LinkedIn is the social network for professionals par excellence, in which millions share their professional experiences. However, some functions and features of LinkedIn are still not as clear to users and companies that are on this network.
The networking It is one of the most important tools in the professional field. This being, in addition, one of the most effective ways to make yourself known, enrich your portfolio of potential clients and even learn and be inspired by other great professionals.
For this reason, 20 years after it was founded, LinkedIn has become a strategic ally for professionals who want to establish working relationships digitally.
Therefore, and if this is what you are looking for, I invite you to continue reading to discover more LinkedIn features.
What is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is the most relevant social network to create connections with professionals around the world, with more than 500 million users.
This social network offers the possibility of connecting with people with whom to do business, promote your products or services, share knowledge, find a better job, advertise a vacancy, create a community and even create groups with common interests.
This tool gives you the choice between a free or premium account, as well as allowing you to select to create a professional or business profile. I will talk about these options that grant specific advantages later.
To summarize: the functions and LinkedIn features They seek to put you in contact with the right people, help you in your professional positioning (or that of your brand) and hire people with the right profile.
What does the word LinkedIn mean?
Networking is closely linked to the creation of the name of this professional space. Since, by joining it, it allows you to link or connect; terms known in English as .
So that linked in refers to being connected or linked with professional contacts that you know and trust.
How to open a LinkedIn account?
Signing up for this platform and starting to connect with people with whom you went to university or have met in the professional field is simple.
Below I share the steps that will allow you to open your account in less than 5 minutes.
- Sign in to .
- Click on the button join now.
- Enter an email and choose a password.
- Enter your first and last name.
- Perform the security check.
- Choose your country and city.
- Enter your most recent position.
- Verify your email.
- Answer whether or not you are looking for a job.
- Choose your country and city again.
- Start adding contacts from the email you entered.
- Choose the type of contacts with whom you want to connect.
- Add a photo.
- Download the mobile app.
- Follow companies, people and hashtags.
- To finalize.
1. Sign in to LinkedIn
Through their linkedin.com website or through the free app.
2. Click on the “Join Now” button
You will find this button in the upper right corner.
3. Enter an email and choose a password
Choose a professional email; avoid ambiguous names, nicknames or numbers.
4. Enter your first and last name
Writing your complete data will help you connect with those people who already know you.
5. Perform the security check
Through this exercise you ensure that you are not a robot.
6. Choose your country and city
This is where you are currently. However, you can modify it in case you change your residence.
7. Enter your most recent position
Here you will be able to find the position and the company for which you work. But if you are, for example, self-employed, it will be possible to choose the option “small business owner”, as well as the type of employment (full time, part time, etc.) and the most recent company that you lead.
Likewise, in this section you can choose the option “I am a student”. Before which you must enter your educational institution, title, specialization, start year, end year and ensure that you are over 16 years old.
8. Check your email
Enter the email you have chosen, since in it you will receive a verification code, which you must enter at this time to continue with the registration of your account.
9. Answer whether or not you are looking for a job
Depending on your response, LinkedIn may automatically show you job postings that may be of interest to you.
Starting with the next step, LinkedIn welcomes you and invites you to create your profile to connect with people you know and talk about topics that interest you.
10. Choose your country and city again
This step serves as part of the confirmation step 6.
11. Start adding contacts from the email you entered
This step links the contacts you have linked to your email account. However, you can skip it and do it manually later.
12. Choose the type of contacts with whom you want to connect
On the screen you will be able to see the suggested contacts with which you can start connecting. However, you can skip this step and (again) do it manually later.
13. Add a photo
Choose a good quality photograph that shows your professional essence.
14. Download the mobile app
This step allows you to have access to your account, connect and interact more quickly and comfortably in the palm of your hand.
15 Follow companies, people and hashtags
This will help you stay up to date with trends, news and daily news about those companies, professionals and hashtags of your choice.
16. Finish
From this moment you can go directly to your profile and fill in details such as experience, interests, sector, among many other information that will make your online resume much more attractive.
New LinkedIn features and functions
LinkedIn adopts elements of other social networks every day, which allow you to interact and maintain a special closeness with the people you follow and who follow you.
For this reason, new features have been added to LinkedIn in recent years that we will see below and that will help you get the most out of your account.
- notification bell
- Real-time captions at live events
- Inclusion of a link in the profile
notification bell
This year, when you enter a profile, you will be able to identify a bell on the right side below the cover photo. Clicking on this icon will allow you to follow someone more closely.
Thus, when said person publishes, you will receive a notification in real time warning that there is new content available for you.
Real-time captions at live events
While this feature was previously available to the hearing impaired, it is now available to everyone. With the intention of also favoring those who cannot listen to the audio at that moment, because of the place where they are or because they do not have headphones.
Inclusion of a link in the profile
This option is currently available to users in “creator mode”. They will be able to include a link at the top of their profile to direct other visitors directly to your website.
Advantages and disadvantages of LinkedIn
As you have been able to discover throughout this article, LinkedIn provides several advantages for both you and your business. But what other benefits does it offer you and what obstacles can you find?
Advantages of LinkedIn
- Allows you to find job opportunities.
- Help generate business opportunities.
- Encourages the creation of new contacts.
- Provides updated information for free.
Allows you to find job opportunities
Although this is not the main reason why users go to this social network, it is true that it makes the job search process easier. In addition, it is possible for you to investigate more about the company and know the type of profiles that work in it.
Help generate business opportunities
This is feasible especially if you create a company profile that allows you to share timely information about your products or services and that, in turn, manages to boost your credibility and communicate the .
Encourages the creation of new contacts
Thanks to the connections between users, it is possible for you to establish a relationship with those professionals that, otherwise, you might not have had the opportunity to meet.
Provide updated information for free
Since this platform has great references in a wide variety of industries, it is possible to find concise and updated information. And what better than getting it for free?
Disadvantages of LinkedIn
- It requires constant updating.
- It exposes certain personal data.
- Multiple features are an additional cost.
- Advertising packages represent a large investment.
Requires constant updating
LinkedIn releases constant updates, this means that its users must be constantly researching or familiarizing themselves with these changes. This situation can be overwhelming for many professionals who also have limited time.
Exposes certain personal data
Although it is possible for you to activate certain restrictions in your profile, it is also true that your personal data; those that are part of your profile are available to anyone who searches for you. That is why you have to be aware of .
Multiple features cost extra
The free version of LinkedIn offers you a lot of possibilities, but many other features come at a high additional cost for those who have a tight budget or those who already invest in other types of platforms.
Advertising packages are also a great investment
Additionally, at the cost of premium features, advertising on LinkedIn is one of the most expensive when compared to other platforms, such as , Twitter or Instagram. Prices that many businesses are not willing to pay.
Why is it important to use LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is the largest professional social network on the Internet. Its history has proven that it helps millions of professionals and entrepreneurs to generate and obtain new and better opportunities, which would not be possible on other platforms.
conclusion
Among virtual storefronts, LinkedIn has become the best when it comes to job and professional connections. As we have seen, some of the characteristics of LinkedIn are: helping professionals to share their opinions or find employment options and for organizations to share their culture and find new talent.
As we have seen, to stand out in the digital world, you need the right tools. One of them, if you are a company, business or an entrepreneur is an online store.
How about opening your own online store? Come to Tiendanube and . It’s easy to use,…
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