Standing out on LinkedIn can be very challenging, especially when you are a beginner. But guess what! Building a top-notch profile will help you let those challenges be the past story in your journey.
LinkedIn is a professional platform where you can share experience, opinions, and expertise with hundreds of people within an hour.
Sharing your thought-provoking ideas will make you stand out, expand your network, maximize profit, and connect with like-minded professionals who will help you achieve your goals.
When I started actively using LinkedIn, I thought posting motivational content would make me stand out. Later on, I came to realize it was not going to make me the person I am today.
Want to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out? Here are step by steps.
Whether you’re a Student, Graduate, Founder, or Employee who wants to break the ice and tap invaluable opportunities, these are what you need to implement.
1.Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
Your LinkedIn profile is where your potential clients or recruiters decides whether to choose you or move on to the next person. Optimizing your own LinkedIn profile increases your chances of standing out, making you more interesting to others and potentially leading to valuable connections or job opportunities.
A Full professional LinkedIn profile must have the following optimized.
Background image: Utilize an attractive banner that highlights your expertise. Incorporate compelling text, quotes, and professional images that align with your personal brand. The recommended banner image size is 1584 x 396px. Use tools like Canva and Adobe Photoshop in designing.
Profile picture: LinkedIn differs from other platforms like Facebook or Twitter. On LinkedIn upload a photo that is close to the camera, displaying your face clearly. The profile picture should be at leat 800 x 800px. Jane Deehan says your face should take up around 60% of the entire space.
Headline: This section reflects your authority and brand identity. Clearly state who you are and what you offer. Example; Graphic Designer | Adobe Photoshop Expert| Illustrator. I specialize in creating vibrant graphics that boost your brand Authority. You can use tools like Sharethrough to measure the quality, strength, impression, and receive suggestions for improving your headline.
Your headline enables recruiters and creators to find your name when searching for talents on the LinkedIn search bar.
About section: Highlight the pain points you’ve addressed for the past clients and explain how you can help your next client solve their problems. Avoid generic buzzwords such as “passionate,” “hard worker,” or listing irrelevant details like where you studied.
It’s like going on a date saying I’m handsome, smart, passionate”. But there is a better way.
Stevan Koncar.
2. Post at least three times a week.
When it comes to posting, keep in mind that the more you show up on the platform, the more people will notice your value and interact with you. Posting today and then two months later will cost you, as you risk being forgotten.
Optimizing your profile doesn’t guarantee that opportunities will come your way automatically. Instead, you need to actively participate by showing up every day and making your name memorable to your audience.
If you reach a point where people start mentioning your name both online and offline, know that you have done something right. That’s how the journey of standing out begins.
At times, you might struggle with what to post on LinkedIn while others finish their day with 2 or 3 posts. Yes, managing that level of consistency can be challenging, but it’s essential for maintaining your presence on the platform.
3. Showcase your Expertise.
Share content based on your experiences that resonates with your prospects. Be yourself; avoid copying and pasting others’ ideas (CTRL+C and CTRL+V). People want to hear your opinions and understand the unique value you can bring to them. If you’re sharing the same content as others, believe me, you will not stand out.
4. Like, Share, and Comment
Make an effort to interact with other creators in your niche to gain more exposure and establish new connections, fostering long-term relationships that may lead to client opportunities.
Make an effort to interact with other creators in your niche to gain more exposure and establish new connections, fostering long-term relationships that may lead to client opportunities.
You can attract attention to your profile by leaving thoughtful and meaningful comments on others’ posts. Other people have gone far promoting their business in the comment section of someone’s post just to get visibility.
Engagement on other creators posts increase your visibility, and people will also start paying attention to your post. Remember, people will not continue engaging in your posts if you’re not showing love to their posts. Birds of the same feathers always flock together.
5. Personalize Connection.
Send personalized connection requests as much as possible to individuals in the same industry. Utilize the LinkedIn invitation feature—”invite” “invite” “invite” until you hit the limit. Follow people who inspire you and choose three or four of them to act as your role models.
