5 Reasons Why You Should Be Active On LinkedIn

Updated January 11, 2023

Reading Time: 3 minutes

LinkedIn Profile Optimization

A recent study found that 61% of people who have a LinkedIn profile view their account less than once a week. This is astounding when compared to Facebook. Where usage for most people is multiple times per day. So why are we not interested in our professional lives on social media as much as our personal ones?

Initially many of these problems were LinkedIn’s fault, with a poor mobile app, and a slightly clumsy website, but as both of those have been developed and improved recently, there’s little excuse for not checking your LinkedIn anymore. So time to get focused on your LinkedIn profile optimization.

Here are our top five reasons you need to be checking your LinkedIn more often:

1. It’s Better than a Pile of Business Cards – Instead of having a drawer in your desk full of business cards from networking events you can’t remember. Add people on LinkedIn. You get most, if not more, of the information a business card gives and the new connection get’s your information too. No more lost contacts because you left the card in your dry cleaning.

2. You Never Know Who’s Going To Be Useful – Remember that guy you met at a training day 5 years ago? Probably not. But if you connected with him on LinkedIn, then you might see the occasional post from him. Or he might see when you change your job description, and reach out. Just like Facebook, LinkedIn can be a good way to keep in touch with people you might not see regularly, but that could be useful to you. While a LinkedIn network isn’t the same meeting face to face, it can be a foot in the door or a warm introduction. People who aren’t relevant to your job may not always stay that way.

3. Keeping Up With The Joneses – When you’re working hard it’s difficult to keep up with what’s going on outside of your own business. If you don’t have time to network or attend industry events you can sometimes get left behind. Companies go public or merge, people retire, new ideas become popular. Following companies on LinkedIn is easier and tidier than setting up Google News alerts or signing up for your industry magazine. It keeps you in the loop without wasting your time.

4. You Can Fine Tune Your CV – Your LinkedIn profile shouldn’t be a static thing, it should change as you change. It should develop whenever you learn a new skill or if your job changes focus. Keeping your LinkedIn up to date also means that if you decide it’s time to look for a new job, you don’t have to dust off that 5-year-old CV and start again from scratch. Keeping your profile current, with an eye-catching headline, helps you reflect on your job while advertising your skills and experience to anyone who comes across your profile. LinkedIn profile optimization = CV optimization but with regular feedback.

5. It Can Get You A New Job – More and more employers turn to LinkedIn to recruit, or the first place to check when they receive a CV. If you don’t have an online presence in some industries it appears strange. Making sure your LinkedIn profile matches your CV is vital if you are actively looking for work. Another great feature for job hunters is the ability to display personal references. These relatively informal references offer a good insight into how you are and how you like to work.

What do you use LinkedIn for? Has LinkedIn helped you get a job, or advanced your career in any way? Or do you think it’s a waste of time?

Photo credit – Top: Esther Vargas
Photo credit – Bottom: Adriano Gasparri