Your LinkedIn and other social media profiles are one of the most important digital assets you have. It’s often one of the first results that show up in a Google search for your name, so it’s important to make sure it looks good! In this blog post, we’ll discuss some tips for making your LinkedIn profile stand out and shine online. We’ll also talk about how to use LinkedIn to its full potential for networking and building relationships with potential clients and partners.
So if you are ready to learn more about how to make your digital footprint work for you, read on!
What is a digital footprint and why you should care about it?
A digital footprint is the totality of your online presence – everything that’s publicly available about you on the internet. Your digital footprint can include your personal LinkedIn profile, Facebook profile, and any other social media profiles you have. It’s important to be aware of your digital footprint and to take steps to manage it because potential employers or clients will often look you up online before they decide to work with you.
If you have a strong digital footprint, it can be a great asset in your career. It can help you build relationships and network with potential employers or clients, and it can give them a positive impression of you before they even meet you. On the other hand, if your digital footprint is weak or nonexistent, it could hurt your chances of landing a job or getting a client.
Active digital footprints
A digital footprint is created when a user provides information about themselves – for example, by publishing or participating on social networking sites – intentionally. Any postings made by a user logged into a website using a valid username or profile are included in their active digital footprint. Subscribing to a newsletter, accepting cookies on your browser, or signing up for a loyalty program also result in an active digital footprint.
Passive digital footprints
When data is collected about a person without their knowledge, it creates a passive digital footprint. This happens when platforms collect information such as how many times people visit and where they originate from. This is a hidden process that users may not be aware of. Other examples of passive footprints include social networking sites and advertisers using your likes, shares, and comments to personalize your experience.
A LinkedIn profile is important
Over 80% of recruiters will check a LinkedIn profile once candidates are shortlisted.
When it comes to your LinkedIn profile, it’s important to make sure that it’s up-to-date and looks good. You should regularly update your information, add new content, and make sure that your profile is keyword-optimized. By following simple tips, you can make sure that your LinkedIn profile stands out and helps you build relationships with potential clients and employers.
How to use LinkedIn to its full potential for networking and building relationships with potential clients and partners.
- Add all relevant information – Make sure you add all of your professional experience including education, certifications, awards, publications, and any other achievements.
- Update your summary – Your summary should be no longer than 100 words. Keep it brief but informative. Include keywords related to your industry.
- Connect with others – If you have connections in your network, make sure to connect with them. This will help you get noticed by recruiters and hiring managers.
- Link your websites or portfolios – You can link your personal website to your LinkedIn account. This will give you a chance to showcase your skills and expertise.
- Share content – Share articles, videos, and blog posts that relate to your job title. This will help you stand out among your competitors.
One important tip to make your digital footprint strong is by making your LinkedIn profile stand out. Make sure to regularly update your information and add new content, such as skills, achievements, testimonials, presentations, and posts. This will show potential employers or clients that you are keeping up with the latest trends and that you are an active, engaged professional. Remember you need to use both the push and pull strategies in order to be successful.
Push and pull strategies
Using push and pull strategies on social media is critical.
The push strategy is all about getting your content out there and putting it in front of as many people as possible. You can do this by sharing your content on social media, emailing it to your contacts, and including share buttons on your website.
Some examples of push strategies that you can use are as follows:
- Share your content on social media – This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to get your content seen by more people. Make sure to use relevant hashtags and tagging, and post at times when your audience is most active.
- Email it to your contacts – Another great way to get your content seen by more people is to email it to your contacts. You can create a list of potential employers or clients and send them an email with your latest blog post or update.
- Include share buttons on your website – If you have a website, make sure to include share buttons so that people can easily share your content with their network.
The pull strategy is all about making it easy for people to find your content and share it with their networks. This can be done by optimizing your social media profiles, using keywords in your profile descriptions, and tagging relevant people and companies in your posts.
Some examples of pull strategies that you can use are as follows:
- Optimize your social media profiles – Make sure to fill out all the information fields on your social media profiles that describe what you do. This will make it easier for people to find you when they’re searching for relevant information.
- Use keywords in your profile descriptions – Use relevant keywords in your profile descriptions so that you come up when people are searching for those terms.
- Tag relevant people and companies in your posts – Whenever you mention a relevant person or company in your posts, make sure to tag them. This will help more people see your content and potentially share it with their networks.
Both strategies are important, but the pull strategy is especially important for LinkedIn because it’s a platform that’s all about networking and building relationships. By making it easy for people to find and share your content, you are more likely to build connections with potential clients and partners.
When it comes to your personal brand, it’s important to make sure that you are putting your best foot forward. This means being mindful of the impression that you are making online and making sure that your digital footprint is as polished as possible. By following some of the above tips, you can make sure that your digital footprint is working for you instead of working against you.
