A place to connect with more than 300 million members, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional social network and last Tuesday morning, they took a big step in boosting their social media marketing skills on their resume.
As with all my social media, I hop on in the morning and give each network a scan to see what’s been happening over the past few hours that I haven’t been active. To my surprise, when I opened LinkedIn I was prompted with several new features to check out.
Stand Out in a Large Crowd
LinkedIn is a great networking tool for anyone in almost any industry. With the massive population of active users, there’s a chance you could be lost in a sea of people. For employers and their future employees, this update could be extremely helpful. LinkedIn is allowing users to now “Add Your Industry” which could help employers zero in on users that they want to find. Plus, being that LinkedIn is a professional network emphasizing your industry should be important to you.
Starting a Conversation
Recognizing common interests is a great way to start a conversation when you’re meeting new people. LinkedIn is helping you find a common ground between you and others through “In Common Connections.” The platform will now identify any missing components you may have when you’re trying to connect with someone, suggesting that you may have gone to the same college, you’re in the same LinkedIn group, or you have similar professional interests. Skip the awkward private message with a long introduction, maybe you and your future connection had a class together back in college. How’s that for getting personal?
Become a Thought Leader
Previously, LinkedIn allowed you to share stories within the feed of your connections. They’re now taking it a step further and keeping these shares on your LinkedIn profile. Being able to go back to someone’s profile for a story that they posted could result in more shares, which in turn could initiate another chance for two new people to connect. Plus, if people find your shares informational and relevant you’re taking the right steps to becoming a thought leader in your space.
LinkedIn has updated their mobile app on iOS and Android and will shortly be available on the web. Be sure to keep your eyes open and utilize these updates, as they could be beneficial to your professional career.