LinkedIn is weird. Like any social media platform, it’s about connecting with other people. But this is the business casual version of Facebook, meant to foster useful contacts in the business world. Many students drag their feet at making a profile, and even more rarely like to actually use it as a social platform.

Your LinkedIn Profile you should make you as visible, impressive and memorable as possible to your viewers. There are tons of ways to achieve this on LinkedIn: some require a serious investment of time and money, whereas others – like these LinkedIn Hacks – are a shortcut to success.

Here are ways I’ve found to make the LinkedIn experience as pain-free as possible — even fun.

Fill Out the Profile.

Image Source: moz.org

Seriously. Just follow the prompts. LinkedIn will ask if you want to improve your profile — volunteer experience? Do you have a certification? Are you skilled at things aside from your wicked procrastination skills?

If you already have a current resume, have it on hand. The bulk of your profile can be filled out using that information.

If you don’t have a resume, now is a great time to consider doing that.
LinkedIn will give you a rating to let you know how far along you are on your journey to a complete profile. Right now I am sitting at “All-Star”, just a sliver away from 100% completion.

No Blind-Friending Allowed. (Usually)

On Facebook we balk when someone with zero mutual friends sends us a request out of nowhere. It is no different here.
Between friends, it might be forgivable: I agreed to import my contacts en masse rather than manually search for people one by one.

But a personal message can tip the scales if you want to connect with that great guest lecturer in your marketing class. No need to complicate, just: “Hi, I really enjoyed your talk on Social Media in Professor H’s class. I would like to connect with you.”
On the flipside, I’ll accept all requests unless I have a pressing reason to decline (which I haven’t yet, my life is not yet that exciting.)

Jump to the top of the list.

LinkedIn is professional, but it doesn’t mean that fun is banned. On LinkedIn mobile, searches are ranked alphabetically, meaning if your name is Zim White, you are at the bottom of the totem pole.

A nice way to get around this is to put an emoji in front of your name (or any other symbol that is not a letter or number, but really an emoji is much more entertaining.)
Still, remember that this is still networked-focused and try to have it relate back to your profession.

Get around the paywall.

I use the free version of LinkedIn, as a part of my college budget survival plan. One of the benefits premium members enjoy is using Inmail. Inmail is a messaging system allowing you to contact people you do not have connections with.

A way around this paywall is acquiring the email address of someone you would like to connect with. ReferYes is there for all your stalking needs.
And of course, aside from letting you connect with a professional you look up to, this site lets you email people directly, which is usually preferable.

Hopefully, this will aid you down your path to success.

Write a Compelling Headline in LinkedIn

Your LinkedIn headline should make the reader want to click to read more about you. Along with the profile photo, this section is responsible for determining the readers' first impression of you so it's crucial that you make the most of that space.

The headline doesn’t have to be your job title + company. In fact, you should see it as a condensed version of your profile, telling the world who you are in 120 characters or less. 

Generally, you can choose to write a Keyword-Packed LinkedIn Headline or a Power Statement LinkedIn Headline. Here is a brilliant LinkedIn Headline generator, courtesy of Donna Serdula of LinkedIn-Makeover.com, that will help you build either.

Endorse, and be Endorsed in LinkedIn

Almost everyone has received those random endorsements and have just ignored them, but these help you appear higher and in more searches.

How do you get more endorsements? Usually if you show some love, you'll get some back in return. Endorse your friends, family, lovers, former colleagues, and it's likely that they will endorse you right back.

Update Your LinkedIn Profile Regularly

To create a successful career, you need to become known in your industry as well as your company. Updating your LinkedIn Profile regularly enhances your personal brand, and you shouldn’t be embarrassed to tell the world about your recent professional achievements. There is no reason why your employer should have a problem with this.

You should also regularly post content that you find interesting – this is an easy way to stay connected with your network, whilst keeping up to date with industry news. 

If any future entrepreneurs make it big due to these hacks, please let me know. Feedback is always welcomed.

If you need any extra LinkedIn help (or assistance with any other social media platform, really) just give us a call. We don’t judge your level of expertise.