With more than 400 million users, LinkedIn is an unparalleled professional social network. No matter if you are a freelancer, developer, creative or entrepreneur, your LinkedIn profile can turn out to be the key to develop your contacts or your business, to find a new job opportunity or to keep in touch with your ex-coworkers. That’s why your profile must stand out among the others! Here are some tips to improve your visibility on this social network.

1/ Add and maintain your contacts

Cultivating your relationships is beneficial in two aspects. Firstly, taking the first step allows you to show your interest to your contact. Secondly, each time your contact receives an endorsement notification he/she is likely to send you an endorsement back, a mechanism which will increase your visibility making your profile more attractive for potential recruiters or clients. However, be careful not to step into the “follow-follow back” trap!  Try to endorse people you know well rather than doing it mechanically just for the sake of numbers.

2/ Get recommendations

This is something more difficult to accomplish. Nevertheless, don’t hesitate to ask your ex co-workers or supervisors (if you still stay in contact with them), as they can offer concrete examples of your past collaborations with them.  This will add value to your profiles showing that it has been already “tested and approved” in a professional situation. Normally, if everything had gone smoothly, they will be happy to attest your qualities and expertise. To express your gratitude you can do the same for them or simply endorse their skills.

3/ Fill in everything!

There’ s nothing more unprofessional than a profile whose information is not provided in full details. You must pay great attention to the profile intro: this is without a doubt the most important part, as it is the first thing that people will read.

Try to write an easy-to-read introduction, it should not be too brief, but nor should it be too long. It should express who you are, summarizing your skills and the reason why you are on LinkedIn. Write in first person with a flawless style, there’s nothing worse than a grammar mistake in your introduction! If you are looking for a career abroad you will also have to translate your profile, so make sure to have it corrected by a native speaker from the country you wish to go.

4/ Connect your profile to other social networks

If you use Twitter or Facebook for work, don’t hesitate to include a link in your profile. You can also paste the link to your personal website if you have one. It will reinforce your presence on the Internet and improve your SEO ranking.

5/ Browse the “People You May Know” list

Having often a look at this list will help you to reconnect with some of your past contacts, co-workers or classmates. You never know what a new contact may bring to you, especially given the importance of networking nowadays. Expanding your network will certainly bring new opportunities.

6/ Write and share interesting contents

LinkedIn is also famous for its content. Don’t hesitate to share an interesting post or an article related to your profession. You can also write your own articles, which is a good way to send a message or to express your ideas about your professional field. You will be able to check through LinkedIn control panel for whether the content is successful and its number of views, which is another effective way to enlarge your network.

In conclusion, LinkedIn has considerably improved on the user experience side. It is now an essential network for all those people who wish to get more professional visibility and multiply their contacts and opportunities. Stay active, join groups and publish exclusive contents. It will have a big impact on your visibility.