LinkedIn: Top Social Platform For Professionals and Recruiters

Reported by foodem.com, the online wholesale food marketplace-

Many companies and professionals alike utilize social networks for marketing, branding and spreading the word about their products and services. No matter which platform is used, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest or Google +, they all have similarities in that they give everyone a voice. But, there is one social network that is valued slightly higher than the rest in the pack, by both recruiters and professionals; you guessed it, LinkedIn.

According to Jobvite’s (a recruiting platform) 2012 Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey, which polled more than 1,000 HR recruiters and professionals on their use of social networks, 93% said they use LinkedIn to hunt for qualified candidates. Last year 87% of HR recruiters used LinkedIn, while only 78% used the platform in 2010. Furthermore, 92% agreed they plan to leverage social networks for recruiting efforts.

Over the past few years there has been an increased dependency on social networks for finding job seekers. A whopping 73% of recruiters hired someone who was found or introduced through a social network. Of that set, 89% found someone via LinkedIn, 26% through Facebook and 15% through Twitter. “We continue to see social recruiting gain popularity because it is more efficient than the days of sifting through a haystack of resumes. It also increases quality referral hires, which our own data on Jobvite proves are hired faster and last longer,” said Dan Finnigan, president and CEO of Jobvite.

Following where the data leads you, it’s evident that LinkedIn should take center stage in your arena of social profiles. Have you checked out your LinkedIn profile lately? If not, maybe you should. Here are a few tips to make your profile more inviting and appealing.

• Nurture Your Profile – Keep your profile and connections current. Add all important achievements, job information, new interests, etc. as they happen. Avoid making updates and reaching out when you need something, such as a job or recommendation. Also, be sure to optimize your profile by creating a keyword rich profile in order to help people find you.

• Carefully Select Groups – You want to be able to connect with like-minded professionals and your customer segment, so select groups based on your industry or your company’s industry. Joining alumni groups is beneficial too.

• Feed Your Connections – If you have published awesome blog posts, valuable whitepapers or press releases, share it on your LinkedIn feed, as well as in your groups (only if you think it would be of interest). By sharing your own content, in addition to other relatable articles and resources, you will establish a thought-leader presence.

• Build On Connections – Adding and accepting connections should be a constant task. Preferably, the connections should be related to your industry or have something in common with your interests.

• Use LinkedIn Answers – This is another way to establish thought-leadership and share your valuable expertise, while providing value to the masses. People post questions under various topics in the LinkedIn Answers forum, giving experts the opportunity to share their knowledge and even develop new connections or relationships.

• Add Your Staff Team – Don’t neglect to build out your own company’s team on LinkedIn; this could be a very valuable move. You never know who Jane Doe of your admin staff might be connected to.

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