Tired of not getting results from LinkedIn? There's 5 LinkedIn steps that drive your career, business and job success on LinkedIn. As a summary of a webinar I delivered this week for UBC Alumni, on “Take Your LinkedIn Presence to the Next Level” I thought I’d share the key points.

Get On-Board the LinkedIn Platform

The LinkedIn platform is growing rapidly. It has become the #1 social platform for “business” and for those who don’t “do” social. Recruitment represents the #1 revenue source for LinkedIn. And user engagement with the platform (doing stuff, having conversations) is catapulting. In other words, LinkedIn is the key player in people connecting with people in career and business settings. As how we do business moves more social, LinkedIn allows you to practice a Know, Like & Trust approach to engaging with customers, prospects, potential employers and other business connections. You need to play the game and play it well.

Use LinkedIn with Purpose

Why are you on LinkedIn? What are your target outcomes? In general, your purposes will map to at least the first and probably two if not three of the following:

• Career management (branding, network development, job search, career change, reputation management, etc.)

• Performing in your Job (representing, recruitment, sales, research, etc)

• Building your business (business development, audience building, listening to customers, thought leadership, etc.)

For all of the above, your LinkedIn profile is a starting point. A vehicle by which you work to create these outcomes.

Build Your Digital Home on LinkedIn

If you have a LinkedIn profile, you’ve attached your name to a URL. And that URL ranks high in Google search. In other words, you’re saying, I built this house to showcase my professional identity. If anyone with a LinkedIn account can check you out…

• what is it that they experience when they land on your profile? Is it what you intend?

• Are you confident that your profile represents you are and what you’re about?

• Is your employer or your company being showcased in an effective and compelling way?

• And does your profile set you up to fulfill your purpose?

These are both growth questions and risk management questions.

Get Active on LinkedIn in a Strategic Way

You need regular (quality) activity to garner attention. Activity generates views, and conversations, allows you to reinforce your expertise or position yourself in a new direction AND increases the impact of your profile. Yes, it is another thing to do each week. However, if you align your activity with your purpose then it will be an investment, not an expense.

Leverage the LinkedIn Platform. Engage with Others

LinkedIn is a jobs & recruitment platform, a reputation management platform, a research platform, a publishing platform, a networking platform, and increasingly a conversational platform. Your profile is the entry point and a vehicle to leverage the above. Take action based on the outcomes you’re seeking, just as you would a marketing strategy, a product launch, a big deal pursuit or any other major project. The common complaint that I put my profile on LinkedIn and nothing happened goes away when you line up these 5 LinkedIn steps and approach LinkedIn in a strategic way.

Need Support?

We have an online training course. We develop LinkedIn profiles. And we can consult and help execute a LinkedIn strategy to further your career, job or business purposes. Want to connect on LinkedIn? I'd love to hear from you.