LinkedIn has been in business since 2003 and is widely considered the benchmark for professional networking social media platforms. There are more than 700 million users on the platform from countries around the world, and each week 40 million people use LinkedIn to search for a job.

Prospective candidates and clients will often review your company’s and your personal LinkedIn Profile before responding.  If you do not have a LinkedIn Profile or if your LinkedIn Profile is not a mini-sales presentation, it could sabotage your chances of representing the best candidates or clients.

When you use it correctly, LinkedIn can perform near miracles for your company’s ability to attract the exact clients and candidates that represent your best business. 

Do you need to have a personal LinkedIn Profile?  The short answer is yes.  Even if you choose not to spend a lot of time on LinkedIn, or any time at all, it’s still worth taking time to set it up.  Post a reminder on your calendar to check your LinkedIn Profile every six months or so, and update with any updates or accomplishments.  You never know when a potential client or candidate is going to view your Profile, so it must be updated.

To engage even more with the site, join LinkedIn Groups. These communities exist for all sorts of categories — geographic locations, alumni groups, industry-focused groups, etc.  Often members of these groups are well-networked and could recommend you to a potential client or candidate.

THE BENEFITS OF LINKEDIN

· It’s free. There is a paid option that offers additional benefits, but the basic free version offers plenty of features. One caveat: While it’s financially free to create and maintain an account, these tasks do take up your time (another cost). 

· Important people use LinkedIn.  Prospective clients, hiring managers, and candidates will review your Profile to see if you have helped others who are similar to them.

· It’s another way to see job postings. You can search for job posts on the site. Plus, often people post job opportunities that may be more under the radar.

· It may be part of the application process. More and more companies have moved to standardized online applications, and it is more common than ever to see a LinkedIn section near the resume upload tool, where you can upload your candidate’s LinkedIn Profile right next to your candidate’s resume.  If it is well crafted, this is a huge advantage since potential hiring managers will not only be viewing your candidate’s resume but their LinkedIn profile as well.

· It’s an easy, modern way to maintain a rolodex of connections that may be helpful in your career. That person you met at a conference five years ago may very well wind up working at a company you have targeted, or that colleague from your very first job may know a hiring manager you’re eager to contact. With just a quick message you can reconnect and pursue a new lead.

· It’s a good way to research companies. During your recruiting and marketing process, researching companies is an important step.  LinkedIn can help you do that. Plus, you can also look up people you’ll be contacting on the platform, which can help you prepare for your conversation. 

· It can help build up your brand. People can provide endorsements and recommendations which help give anyone looking at your Profile a sense of your experience and talents. In general, you can think of your LinkedIn Profile as a good way to develop and build your brand. Often, a person’s LinkedIn Profile page is one of the top results if someone searches a person’s name online. 

Review your LinkedIn Profile and the LinkedIn Profiles of your recruiting and sales team. Evaluate it through the eyes of a potential candidate or client.  Does your Profile entice someone to connect with you because of your track record of success in helping other people just like them either hire the best talent or advance in their career?

If your LinkedIn Profile just restates what is on your resume, it’s time to update your information.