentioned earlier, most recruiters pay in excess of $9k for the LinkedIn Recruiter license. In the good old days, it was the recruitment firms with the biggest database that won the big contracts, but now they all have the same database, and that’s LinkedIn.
Even if you apply for a job with your resume, 85% of hirers and recruiters will check you out on LinkedIn, so they’ll either find you there in the first place or, once you make it onto a shortlist, they’ll want to have a nosy at your online presence.
So, for job seekers, there’s no escaping that having a strong LinkedIn profile is as important as having a strong resume. A word of warning though, a good LinkedIn profile isn’t just a copy and paste of your resume. Our upcoming webinar that you can register for free of charge will explain more.
Sales and marketing professionals searching for jobs on LinkedIn
LinkedIn isn’t just about job seeking, sales people who embrace LinkedIn reap the rewards many times over. LinkedIn measures your social selling effectiveness through the Social Selling Index (SSI) which, amongst other things, looks at your professional brand, online activity, and network.
LinkedIn claims that sales professionals with a higher SSI create 45% more opportunities than peers with lower SSI and are 51% more likely to reach quota. In fact, 78% of social sellers outsell peers who don’t use LinkedIn.
LinkedIn also allows marketeers to identify, connect with and sell to decision makers on LinkedIn using the Sales Navigator platform. Sales Navigator has been specifically built for sales and marketing activity, so next time you see someone claiming that LinkedIn is not for selling, just whisper the words “Sales Nav”.
Granted, there is an etiquette to social selling, it’s all about building relationships, but, with the right approach, organizations can generate substantial sales growth using LinkedIn.
In short, client-facing and sales professionals are more likely to move forwards in their career if they have a strong LinkedIn profile and online professional footprint. Our upcoming webinar will talk about how sales professionals can improve their profile and use LinkedIn more effectively – more info here.
How to create a powerful LinkedIn profile
Develop your personal brand and attract senior jobs
Thought leadership on LinkedIn
Think of Dyson, PwC, CISCO, and IBM – they all use thought leadership as a tool for corporate growth. It’s no longer a far fangled concept bandied about to sound intelligent, it’s a bona fide marketing strategy that allows organizations to build relationships, develop their credibility and entrench themselves as the experts in their field.
This very article could be considered part of a thought leadership strategy, but how does this relate to job seekers and career minded professionals?!
Well, look at it this way, if an organization is using thought leadership as a tool for corporate growth, then it stands to reason that they will look for executive-level leaders and managers who also embrace these concepts.
Starting your journey to reach thought leadership status, or at least, being seen as an expert in your field is easier than you think, but it’s your LinkedIn profile that will indicate to a potential employer if YOU embrace these concepts.
Our upcoming webinar on Oct 19th at 8am PDT will talk more about thought leadership. You can register for free here.
The final word on LinkedIn
To conclude, the problem with LinkedIn is you can’t ignore it. Whether you are a job seeker, an executive with an industry profile, a sales / marketing professional, or just someone going about your everyday business, people are checking you out on LinkedIn, and if you don’t have a strong LinkedIn profile, and a positive personal brand and professional footprint, it will be detrimental to your career.
© CVIA Ltd. Used with permission. This article or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher.
How to create a powerful LinkedIn profile
Develop your personal brand and attract senior jobs
