LinkedIn provides employers with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to create exposure, market their brand message and provide an intuitive online forum to attract top-notch talent. As such, LinkedIn can be a powerful recruitment tool, especially when it is used right.
The fact that the social media platforms like LinkedIn are uniquely global in reach means that they can be a fantastic tool not only for local recruitment strategies but also for immigration advertising purposes or targetting candidates that are located outside of the typical geographic and regional barriers that many broad-based recruitment campaigns come up against time and time again.
So what are some smart tips to ensure that a LinkedIn profile stands out from the crowd? Read on to find out.
Optimize the Cornerstone Profile Essentials
The Profile Picture
Of course, it is an absolute must to have an attractive and professional-looking profile picture. Not only do first impressions make all the difference, but people are also highly visual creatures, and anybody seeking out a job opportunity is likely to be immediately turned off by a grainy, distracting or otherwise unprofessional-looking photo presentation.
That said, it is also crucial to ensure that the profile photo is in line with and reflective of the overall brand image. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, and sometimes a great photo can say a lot more about a company with less than a boring old write up.
At the very least, make sure there is a professional photo in place. Even using a temporary photo is generally better than no photo at all, as long as the photo isn’t low quality. This is because profiles with a photo are almost twice as likely to come up in a search result than those without.
The Headline
The headline is one of the three-elements, along with the name and profile photo, that candidates will skim over when they look through their search results, and this is why it is so important to take advantage of this one-of-a-kind opportunity to create an irresistible hook. Essentially, the headline is one of the key factors that will help the best candidates decide what profile they will click on to learn more, so it is important to create the type of headline that will stand out from the pack.
The key is to convey what not only where somebody works and what they do but to do so in a way that means something to the reader. Use descriptive words and adjectives to make the most of those 120 characters to create the type of actionable headline that will speak for itself.
The Summary Paragraphs
When potential candidates click on a recruitment professional’s profile, they are going to want to learn more about what this person is all about. This is where the summary section of the bio comes in so handy. It gives profile users a few paragraphs worth of opportunity to make a name for themselves, so to speak in summing up what they do and also, more implicitly, whey anybody else would want to work for them.
This means detailing what can be done to help new employees succeed and grow in their field of choice, both on a short and long term basis. Remember to include a few tidbits that will make the summary memorable. Don’t forget to leave clear contact details so that anybody who wants to reach out knowns that they have an easy way to get in touch.
Keywords
Many employment professionals and recruiters make the mistake of underestimating the importance of integrating optimized keywords naturally throughout their profile. While a thoughtfully constructed LinkedIn profile is certainly a fantastic asset for any recruitment professional to have on their side, all that work will go to waste if the profile is never coming up the searches that their ideal candidates are making.
Using highly targeted location-specific search terms is almost always the best way to go, but keep in mind that when it comes to keyword use there is also definitely such a thing as too much of a good time. Overuse of keywords will not only make a write up look unnatural and off-putting, but it will also likely hurt a profile more than it does good in terms of overall search results, so the best policy is to use keywords wisely and sparingly.
Always be sure that they are integrated in a way that ensures the most natural syntax and grammar structures possible.
Make a Company Showcase Page
Even for the less technically inclined, the intuitive nature of the LinkedIn platform ensures that it is quick and easy to craft a company showcase page, and there are few reasons not to take advantage of this great opportunity to show potential candidates exactly why they want to be working for this particular company.
In addition, the company showcase page is also one of the easiest ways for companies to get their name out there and expand their reach to new audiences and can be particularly useful in terms of immigration labor advertising where the recruitment strategy is not and can not be limited to local venues.
The only thing to keep in mind is that once the page is up, it needs to be maintained in order to stay relevant. If a candidate clicks on a page only to find a few outdated news articles, it is hardly likely to leave a lasting impression, so keep on top of things by consistently posting fresh and relevant information for and about the company.
This is also a great opportunity to post updates including job postings, as well as interact with potential candidates in friendly, lighthearted context so don’t miss out on this valuable tool.
The Takeaway
Whether using LinkedIn on a local basis or for an immigration labor advertising campaign, the highly specialized nature of the platform means that it is one of the most powerful social media recruitment tools there is.
That said, when trying to find the best of the best, it is important to mobilize multiple resources in order to craft the most successful recruitment strategy possible, and maintaining a strong LinkedIn presence is only a small component of the overall equation. Working hand in hand with a professional agency will not only ensure the most-cost efficient results, but they can also ensure that all stringent requirements are met in terms of more complex processes like posting permanent labor certification ads to sponsor a foreign national employee, so don’t be afraid to reach out and find out more.
