LinkedIn is one of the largest professional networks on the web. With more than 75 million registered users that span more than 200 countries, LinkedIn has quickly become one of the leading social media sites for connecting with business colleagues. What you might not know is that LinkedIn is also an excellent site for building up your brand. Here are a handful of branding tips to help you maximize your profile and establish a bolder presence.
Profile
Make the most of your profile. This is the page where people can read about your expertise and learn more about your background. At a minimum you should include a photo to personalize your profile. Don't forget to take advantage of the customized URL option. Use your LinkedIn URL to promote you, your brand name or your product: http://www.linkedin.com/in/yourbrandnamehere. Next, pepper your profile with keywords that will make it more likely to show up in search. Match these keywords to your job position headlines and for added 'wow'.
Networking
Here's where the magic of LinkedIn really comes into play. Import your email contacts and start connecting with them via LinkedIn. You'll quickly discover that beyond email addresses you can also network with past co-workers, college alum and others. Make a point of reaching out and asking people to join your network. Try not to shy away from messages and invitations. LinkedIn is about being social and as you grow your network you can share all the juicy details about your brand and what you're doing to promote it.
Groups
A fundamental part of LinkedIn are groups. This is where you can become a part of sub-networks that are like mini-niches based on what you're most interested in. For instance, if you're an author, you might want to join some writing and publishing groups. Take some time to search existing groups and then create one for your brand. Invite your network to join and spread the work to others about your brands group.
Just like you're using Facebook and Twitter get your audience to interact with your brand, you should be using LinkedIn too. Let people know that your brand has a profile and promote it on your blog and your website. Getting started is the toughest part, but once it's done you'll be one step closer to brand building.