LinkedIn Use Cases — how different types of users can use LinkedIn's features

In the first part of this 2 part series, I discussed why LinkedIn is important and how any professional can use LinkedIn to gain advantage during his corporate lifecycle. I also elaborated on how you can create a notice-worthy LinkedIn profile and enhance your network.

This piece focuses on the various use cases that LinkedIn supports, and how each of these users can explore the different features of LinkedIn.

Use Case 1: Job Seeker

So you are primarily on LinkedIn to find jobs. This is how you can get the best out of LinkedIn for your job search:

• Ensure 100% Profile Completion — right headline, strong keywords, smiling photograph
• Mark your Status: Open for jobs — put in your preferences and career interests
• Explore LinkedIn Jobs for jobs that match your profile
• Take the Skills Assessment; show your badge
• Utilise LinkedIn Learning; set goals
• Take Career Advice from experts in your field
• Use LinkedIn Salary insights (Premium)
• Use Job insights; see how you stack up against other applicants (Premium)
• Follow companies and track jobs (Premium)
• Use LinkedIn ProFinder: Register as a local freelance professional to get projects

Use Case 2: Sales Professional

No Sales profile is complete until the Sales Navigator is activated and harnessed. According to LinkedIn the use of LinkedIn Sales Navigator has in the past shown tremendous results with:

• 45% more opportunities created
• 51% more likely to achieve quota
• 80% more productive salesforce
• 3X more likely to go to club with a client

Sales Navigator learns from the searches and automatically starts combing through LinkedIn data to contribute lead recommendations that are tailored to the search criteria.

Here's how you can use LinkedIn Sales Navigator:

• Standalone Sales Platform with Pipeline Management
• Use Lead Recommendations to find more prospective leads
• Advanced Search with Lead Builder
• Account and Contact Import
• Up to 3,000 Saved Leads
• Real-Time Sales Updates
• Out-of-Network Profile Unlocks (Up to 25 per month)
• CRM Widget
• SSI (Social Selling Index) Dashboard
• Extended Network Access + Who’s Viewed Your Profile
• InMail Messages (upto 50); messages that are optimized for viewing and don’t get buried or lost in inbox
• TeamLink — for better introductions to prospective leads and decision makers
• Usage Reporting
• Relationship Manager
• Access to Learning Center for the salesforce

Use Case 3: HR Manager or Recruiter

If you are an HR, you can integrate your Applicant Tracking System with LinkedIn Recruiter to really harness the power of Referral Recruiting, Event Recruiting and Executive Search Capabilities

Premium Features that LinkedIn Recruiter offers:

• LinkedIn Recruiter — automated alerts, saved search, passive candidates, InMail, smart filters
• LinkedIn Talent Advantage, Talent Pipeline Management
• LinkedIn Jobs Network
• LinkedIn Talent Direct
• LinkedIn Employer Advertising
• LinkedIn Custom Company Profiles
• LinkedIn ProFinder — to find local talent. More relevant now in the post-covid world
• Recruitment messaging that helps HR teams appeal to candidates on a personal level Employee spotlights that introduce ”birds of a feather” peers
• Interactive polling that engages viewers on the page
• Video clips to showcase corporate culture
• Recruiter Profiles and Career Page links that make it easy for interested candidates take action
• Jobs with “company insider” information that show how a job seeker is connected with the company and the job poster

Good LinkedIn Groups that HRs should

• Linked: HR
• Human Resources IQ
• Human Resources Professionals Worldwide
• Psychology in Human Resources
• Human Resources and Talent Management Executive

Use Case 4: Business Professional — Networking

Business professionals looking to expand their network can use LinkedIn in the following way.

• Start with Profile Completion — right headline, strong keywords, photo, media, and a cover photo
• Leverage your mutual connections. Find leaders or individual contributors
• Find the right people and follow their activity; Look for updates, content, and discussions
• Find your connections’ career goals; indicator of decision-making authority
• Use LinkedIn Pulse to stay on top of industry trends
• Publish content regularly
• Reach people directly and more credibly with InMail (Premium)
• Engage with your audience and customers
• Join LinkedIn Groups and engage in discussions
• Good set of recommendations on your prospects’ profiles provides insight into their level of influence

Use Case 5: Brand or Business

For businesses, LinkedIn offers ways to enhance your audience and followers through many ways. In addition to acquiring direct leads through LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Businesses can also use the following to gain followers and increase the span of influence over the LinkedIn community.

• LinkedIn Business Pages
• Complete Page with logo, organization info, CTA button
• Follow Button, Community Hashtags, Employee Notifications, Page Analytics
• Showcase Pages, Social Media Intake forms, etc.
• Leverage LinkedIn Pages Playbook(s) — case studies which will guide you how to use LinkedIn pages
• Formalize your employee engagement strategy with LinkedIn Elevate
• Marketing Solutions — Programmatic Ads + Conversion Tracking + Retargeting + Lead Generation + Reporting & Analytics
• Sponsored InMail + Sponsored Content
• Discover content trending with your target audience
• Drive specific actions with a customizable call-to-action button
• Monitor activity with visual analytics
• Engage with audience; react and comment on activity with your #; use Company Updates
• Use LinkedIn Recruiter, LinkedIn ProFinder, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, LinkedIn Learning — Business

That's about it! If you feel there is a use case I haven't covered, do leave in the comments.

Found the article too long? You can also run through this same article in the form of a Youtube video.

Disclaimer: This (and the previous) article is not affiliated to LinkedIn in any way. The sole purpose of this article is to educate users on how the platform can be utilised for maximum opportunity creation.

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