Hey everybody and welcome to #DigitalMarketingScript. I’m Carl Britton Jr and today we’re going to talk about beefing up your LinkedIn.

The first thing that you can do on LinkedIn, is update your profile. Please do not have an image from 22 years ago. Make sure that it has the actual place that you are working, your real education, all of that stuff needs to be updated to at least the last three months. Let’s get real. It’s okay to show a picture with your extra 40 pounds or whatever it is. Be realistic on your profile. This isn’t your MySpace from 2005. None of your prospective employers are going to care that you saw Motley Crue in concert. This is not to say that you can’t have your personality come through, which you can, but this is a more professional setting. Keep that in mind before you have your picture be of you drinking a margarita on the beach. Yes, it was a good picture, no, it’s not good for business prospects.

The next thing that you can do to beef up your LinkedIn is join groups. You want to join groups from your industry, your prospects industry, things that you’re interested in. You want to surround yourself with the people that you want to be speaking to. Do a simple search and find the one that best fits your career choice. Feel free to introduce yourself from there and make connections. Don’t be emailing everyone in the group every day asking for career opportunities. That’s spam and everyone hates it. We’ll touch more on that in a bit.

The third thing that you can do is post relevant, valuable, business content. No one wants to go on LinkedIn and see your vacation pictures, unless if you’re a travel agent. Make sure that it is very business oriented information, but it has to be valuable. Let that award winning personality start to shine through but don’t forget that this is a website for professionals. Striking that balance is essential. Just imagine it as a resume you want to be proud of. One that showcases all of your best traits.

The fourth thing that you can do is connect with the movers and shakers of your industry and your community. You want to be around the people who are posting all the time, who have valuable content, who have great ideas, who are innovators. Surround yourself with those type of people. Ask them for tips and advice. Things that can help you move forward in your career. However, you don’t want to badger anyone constantly. You want to be seen as a peer, not as a little kid tugging on the adults shirt. Which brings us to the most important bit of advice…

Do not be a spamming jerk. You don’t want to just send messages, “Hey I want to tell you about this new product that I have, I want to try to sell you something”. If you’re going to connect with people, then post information. Make sure it has value for them. Be genuine, be a human, like you would at a dinner table. Speak to them like normal. Don’t be a spammy jerk, provide value. If you think you’d ignore what you’re about to do, then chances are everyone else will.

Thank you so much for joining me today. I’m Carl Britton Jr and I want to hear from you! Thank you!