Confession: Sometimes I get bored with LinkedIn. Of course I think LinkedIn is a great tool, and of course I use it everyday for a number of professional needs. But to be honest, sometimes it bores me. My home page, my Groups, my messages; it all feels stagnant periodically. And I’m sure I’m not alone. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that many of the people reading this post have thought that LinkedIn was boring a time or two. Maybe you’ve been thinking it recently! I sure have.
The great thing about LinkedIn, though, is that it is constantly changing and evolving. And there is no shortage of new information, tools and attractions to discover that will renew your interest and spark new experiences within the platform.
I’ve compiled a list below of 6 areas of LinkedIn that, if you haven’t already, you may want to explore and work into your daily/weekly LinkedIn routine. You’ll find ways to continue to build and nurture your network, interesting information to feed your brain, data to help you get noticed for business development or job search purposes, and much more. Let’s take a look:
Who’s Viewed Your Profile
This may already be on your radar, but just in case, let’s review. LinkedIn allows you to see who has recently viewed your profile. This is an excellent feature for making contact, getting back in touch, keeping in touch and knowing who may be interested in your services or your expertise.
I recommend checking in with Who’s viewed your profile at least once a week and building a strategy around how you will follow up with some or all of these folks.
What people are talking about now
A lot of news and articles are shared via LinkedIn. Some are informative and interesting, some …not so much. The “What people are talking about now” section may help you to weed out some of the less desirable articles and zero in on the good stuff.
If you take some time each week to check out some of the articles in this section, you may be better prepared for that next water cooler chat or networking event.
Who to follow
In keeping with the theme of staying informed, learning and utilizing LinkedIn as an educational outlet, remember that many people write their own articles and posts and share them on LinkedIn. Many of these influencers are well worth your time and you should be reading their content regularly. Check out the “Who to follow” section (directly below the “What people are talking about now” section on your homepage) to see suggestions of leaders and influencers on LinkedIn that write about topics that you may be interested in.
Searches you appeared in
This is my new favorite section in LinkedIn. If you aren’t yet aware of the “Searches you appeared in” feature, make sure you read my Quick Tip from last week.
You can access this feature in two areas – either on your Profile or in your Notifications tab:
See Alumni
If you’re in a LinkedIn funk, it might help to make some new Connections. Who do you know from college that you haven’t yet connected with? Maybe it’s time to reconnect! Who don’t you know from your alma mater that may be great to get to know or network with? The “See alumni” feature on your college’s university page will help you to search for new connections every which way.
If you haven’t yet used this search tool, take a look at my post from last year which will help to walk you through it.
Work Tab
Are you aware that LinkedIn offers a whole suite of other products? Take some time to explore the “Work” tab on your Profile to see what other products are available to you.
There are new ways to learn, gain new skills, advance your career, and more. Some of these products require an additional financial commitment, so be sure to review your options thoroughly.
So, if you’re feeling like LinkedIn is getting a little dull, check out some of these features! There are so many options for learning, connecting and expanding your horizons. Just remember you have work to do, so try not to get too wrapped up in all of these tools.
This post was originally published on Intero Advisory’s website in October 2017. Please note that LinkedIn is constantly changing. While it’s current now, it may not be in the coming weeks or months.
