LinkedIn started in 2003 as a professional social media platform. Initially the platform’s purpose was to provide a space where people could share their resumes in the hopes of landing a job.

Eighteen years later, LinkedIn remains to be the most relevant social media for professionals and business owners. It may not be the largest with its 722 million members worldwide compared to social media giants’ billions of users.

Still, research shows that the platform is used by 55 million companies that aim to reach consumers, B2B prospects, and new hires.

96% of B2B marketers are on LinkedIn for organic social marketing. To take advantage of this means that you must create a profile that will attract your target market and industry influencers.

Keep reading to learn how you can optimize your LinkedIn profile for networking to your target audience and reach more prospective buyers.

Have a Relevant Profile Picture

Your profile picture is the first thing that a potential connection looks at. For starters, this should never be blank. Remember that your face is part of your branding and company branding. Therefore, make sure that you have a profile picture that gives off a good impression of your character.

Upload a Banner or Background Picture

Most LinkedIn users make the mistake of leaving their banner pictures empty. But to boost your profile, your banner photo should say something about what you do or who you are. Be careful, though, in choosing a photo for your banner. Make sure that the image is high-quality so that it looks well-put.

Use this part of your profile to start selling yourself. Add further details about how you can add value to other people.

In today’s world, everything revolves around content. Elevate your company’s brand for long term success by working with the team who knows your industry.

Use Keywords In Your Headline

Your headline is equivalent to your bio but should be summed up using keywords to increase search visibility for those key phrases. You can use just keywords, separated by a vertical line for easy distinction when a reader is quickly perusing your profile; or a short description of what you do or why you are on the platform with your keywords incorporated.

Utilize Your “About” Space

While this part can take the longest to put together it can be put together in 10 minutes or less and it’s an important part of your profile. Make sure that the first lines are the most relevant to your purpose but make sure to use the space; list out your strengths and your purpose, use bullets, use short paragraphs (a few sentences). Don’t just use a sentence or two, get into the meat of what you do and why you’re here, but don’t make it insanely long either; and be sure to keep it clean with short paragraphs and/or bullets so it’s easy to read. As part of your company’s branding strategy, make sure to highlight your unique skills, experiences, education, and achievements. Add your professional contact information in this section if you’re trying to get people to contact you.

Remember that when you send connection requests, your headline will first capture the interest of your prospects and then they may check out your “About” so these areas are important. If they’re intriguing enough, or connect with the person enough, people will be more likely to connect and engage with you.

Update Your Experience & Skills

Update your “Experience” section so that people can see your background, strengths and experience. Link to your LinkedIn Company page and make sure it’s the right page you’re linking to.

Also take a few minutes to bulk up your “Skills” area. It takes just a few minutes and will further help connect you with the right people and showcase your strengths.

Personalize Your Profile URL

Having a personal LinkedIn URL is like having an official website. It looks credible and professional. If you haven’t set up your profile URL, here’s what you should do:

• Click the “Me” icon at the top of your homepage.
• Then click “View Profile.”
• From there, click “Edit Public Profile & URL” on the right.
• Once you’re on the “Public Profile Settings,” click the edit icon under the “Edit your custom URL.”

We recommend using a variation of either your name or your professional brand. It will be visible to people when you share this link.

Make Sure that Your Profile Visibility is On

To edit your visibility, go again to the “Public profile settings.” Turn on all the switches under “Your profile’s public visibility” to show all the elements of your profile. When an aspect is off, it becomes hidden or blocked from the restricted viewers.

When you turn your account on for public viewing, your profile will be visible to LinkedIn users and users of search engines.

Be Active in Posting and Engaging with Other Posts and Users

LinkedIn rewards active users. Like, comment, and share posts of others, and write posts yourself. When you write articles and posts, a notification is set off on some of your connections. It looks good from a profile standpoint, too, as it makes your profile seem rich and full.

You can also repost content from your website. When writing, think about things that you learned or experienced from working in the industry. Through consistently posting high-value content, you’ll be able to establish yourself as a subject-matter expert.

Lastly, interact with your network. This is the only way to build relationships with them. Expand your network, and don’t hesitate to send messages. The more you interact with people, the more engagement you get back on your posts. In other words, the more engagement you get, the more people will notice your profile.

LinkedIn is more than just a job-posting site. It’s also a place where people can establish business connections and elevate their branding in their industry. Nonetheless, LinkedIn isn’t for someone active for a day and then gone for a month. To fully reap its benefits, you need to stay on the platform, maintain your relevance, and optimize your profile.

As the leader in industrial marketing, MFG Tribe has been helping Industrial companies from $2 million – $3 billion dominate their competition with the most aggressive marketing tactics that work in today’s competitive environment for over five years. Our strategy adjusts based on what’s most effective for YOUR company, and we only work with industrial companies. If you’re looking to set up your marketing efforts with the Industrial Marketing leader, schedule a discovery call today.