Draw inspiration or messaging vibes from them and find ways to communicate with your target audience. As mentioned earlier, avoid copying and pasting; instead, share your thoughts.
Conclusion.
Your LinkedIn profile is like a CV where employers and clients get to know you better and decide whether to call you for an interview or move on to the next person.
In building a strong profile, ensure that your profile answers these questions:ur profile;
Most young individuals often fail to grow and become successful in their careers simply because they lack someone who can guide them, share the DO’S and DON’TS, and provide insights into the potential outcomes of their current doing.
To understand the facts, kindly gather five young college students and ask them one by one, “Who is your mentor” and listen to what they say. You might be surprised to hear that some of them don’t even know what does the word mentor means.
A mentor is an individual who has already successfully walked the journey you want to go through.
Me as Anthony Charles, without a mentor I could be somewhere completely unknown, unable even to write this piece.
“A mentor transfers their knowledge, studying and experiences to your mind and literary change the course of your life” – Bob Proctor.
Successful people have no problem with teaching you how to fish. Whether in business or tech. Here are ways to find your mentor.
Ask Friends
The people you spend time with might have the answers to where you can get the right mentor for your career. You just have to ask them, “Who is the best successful person in this career?”,
“ Hello! Shaatmelau,
I’m currently seeking someone to guide me on how I can achieve 1, 2, 3. Do you know anyone who can be my mentor?”. Probably he will tell you.
Then you have to research more deeply by looking at them on YouTube, Google, IG, X, and LinkedIn. Then, choose wisely who could be your choice.
It can be difficult for you to find the right mentor by asking your fellow if they don’t know well your career and goals. Ask people who can really help you meet the right mentor.
Follow-up and Stay Connected
Mentors aren’t meant only those whom you can physically come into contact with, but rather anyone who can inspire and provide you guidance regardless of the location.
The quickest way to get the right direction from people who could be your mentor is to connect with them on social platforms be it on LinkedIn, YouTube, or X. Here is the thing, people who are successful in their career have no problem with sharing how they achieved their success.
They share DO’S and DON’TS that when you’re committed to following up and implementing them, you become the better role of yourself. If you’re consuming content you don’t implement you’re not learning anything.
Good mentors don’t look like mentors, you will be inspired by their work
Warning. The Internet has many rude people who claim to be nice. As I said before, make sure you research first a person you want to be your mentor. Be cautious to people over the internet who are sharing googlable tips and say “DM me for more”.
Yeah, there are some of them who can help you as your mentor using this approach but in reality they do not.
Engage in their posts.
Shaatmelau asks in his post on LinkedIn, where can the fresh undergraduate find a mentor if all the potential “mentor” does is posting “motivational”, “sensational”, and “I’m excited to/thrilled that” content?.
The answer is simple you can not. Find someone who shares the burning point, problems, how things works and how to go about.
And the best way to have these kind of people as your mentor is to engage in their posts before you start DM’ing them. Be the first person to like, repost, or comment and try to support them on whatever they do that is how you’re allowing yourself to be noticed.
By the time you send them a DM, you will be receiving quick responses because they already know who you are. Remember, these people receive a lot of messages in a day which they cannot afford to answer them all.
Some of them have a lot of things to do, so putting yourself out there increases the chance of getting that person and being your mentor.
Schedule Meeting
After having a good relationship, you can organize meetings that can be done online or physically depending on the location you two are in.
But before you schedule any meeting, make sure you have read their work, books, and business so that you can not seem to be boring asking the same question they have answered a hundred times.
It can also happen accidentally meeting with them at events or seminars. Once you’ve that chance be curious for at least ten minutes asking some relevant questions.
Seek for advice.
Never go the first time to mentors and ask for support such as promoting your work or asking for money. My Friend I don’t know if you will achieve that mentors aren’t like coaches. Ask for advice on how you can promote your work, how you can do it right, and how you can become more successful in your career.
Even Moses was listening guidance from God why not you? Have a good day.
