5 LinkedIn Tips You Should Be Using (but Probably Aren't)

Because just filling everything out isn't enough.

A quality LinkedIn profile can be a gateway for prospective employers and collaborators, but with over 467 million members, LinkedIn is not the easiest place to stand out.

Even a complete profile with a well-composed list of accomplishments, a professional headshot and numerous recommendations can be improved upon.

There are a number of ways to creatively improve your LinkedIn profile, with five notable tips being:

1. Create a Public Profile Badge

Searching for profiles on LinkedIn can be a difficult pursuit due to the sheer number of them. Take into account similar names and fields of occupation, and it could be an endless pursuit. As a result, one of the most important tips for improving your LinkedIn profile's reach is to promote it beyond LinkedIn itself.

An easy, effective way to do this is to create a LinkedIn public profile badge. Accessing this page while logged into LinkedIn will result in a variety of button sizes and accompanying HTML codes.

These can be easily inserted on any website or blog so visitors can more easily find your LinkedIn page. A public profile page is the best way to improve your LinkedIn profile's reach if you run a blog or website.

2. Leverage Plugins

Plugins on LinkedIn often go overlooked. LinkedIn provides the option for members to incorporate LinkedIn functionality into their own website. The page generates customized JavaScript code for a variety of features, ranging from showing your number of followers to a list of new job listings. They all share the benefit of connecting visitors with you or your business' LinkedIn presence.

The "Follow" plugin is especially useful for sites, as it provides visitors the ability to add you on LinkedIn with a single click. You can customize this and other plugins by language and vertical/horizontal settings.

For businesses, the "Company Profile" plugin provides a quick and reliable summary of the business's size and origin story. As a conveniently sized widget, it's a quick and immersive tool to acquaint new readers with the business at hand.

3. Integrate with IFTTT

IFTTT (If This, Then That) is a nifty tool that enables users to automate certain tasks between various third-party apps. This applies to LinkedIn as well. IFTTT has a number of preset automations called "recipes," such as "Get an email when a LinkedIn connection changes jobs" or "If new job is added by a company I follow, send me an email." Various users collaborate on helpful recipes, some obvious and some you may not have thought of.

These recipes are especially useful for connecting LinkedIn with third-party platforms. A recipe like "Automatically update your LinkedIn profile with relevant articles from Feedly" merges two platforms to provide an automated, active and relevant LinkedIn presence, without the busy-work of finding relevant articles and posting them. It's a type of automation that saves time without feeling obviously automated to those reading.

4. Connect to Zapier

Zapier is another tool that automates LinkedIn tasks. It excels at merging LinkedIn with other apps and platforms. Examples include sharing new Facebook posts to your LinkedIn page, auto-sharing MailChimp campaigns on your LinkedIn profile and sharing new RSS items. The app features synchronization with over 750 apps, ranging from Gmail and Facebook to GitHub and PayPal.

Combined, Zapier and IFTTT provide an extremely thorough list of automation tools that can save ample time while still putting out relevant, quality content.

5. Use Specific Words

Using strategic keywords in your LinkedIn profile can attract the right kinds of connections and job offers. For one, since your professional headline is the first thing many see, make sure to elaborate beyond the typical role.

For example, instead of saying something dull like "Manager of Sales," elaborate how you excel. "Manager of Sales, Revenue Growth in Mobile Apps" is more specific. This addition expands the net for prospective employers. Instead of seeking just those in sales, it also seeks those with experience in mobile apps and revenue growth.

Be as specific as possible when listing your role and accomplishments. Most job titles don't stand out on their own, so, even if it means framing the job title with your own creativity, be sure to elaborate. Specific skills and niches within your summary attract prospective employers and collaborators in that field.

These five tips can propel a largely invisible LinkedIn profile to one with ample recognition and networking opportunity.

Reported by:  Inc.com