Security professionals can benefit from LinkedIn profile optimization. If you have been job hunting for the last two years, you are aware of how many hiring companies are including your LinkedIn profile link in the application process. Have you ever wondered why?
LinkedIn has changed and evolved in the last few years. Today, it’s not only a professional networking platform but also a place where someone can find educational and valuable information (articles and posts), they can exchange opinions, and learn from other professionals so they can stay current with the latest industry trends.
According to Statista, LinkedIn is the seventh fastest-growing brand across the globe in 2022.
Here are some interesting statistics from the Influencer Marketing Hub
-LinkedIn is a great place to find decision-makers, As of late 2021, the platform claims to reach more than 65 million business decision-makers and making it easier to find customers by searching either their name, position, or company.
-20% of investors say that it’s the best platform when you want to learn about a topic.
-55% of decision-makers use thought leadership to determine which organization to work with.
-Your employees are 60% more likely to engage with posts from coworkers and 14 times more likely to share your organization’s page content and news.
-LinkedIn received a total of 4.4 billion visits from April 2022 to June 2022. This works out to an average of just below 1.5 billion views per month.
-It is a great recruitment tool, as of December 2021, there are more than 180 million US workers with profiles on LinkedIn. What’s more, over 97,000 companies use it for recruitment purposes.
-According to Pew Research Center’s Social Media Use in 2021, almost a third (28%) of adults in the United States use LinkedIn.
-The platform has listed over 58 million companies and 120,000 schools.
Most importantly, your LinkedIn profile can be the foundation for your personal branding as a security professional. Less than 10 minutes a day on LinkedIn can bring more leads to you than spending hours on other social media platforms (that are not designed for professional networking) or spending thousands of dollars on social media marketing companies who do not know your industry, therefore, your target group and what they want to hear.
When I started my career in 2002, I was a female in a highly male-dominated industry, living in a country where security was at it’s inception and, more specifically, women in the industry were something entirely new. Through this specific platform, I managed to network and reach out to colleagues and companies in other countries where, previously, I wouldn’t have been able to make my presence known. Through the content I began putting out, I managed to brand myself and my services. Almost 25% of my work and contracts are the result of using this platform.
Many underestimate the use of LinkedIn, however, If used as it’s intended, the platform can help you take your career to the next level. Personal Branding can be a very powerful tool to make you stand out and differentiate yourself from your other colleagues. People should see the value of being connected with you, and LinkedIn can help you achieve that.
Here are some simple steps that you may find helpful:
• Use a professional profile picture by following your industry’s standards (what can be accepted as a profile attire and pictures for someone who is in the fitness or show biz industry may not be acceptable for someone in the legal, finance, or security industry). Profiles with photos are considered more genuine. Don’t forget your background photo, it works as the second visual element of your profile.
• Use the headline to describe you in a few words, what do you do and what are the primary attributes or skills that you want people to remember you having?
• Pay attention to your profile’s summary, it is very important you have one. This is your chance to put your words to work and describe how your skills can set you apart from others.
• Be creative with your profile summary and use words such as open-minded, problem solver, accountable, task-oriented, flexible, etc.
• List your skills, your education, and your professional experience (Please remember confidentiality and do not mention clients’ names).
• Grow your network. A major mistake I see security professionals do is they limit their network to only professionals who are within their industry. However, your network should be ANYONE who can be in contact with potential clients. Think outside of the normal. Family Offices, Household Agencies, Wealth Management companies, Legal and Financial institutions, nanny providers, etc.
• Be informed on the latest news about upcoming leaders and founders in the FinTech arena, and add them to your network. While they may not need your services today, they may tomorrow.
• List what services you offer that can boost your visibility in search results.
• Take a LinkedIn skill assessment. This usually presents as an online test, and statistic shows that profiles with verified skills are 30% more likely to be hired.
• Request and give recommendations for your colleagues. A solid support structure is the building block of your “community.”
• Share relevant industry content, news, and research surrounding studies you are involved with and also other fellow professionals’ articles as well.
• Post articles, stories, and relevant threads, that appear in publications and blogs that mention you or your company by name. By using this feature, you can draw attention as a subject matter expert.
• Follow relevant professionals in the industry. Be more active if you like their posts by liking, commenting, and sharing their content.
• Create your OWN CONTENT. We can never address how important this is and how helpful it can be to your personal branding. Being someone who adds his/her own thoughts, expertise, and questions will help you to be seen as a valuable connection. The more interesting and educational the content you share, the more you establish yourself and your expertise among others in the industry.
And while you do that, do not forget the importance of engaging with your audience. Pay attention to their feedback and comments. Respond to them, and have a professional debate regarding subjects but never allow yourself to be drawn into an argument that is nothing more than a troll-hunting expedition. A wise person once told me, “Never engage in a mud-slinging competition… No matter who wins or loses, you’re both covered in mud, and no one comes out looking pretty.”
If you want to distinguish yourself as a thought leader in your niche and create your brand name as a Security provider, LinkedIn should definitely be a part of your marketing strategy.
