If you stopped reading this post right now and went and Googled your own name, you'll probably see your LinkedIn profile on the first page of results.
Whether you like it or not, people are finding you via LinkedIn.
How's your profile looking? A little dusty?
You should give this some serious thought, because LinkedIn's adding in some new features and enhancements to the user experience, meaning your profile will now be more visible than ever online.
Step 1 - Your "Public" Profile
If you're looking to generate leads and create new business on LinkedIn, you'll want to take note of a recent update LinkedIn made to its Terms of Service.
LinkedIn announced that it's making your "public" profile (meaning the version of your LinkedIn profile EVERYONE sees, not just your 1st level connections), more visible via "third party" online services like email clients (Microsoft Outlook, etc.) and other online channels.
So, if you haven't already, you'll want to make sure your profile is not only ready for prime time, but also available for everyone to see and discover it online.
Here's how to make sure your profile is widely visible to everyone in the "public" online.
While logged into LinkedIn, click on "Your Account" and then "Privacy", then scroll down to where you see "Data Privacy and Advertising" on the left-hand column.
See the "Profile Visibility Off LinkedIn" header? As shown here, within that, there's a question asks "Should we show information from your profile to users of permitted services such as Outlook?" Flick that to yes in order to maximize your potential exposure via other services.
(You can read LinkedIn's explanation of what being more visible "Off" of LinkedIn looks like.)
Visibility is Key
If you want to maximize your exposure through LinkedIn, this recent update is great news, because it makes it even easier for prospects to find you in more places online, not just on the platform itself.
And, if you want to generate business from LinkedIn, why would you hide? This is a social platform, a social network for professionals, so you want to be "out there" professionally, letting anyone and everyone easily find you, learn about who you are and what you do.
Microsoft + LinkedIn = Big Business
Since Microsoft acquired LinkedIn back in 2016 for $26.2 billion, the two companies have promised to integrate as many of their products and services as possible.
"We're excited about leveraging Microsoft technology and resources to offer more valuable features and services to you," LinkedIn shared in their recent blog post about the changes to its terms of service.
Expect more integrations across both platforms, and make sure you take advantage as each new feature rolls out.
With more than 500 million members in 200 countries - and with 2 new members joining every second - LinkedIn is the place to be online if you want to generate leads, add clients and increase revenue in the B2B marketplace.