Siku moja nilikuwa nimekaa zangu ghetto mida ya saa kumi na mbili jioni nasoma Hekaya za Abunuwasi, ghafla ujumbe ukatumwa kupitia whatsApp kutoka kwa rafiki yangu akisema nimsaidie kutangaza hard disc drive aliyokuwa anauza.
Bila hiana kesho yake nikaipost kwenye status yangu, baada ya muda mfupi habari njema zikaanza kuonekana kwenye whatsApp chat na hatimae hard disc hiyo iliweza kununuliwa.
Tangu siku hiyo, Fikra zangu kuhusu WhatsApp zilibadilika kabisa nikajisemea moyoni “Kumbe WhatsApp inaweza kuwa iko vizuri zaidi kuliko Twitter na Instagram!” Kwamba kupitia status unaweza kuuza kitu chochote na watu wakanunua.
Unapataje wateja?
Simple, mteja ni yeyote yule anayeweza kuona status zako. Anaweza asiwe mteja wako moja kwa moja lakini akawa na marafiki zake wanaohitaji bidhaa unayouza, kupitia yeye utapata wateja ambao wao pia wana marafiki zao wengine hivyo utajikuta umepanua biashara yako.
Utakuwa unatafutwa na watu ambao hujawahi hata kuonana nao wala kuongea nao hapo mwanzo. Jambo siyo rahisi kivile mwanzo siku zote ni mgumu lakini mdogo mdogo ukikomaa utaona matokeo yake.
Haikugharimu chochote kupost vitu unavyouza kwenye WhatsApp status yako. Vijana wengine wanaogopa kujulikana kuwa wanafanya biashara fulani ndo mana huwa hawapost kazi zao.
Unamwogopa nani, unahofia nini au kazi unayoifanya ni haramu? WhatsApp ni fursa moja nzuri ambayo wachache wanaojua kuitumia vizuri wanafaidika sana.
WhatsApp Channel na WhatsApp Group.
Kabla ya kuongezwa kwa WhatsApp channel feature wengi walikuwa wanatumia whatsapp group kuendesha shughuli zao mbali mbali ikiwemo uelemishaji, seminas, kupashana habari pamoja na kufanya biashara zao huko.
Lakini kila kukicha mambo mapya yanaibuliwa leo hii tuna WhatsApp Channel inayokupa fursa ya kuwafikia mamilioni ya watu wanaokadiliwa kuwa ni 2.78billion na wanazidi kuongezeka kila siku.
Kuna uwezekano mkubwa wa channel utakayotengeneza kuonekana kwa watu wengi wanaotumia WhatsApp kwa sababu by default iko public, yeyote anaweza kufollow channel hiyo. Nadhani ulishawahi kuziona kwenye whatsapp yako kama ambavyo zinaonekana kwangu hapa.
Jinsi ya kutengeneza WhatsApp Channel
Kutengeneza WhatsApp chanell ni rahisi kabisa fungua application yako ya WhatsApp, nenda kwenye updates
Bonyeza alama ya kujumuisha
Create channel
Click continue
Upload profile picture, Channel name na description.
Click Continue
Hapo utakuwa tayari umeshatengeneza WhatsApp channel kinachofuata ni wewe kuendeleza channel yako.
Jinsi ya kutafuta fursa za kazi kupitia WhatsApp.
Kwa anayetafuta kazi au bado ni mwanafunzi, whatsapp ni sehemu nzuri ya kutangaza na kuonyesha uwezo ulionao juu ya kazi fulani.
Hapa unaweza ukawa unapost mambo ya kawaida kuhusu vitu unavyofanya, unavyovifahamu mfano graphics design, web development, afya, utalii, cryptocurrency n.k.
Fursa haziji hivi hivi ukiwa umelala nakumbuka siku za nyuma nilikuwa nashiriki kwenye mijadala kwenye magroup ya watu wengine huko nilijitahidi kutoa mchango wangu kulingana na uelewa wangu kuhusu mada walizokuwa wanazungumzia na uhalisia wa mambo yalivyo, pale walipoenenda tofauti niliwaambia.
Aisee kama unajua unajua tu ilikuwa saa nne usiku kiongozi wa hilo group akanitumia ujumbe kama unavyosomeka hapo chini.
