I am invited to speak to a group of students at William Penn High School on Thursday afternoon. The students are part of the PHASE program (Professionals Helping Adolescents Succeed in Education) and once per month their teacher, Stefanie Stephens invites a guest speaker to come in to talk about their personal experience and area of expertise.
You may recall that I also spoke to students at Delaware State University during their DEEP Day, about building their brand on LinkedIn, and most of them already had a LinkedIn profile. However, I want to talk to the high school students about the importance of building a brand on LinkedIn even before they graduate and head off to college or join the workforce.
Next week, I will come back and let you know how it went, however, in thinking about LinkedIn for students, I also wanted to share an article for us who already have a LinkedIn profile but are looking for ways to increase our following.
What is the best way to gain a community of followers on LinkedIn?
Here’s what they advise:
1. Publish Well-Researched, Thoughtful Content
The single best way to build an online community, on LinkedIn or anywhere else, is to publish high-value, thoughtful content. Of course, because everyone knows this, you have to go the extra mile. Steer clear of publishing “hot takes” or shallow opinion pieces. The most effective content is deeply researched, well-written and expresses original ideas in an interesting way. – Vik Patel, Future Hosting
2. Start or Join a Group
Get involved with or start your own LinkedIn group. Post compelling content on the latest industry news and events. If starting your own group, assign a member of your team to moderate and monitor ongoing discussions, and post new ideas and thought topics to instigate new conversations. That’s a great way to appeal to a larger audience rather than just targeting individual followers. – Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
3. Tag People in Your Posts
One way of making sure that you gain new eyeballs within your community is by raving about members who haven’t joined yet. Tag them in your post and make them feel special. Once you are able to make them feel special they will want to join because the other community members have already heard about them. This is one way to get your voice heard within a community and build authority. – Sweta Patel, Startup Growth Mode
4. Create Video Content
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Right now, a video is working well. I’d like to call LinkedIn Facebook for professionals, so you need to create video content that would be valuable for your audience. With that said, do it regularly and be the first to engage with people. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS
5. Post Stuff You Would Click On
Before posting anything on LinkedIn ask yourself, “Would I click on this if someone else posted this exact same thing in my feed?” If the answer isn’t yes, do not post it. Sometimes self-editing is hard. We think of something, jot it down and then instantly hit the “post” button. Ask yourself if this is a dynamic enough post, statement, video that you yourself would click on it. – Kim Kaupe, The Superfan Company
6. Promote Your Profile and Articles
An easy way to get more followers on LinkedIn is to promote your profile and articles. Share your LinkedIn articles on your social media profiles, link your profile in your other profiles, on your website, at the end of blog posts, etc. And don’t forget, when you promote your LinkedIn profile ask people to connect with you. If you ask, they’ll be more likely to send a connection request. – Blair Williams, MemberPress
7. Show Off Your Credentials
I find that people are more likely to want to connect so they can network with you and your circles. The social barriers present with non-business social media platforms make it harder to grow your circles. By providing useful content and demonstrating your experience and credentials, others will want to connect with you. – Jared Weitz, United Capital Source
8. Be Someone Worth Following
It’s been said that the best way to get what you want is to help others get what they want. Release fresh and relevant content to your network and engage people in industry-specific groups. Be someone who consistently adds value for free and is looking out for the best interests of others. You’ve had success in your field, so share your expertise freely with those who aren’t at your level yet. – Bryan Citrin, Chiropractic Advertising
Read more at https://www.business2community.com/linkedin/8-approaches-you-can-use-to-strengthen-your-linkedin-following-02170915
How about you, do you have any tips to offer and most importantly, are you following me on LinkedIn? Click this link http://bit.ly/2GNIlZy if you are not!
