It’s rare to encounter a recruiter who doesn’t have a LinkedIn profile, but some users are definitely more skilled and savvy than others. Earlier this week I had the pleasure of attending a LinkedIn training session with Karen Hollenbach from Think Bespoke. Karen is a firm believer in experimenting with new LinkedIn features as they roll out, and she shared a few that are newer or not well-known. Here are a few features I will be playing around with in the coming days:
- Featured section – this replaces what had been the old “media” section on a LinkedIn profile. It’s intended for sharing work samples such as blogs or articles you’ve written, media, LinkedIn posts you’ve written or shared, or links to external sites like a personal blog or portfolio.
- Polls – this is a great way to engage your followers (like clients or candidates!) on a variety of topics. To create a new poll, simply start a new Status Update and select the Create a Poll option. Be sure to enter the poll deadline AND also stay on top of poll responses.
- LinkedIn Stories – similar to the Stories feature on Instagram, these are short videos or other images that are only available for 24 hours. Stories is only available in the LinkedIn mobile app (and not yet available in all markets). For those who enjoy easy updates, especially short videos, this is a feature worth exploring.
- Providing Services – this is a newer feature that allows small businesses to showcase services on INDIVIDUAL profiles. If this feature is available for you, you’ll see a box below your profile picture (mobile or desktop) that tells you how to showcase the services you provide. This digital “word of mouth” can be invaluable in promoting your business right through your profile.
- Events – Use the Events feature to create professional events like meet-ups, seminars, workshops or more. To get started, click the Home icon, then look for the Events section in the left rail below your profile and pages.
Another top tip from Karen: make sure you have a company page as well, and share your company page content on your personal profile. There are some powerful marketing capabilities built in to LinkedIn; make sure you are taking advantage of these promotional opportunities!