Mtu akianza kukutafuta kwa njia kama hizi jua kuna kazi umefanya, hizi ndiyo connection. Unatangaza na kukuza jina kwa style kama hii.
Ninachotaka kusema ni kwamba fursa za kazi zinaweza kupatikana sehemu yoyote ile siyo lazima uende kuomba kazi maofisini hata kupitia whatsApp unaweza kufanikisha hili.
Hao hao watu unaobonga nao kila siku wanaweza wakakurecommend sehemu kutokana na vitu ambavyo huwa unashare nao.
Watu hatufanani leo hii mko wote sawa kesho mwenzako manager wewe mtafuta ajira kwa hiyo siku moja historia inaweza kukubeba manager kaona kuna kazi uwezekano wa kukujulisha au kukuita ni mkubwa kwa sababu alishawahi kuona mambo unayofanya na ni yanauhusiano na kazi iliyopo.
Sasa vipi kama ungekuwa unaongea pointless ukiwa na wenzako je, unaweza kweli ukaitwa kwa style hii? Hapana huwezi.
Kama ni kijana jitahidi kuheshimu wenzako kwenye magroup wanapojadili mada zao hata kama wote mko level moja.
Chukulia hiyo ndiyo fursa ya kujitangaza na kuonyesha umahili wako huwezi kujua huko mbeleni mambo yanaweza kuwaje. Kuwa serious hiyo ni fursa itumie vizuri.
Kupitia WhatsApp status.
Vijana hasa wale wanaosoma huwa hawataki kuonyesha kile wanachokijua. Utakuta kwenye status ameweka memes mwanzo mwisho, picha zao mwanzo mwisho, vichekesho mwanzo mwisho yaani hakuna hata kiashiria kinachoonyesha ujuzi wao.
Siyo mbaya lakini kitu cha kujiuliza ni kuwa unaacha nini kwenye vichwa vya waangaliaji wa status zako. Mtu akiangalia status zako mbili tatu anaweza kujua akili yako ikoje na una mawazo yapi.
Kama kweli unataka kutafuta kazi kupitia WhatsApp jaribu angalau kuwa open kwenye status zako sema ni nini unajua, unafanyaje na unaweza kumsaidia nani.
Unaweza usione matokea kwa muda huo lakini baada ya muda utaanza kutafutwa. Nimeshasema usimdharau mtu kwa kuangalia hadhi aliyonayo leo.
Yote kwa yote mchukulie mtu anaeangalia status zako kama mwajiri wako wa baadae. Jiamini na careers yako hata kama hutakuja kuwa huyo uliye leo kuna kitu lazima utajifunza.
Mwisho.
Fursa nyingi tunazo mikononi mwetu, pesa tumezishikilia lakini bado tunahangaika kutumia njia ngumu katika kusaka tonge. WhatsApp ipo kwa ajili yako wewe mwenye maono ya mbali. Siku zote kazi zipo je, unazitafutaje, wateja wapo kila siku shida unawatafutaje? Maamuzi yako leo ndiyo matokeo ya kesho.
Mtandaoni ni sehemu ambayo maajabu hutokea, mambo ambayo wengi hudhani hayawezekani huku huwa yanawezekana hasa kwako wewe unayetazamia kuuza bidhaa au ujuzi wako kupitia majukwaa ya kidigitali.
Watu hununua bidhaa kutoka kwa watu wanaowafahamu sasa wewe jiulize watu wanakufahamu? Siyo tu kujulikana ni kitu gani cha tofauti wanaweza kukipata kwako nao wakafaidika nacho?
Iwe ni mwanafunzi unatafuta kazi mtandaoni, iwe ni mfanya biashara unatafuta wateja mtandaoni, iwe ni mjasiriamali unataka kuuza kitabu mtandaoni, haya ni mambo muhimu inakubidi uyafahamu na kuyafanya.
Share Story yako
Hichi ni kipengele ambacho wafuasi (followers) wako hujisikia wote mko pamoja, mnapitia matatizo yale yale, wanakuchukulia kama ni wa kwao waSwahili wanasema mcheza kwao hutunzwa.
