Taking care of employees is crucial for attracting and retaining top-tier talent. A progressive company culture, competitive salaries, and traditional benefits will always be a strong foundation for a...
Marketing & Sales
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3 min read
LinkedIn is a powerful tool when it comes to building your career, especially in a socially distanced world where connecting virtually is more common than ever. But for many, it’s hard to know what to do after you’ve created your account. You’ve connected with colleagues, updated your experience, and added your professional headshot and the perfect cover photo. Now what?
Recently, I sat down with Taylor Cunningham, Employee Benefits Consultant with SWBC Employee Benefits Consulting Group, to discuss some of the ways she has developed her professional brand through LinkedIn. With nearly 1,000 connections, Taylor knows how to showcase herself as a subject matter expert in her field, while consistently engaging with her network.
Q: Why is it important for people to have a professional online presence?
TC: It’s so important because almost every company, business, government entity, and professional organization is online. If you want to have any credibility with clients and be competitive, you have to have some online presence.
Q: When did you notice yourself becoming more engaged online?
TC: As I’ve gotten further along in my career, my online presence has definitely increased. It’s changed from when I first joined the workforce in 2011 to what it is like now, where every day you see new content and posts from influencers and colleagues. And it’s such a fast-paced world now that content can become very old, very fast.
Q: How do you choose who to connect with on LinkedIn?
TC: I am careful with who I connect with on LinkedIn. I choose to only connect with people I personally work/worked with, met or know of, work in the same industry, or would be a potential client.
Q: Is there ever a time you recommend disconnecting from an individual?
TC: LinkedIn is a professional networking site, so if the person’s content is unprofessional or vulgar, I would disconnect.
Q: What is your professional brand on LinkedIn and how do you support it?
TC: I hope when someone views my LinkedIn profile, they see a polished professional who cares about her clients and her community. I only share and post industry-related content, SWBC-specific content, or posts from community events, because I want to keep this profile only for the use of professional networking.
Q: How often do you post on LinkedIn? Do you use a calendar to schedule posts?
TC: I try to post on LinkedIn at least two times a week, if not more. I will post or share industry content, such as legislative updates or healthcare updates. Or, I will share posts with pictures from events that I have attended that week that I would consider more “social and networking.”
Q: What type of LinkedIn groups have you found to be the most beneficial?
TC: I’m in a lot of industry-specific groups, such as employee benefits & health groups. I also belong to some nonprofit-related groups based on my volunteer commitments.
Q: How do you measure your success on LinkedIn?
TC: I measure it by how much my posts are shared/liked and also if anyone sends me a direct message in response to a post.
Q: What advice would you offer professionals who want to enhance their presence on LinkedIn?
TC: If you aren’t sure what to post, I would start first by joining some groups that are related to your industry and see what is being posted within those groups. People may be asking similar questions that you yourself have asked before and you might be able to offer some guidance.
From there, you can start sharing posts from the group to your personal page and start sharing posts from your colleagues. It’s an easy way to start promoting yourself and being selective as to how you want to be viewed on LinkedIn.
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