Social networks (RRSS) are having a sweet time today . In 2014, a survey conducted by ComScore indicated that there were 1280 million people registered to RRSS worldwide that year.

Today, Facebook is the most popular social network and, at least in the West, few people (if any) are unaware of the most important social media on which large communities of Internet users are created: Twitter, YouTube, Instagram…

Recommended article: “Top 14 Facebook Groups for Learning Psychology”

LinkedIn: a social network for professionals

There are different social networks and each one has different characteristics. On a professional level, LinkedIn stands out, a network oriented towards business and the workplace , which has become a great tool when looking for work and making professional contacts.

If you use this social network, and taking into account the boom that the world 2.0 has experienced in the last decade, it is essential that you pay attention to your profile, because it is very useful for career advancement and for finding and sharing information related to your field of work.

In today’s article, you can find 10 tips for optimizing your LinkedIn profile .

1. Define a strategy

Why do you want to be on LinkedIn? What is the reason people use this social network? Before reading the following tips, you should think about and define why you or your company want to be on this professional network. To do this you need to know the objectives, the target , the tools you will use or how you will interact. This is the best way to use this digital medium to your advantage.

2. Complete your profile and use good keywords

If you want people to contact you or visit your company’s website, you must seduce them. Take your profile seriously, and think about the keywords that best define you so that you can apply them. By doing this you will make it possible for your profile to appear in search engines such as Google.

You should know that every profile can be improved, so you should check it periodically .

3. Add a professional photo

LinkedIn is an excellent way to make professional contacts and, moreover, is our letter of introduction to other companies or entrepreneurs . Therefore, just as with a CV, you should take care of your image. If the previous point mentioned the importance of completing the profile, it is especially relevant to add a professional photo, because it communicates who we are to others. Moreover, a good image makes it easier to remember, while profiles without a photograph create a certain amount of rejection.

Related article: “Top 10 Tips to Improve Your Resume”

4. Spend time on the extract

The extract allows you to explain in a few lines how much you can offer and is your letter of introduction . That is, the section where you sell yourself. In order to create interest, it is necessary that you treat this section with care, so that you avoid a badly focused extract, which causes rejection and distances potential entrepreneurs, clients or interested investors from your profile.

5. Increase your connections

It is important that you increase your connections to reach more people . To do this, you need to be proactive, because every time you do something on LinkedIn (e.g. update your profile or respond to an event) it is displayed on your contacts’ home page. It is also important that you consider inviting members of other groups to interact with you.

6. Use the groups to your advantage

This point is related to the previous one but it is necessary to highlight it. When choosing a group of your professional interest, it is important that you reflect on the potential of this group. Also, within it you should be participative (sending notes, making comments, etc.). to increase your connections. It is not a bad idea to create your own groups in order to be in control .

7. Share valuable information for your sector

To be proactive, another strategy that can be successful is to share important information for your professional sector, as it will increase your visibility and create added value to your profile. Posting news or articles from your own blog will be well received by your contacts, who will perceive your profile as a source of useful data. Without doubt, is an action that will encourage the loyalty of your followers and allow you to get more recommendations .

8. Create a solid foundation for your network

LinkedIn not only allows us to find potential clients, but also gives us the possibility to identify contacts we have in common with them. We must not forget that LinkedIn is not a social network for fun, but a professional social network, so we must exploit the possibilities it offers.

For best results, you need to build the foundations of your network and not carry out random actions . This is the only way that will allow you to use this social network more effectively and efficiently.

9. Customize your URL

Customising your LinkedIn URL has many benefits , for example, it positions you better in the search engine, it allows you to look more professional and you can include it in your CV in a shorter time than the original LinkedIn one. The following format, “http://linkedin.com/tu-nombre-y-apellido” , is ideal.

To customize your LinkedIn URL, just follow these steps:

  1. Go to the “Edit Profile” menu and put the mouse pointer over the URL you can see below your name. You will then see a configure menu icon appear.
  2. Click on it and you will see on the right of your screen , a link with the text “Create a custom URL”.
  3. Finally, click on that link to edit your URL (with the format shown above).

10. Get recommendations

Including recommendations in your profile (e.g. from your ex-employers) can be very helpful if you are looking for a job through LinkedIn. References are very positive in these cases and therefore there is nothing wrong with asking someone to write a recommendation for you. Also, if someone wants to offer you a recommendation and you would like them to emphasize certain aspects, don’t hesitate to tell them because it could be important for your future career.