Jenga story zako kutokana na vitu ulivyovifanya, unavyovifanya, changamoto gani ulikutana nazo na ulizitatuaje? Hapa tuelewana unapokuwa unatengeneza maudhui ya aina hii jaribu kuhusianisha story yako na changamoto ambazo watu wanazipitia kila siku.
Unaweza pia ukawa unatengeneza maudhui yanayohusu maisha ya kawaida kabisa, lengo hapa ni kujenga uaminifu ili watu wakufahamu na waendelee kukufuatilia zaidi. Watu hawanunui bidhaa au ujuzi wako wananunua jina na story zako.
Uwepo wako mtandaoni.
Mteja akikuta duka limefungwa anaenda zake duka jingine hivyo hivyo hata katika majukwaa ya kidigitali kama huonekani kila mara. Haupost maana yake huhitaje wateja tena, maana yake umefunga biashara yako – Asiyekuwepo na lake halipo.
Onyesha uwepo wako kwa kupost, kushiriki na creators wengine kwenye majukwaa ambayo target audience yako ipo. Uwepo wako mtandaoni ndio utakaokufanya uongeze watu wanaokufuatilia, usisahaulike mapema na kukuza jina lako pia. Utashuhudia mabo haya yakitukia kukuhusu wewe.
Muone fulani huwa anafanya hiki.
Muone fulani atakusaidia.
Muone fulani huwa anazungumzia hivi vitu.
Hivi ndivyo jina lako litazidi kukua zaidi na usisahaulike kwenye masikio ya watu wanaokufuatilia.
Uvumilivu
Kuna muda inafika kila kitu unachokifanya hakiendi, unapost lakini wapi hata likes, comment zenyewe hazionekani, hakuna maendelea yanayoonyesha matumaini yoyote siku za usoni lakini kama nilivyokwisha kusema hapo awali miujiza hutokea mtandaoni.
Siku usiyoitegemea, saa usiyoijua, mtu ambae hujawahi kukutana nae wala ku-engage nae kwenye post zako. Mteja ambae hukuwahi kumuona tangu kuumbwa kwa ulimwengu siku hiyo anakuja inbox kwako kutaka huduma unayoitoa, kununua kitabu unachokiuza au kufanya kazi na wewe.
Hadhira yako
Majukwaa ya kidigitali yana hadhira wanotofautiana hivyo ni vyema kujua hadhira yako ni ipi ili uweze kutengeneza maudhui yatakayowalenga moja kwa moja. Usiwe kama watu wa global climate wanaozungumzia global issues asscociated with climate.
Ukijua hadhira yako ni Watanzania usijichoshe saana kuanza kuandika kingereza ambacho kitampa msomaje kuelewa ujumbe wako haraka fanya hivi nyooka na kiswahili mubashara ambacho hata mama mboga sokoni anaweza kukielewa.
Mtanzania anayehitaji huduma yako hataki hata kujua wewe unajua kimombo kiasi gani anachohitaji ni kutatua changamoto zake basi, liangalie hilo kwa jicho la pili.
Lakini kama hadhira yako ni wale wasiojua kiSwahili vivyo hivyo komaa na kimombo. Aidha kuna wale wa code switching ambao pia itahidi ufanye kutumia lugha zote mbili leo unapost kwa kingereza, masaa fulani kwa kiswahili.
Kwenye kuwasilisha maudhui yako usiongee na watu wote, ongea na mtu mmoja mfano “sehemu ambayo unaweza kujifunza maarifa ya kidigitali ni Linkedin premium, je unafahamu jinsi ya kujiunga pamoja na faida zake?” hapo unaongea na mtu mmoja lakini ujumbe ni kwa wote wasioijua LinkedIn premium na faida zake. Fanya hivyo kila unapowasilisha maudhui yako itakusaidia.
