Take it from the Stats! Proven Ways to Optimize your LinkedIn Profile

Take it from the Stats Proven Ways to Optimize your LinkedIn ProfileTake it from the Stats Proven Ways to Optimize your LinkedIn ProfileIf you have ever been hesitant about using LinkedIn, allow the statistics to erase your apprehension. Its no myth that LinkedIn has revolutionized the contemporary workforce, and has provided proof of the powerful interconnectedness of professional networks. Its estimated that 106 million unique users visit LinkedIn each month, and that every second two new users join the network. Its not just the number of users thats increasing, either. From 2016 to 2017, the use of LinkedIn companypagesgrew from 24% to 57%. If those facts arent enough to make you consider creating a LinkedIn profile or using yours more, consider that as of now, 71% of professionalsfeel that LinkedIn is a credible source for professional content. That means that if you arent using LinkedIn, you should be.Using statistics as a guide, well discuss the ways that you can optimize your LinkedIn use and profile, or create one if you have not done so yet.Pro Tip Get VisualFACT LinkedInprofiles with professional photos get21 timesmore profile views, and 36 times more messages.If thats not reason enough to amp up the visuals on your LinkedIn account, I dont know what is The simple act of adding a professional headshot increases your visibility by 21 times. On top of that, youll be much more likely to receive messages from contacts.Pro Tip Flaunt your Skills, literallyFACT Listing your skills on your LinkedIn profile results in 13 times more profile views than if skills are left unlisted.Recently, we blogged about the importance of having a Key Skills section on your resume, and how listing your skills can help you rank higher in Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Turns out its also proven that including key skills on your LinkedIn profile can increase your profiles viewer traffic by up to 13 times. Remember, the more people see your profile, the more of a chance youll have of making productive connections.Pro Tip Talk the talk, so walk the walkFACT There are19.7 million Slidesharesuploaded to LinkedIn. Slideshares are LinkedIns way of showcasing work portfolios and your past presentations (in the form of PowerPoint, PDF, Keynote, and OpenDocument). Weve already mentioned how simply adding a profile picture to give your name a face can increase your visibility and interconnectedness on LinkedIn. Apply that same logic to adding visible examples of all the great things you write in your profile. Adding samples of your work makes your project descriptions that much more credible.Pro Tip Get Someone to back you upFact There have been over 10 billion LinkedIn endorsementsEndorsements are LinkedIns way of adding third party verification of your professional successes, talents and work ethic. People youve worked with can testify to how great you are. What better way to make other professionals want to connect with you and share opportunities with you tha n to have others give testament to your successes?Pro Tip Get CreativeFACT The most overused LinkedIn profile word continues to beMotivated which also topped 2014 and 2015.Weve blogged about phrases that will kill your resume. Among them are clichd phrases that, when you think about them, seem very vague and dont really describe anything about you. The same philosophy goes with LinkedIn language. If you use the word motivated in your profile, take it out and replace it with something else. Same thing goes for any other clich words and catchphrases.In closing, we hope youve now decided that you need to create a LinkedIn profile. If youre looking for a job, know that LinkedIn now has3 million active job listingson the platform. Out of LinkedIns 467 million users, you are bound to make some incredible connections that pave the golden way forward in your career.All statistics sourced from LinkedIn By The Numbers 2017 Statistics.