Tunza malengo yako
Jiulize malengo yako ya kuwepo kwenye huo mtandao ni yapi hasa? pia jitahidi kurejea malengo yako kila mara. Kuna watu wanastruggle kidogo tu anajaribu motivation oya! Motivation zinatembea balaa. Huyoo! Kila siku unamuona anapost motivation.
Acha nikwambie ukikomaa na motivation sana utajikuta DM kweupe, hakuna kazi, hakuna fursa yoyote unayopewa japo likes kwenye post zako ni nyingi.
Motivation hazilipi chochote labda upewe kazi ya kutangaza bidhaa fulani kwenye kurasa zako. You guy amini kile ulichonacho na onyesha watu wakujue japo mwanzo ni mgumu sana.
Mwisho
Kuna namna nyingi za kuuza ujuzi, bidhaa mtandaoni zingine utajifunza ukiwa tayari unatumia hizi nilizoandika hapo juu.
Wazungu wanasema mistakes are the best way of learning hivyo ukipata hasara, changamoto yoyote jifunze kwayo wala usikate tamaa kwa sababu maisha lazima yaendelee.
If you’re struggling to come up with ideas for what to post on LinkedIn, you’re not alone. Many people find it challenging to get ideas on what to be consistently posting on the platform.
But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. In this article, I’ll share some tips and strategies to help you generate ideas and keep your LinkedIn feed active.
First of all, it’s important to define your goals on LinkedIn. Are you looking to grow your LinkedIn audience, promote your products, establish yourself as an industry expert, or connect with potential clients? Knowing your objectives will guide the type of content you should be posting.
Without wasting your time let’s take a look at the following resources.
Draw from your daily experiences.
The best ideas often come from your own life. Think about your achievements, failures, and challenges you’ve overcome. Extracting posts from these experiences will not only resonate with others but also position you as someone who understands their pain points.
Sharing your experiences on LinkedIn may vary according to your goals. For those who are looking for clients make sure you share what problem you encountered, how you solved and how will you help your target audience overcome such a problem.
But if you’re to grow your brand, you can share achievements from your jobs, studies, and daily normal life.
Read books and articles.
In books, articles, and other written documents, is where untaped ideas are. For example, the book Mbele ya Muda by Shukuru Amos written in Swahili helps you come up with great ideas based on building Brand Authority, recognition, confidence, and thought-provoking content.
Learning from the success stories of industry leaders, and exploring different perspectives on relevant topics will give you the confidence to take a step ahead. Reading different books helps you connect the dots between the concepts in books and real-life experiences.
Do not read and share exactly what is written on books just show your opinion concerned to what you have read in connection with real life experience based on your area of expertise.
Find inspiration from others.
Engage with posts from other creators on platforms, Linkedin and Twitter. You might come across gaps in their content or have insights to add. It’s very important to provide credit and never copy and paste someone else’s work. Instead, use it as a starting point to develop your ideas.
You may sometimes get stuck on how to shape your content ready to publish on LinkedIn yeah, simple! find out three or two people who inspire you in the way they’re creating content. For example Shukuru Amos, Justin Welsh, Ndubuis Ekenkwe, and you name it.
Taking notes.
Don’t let those brilliant ideas slip away. Carry a note-taking app or a physical diary wherever you go. Capture insights and observations that you can later turn into thought-provoking LinkedIn posts. This habit will not only help you generate content but also improve your mental clarity.
A note-taking app can be ColorNote, Google Keep etc that you can use without carrying any physical diary and pen.
Everyday conversations
Pay attention to the topics you discuss with friends and colleagues, not that serious!. These conversations you had daily can be a goldmine for ideas to post on LinkedIn especially when you’re talking with people above your level, someone with higher knowledge than you.
Be curious, listener and ask question where possible. But be cautious not to turn intimate stories into public posts that may compromise your brand authenticity.
These sources of inspiration will provide you with a constant stream of ideas to fuel your LinkedIn presence. Aim to post at least three times a week to maintain consistency and engage with your audience.
Quality content that adds value and sparks discussion is key.
Now, you have the tools to overcome the challenge of finding ideas to post on LinkedIn. Start creating and watch your brand flourish on this professional networking platform.
