LinkedIn is the top professional networking platform for anyone who is in their job search process. Certain factors can prevent a job recruiter from finding your profile. So, I have gathered these helpful tips to help optimize your ability to be found online!

Find a Professional Profile Picture

Unlike your Facebook profile picture, your LinkedIn picture should contain a business professional representation of who you are. Dress for success- a headshot in professional clothing or whatever attire is acceptable for the industry. A smiling photo, with eye contact, shows that one is calm and confident in themselves. Do not hide behind sunglasses or dark colors. This profile is the opportunity for you to shed the best light on your professional self.

Effective SEO in Your Resume

Your LinkedIn profile should contain the same information as your resume, if not more. Discover keywords like marketing, communication, sales, etc. to help boost your profile’s searchability. Active words allow you to show off the many skills you have gained through past work experience. Consistency throughout your profile will create a clear picture of the type of job you are searching for.

Headlines Matter

The headline and summary allow you to create a short story of who you are and what you are looking for. The headline draws the job recruiter to your profile while the summary gives a bigger picture of who you are. According to LinkedIn Insights, only 8 out of 10 people won’t read past your headline. Which means your headline is as important as the first time you shake someone’s hand. With that in mind, it is important to come up with a unique phrase that will draw the job recruiter past the first level of your profile.

Connect

Lastly, LinkedIn is an incredible online networking platform. It was created to easily connect professionals with one another. So, my advice is to connect with anyone and everyone- past professors, friends from high school, or even bosses from old internships. The more connections you have the more likely your profile is seen as a legitimate connection!

Every day there is a new colorful brand that pops up on Instagram to promote their product. Whatever that product may be, the secret to the success of sales is dependent on the person who is the face of that brand. Can a brand be driven by the experiential feel of an account rather than the product itself? What are the driving factors that make startup brands successful? I researched online to find out.

What is a Brand?

A brand is made through specific marketing and communication that distinguishes one product from another. The most successful brands create a relatable feeling that can be associated with the company itself. The idea of a brand is tricky because it is determined by the target audience and is not always controllable by the marketing team. It is important for a brand to stay clear and transparent with their marketing messages in order to serve the needs of its customers. This method creates brand loyalty with an audience.

Poosh

Kourtney Kardashian started her own brand called Poosh. She marketed Poosh through her already popular Instagram account. Recently, she opened up about what her brand Poosh will bring to the public- a lifestyle website with e-commerce beauty products. Yet another Kardashian enters the beauty world! However, this brand will differentiate from Kylie Lip Kits or Kim Kardashian-West beauty products. Kourtney plans on selling already established beauty brands to her customers. Her strategy to sway her current followers to her new brand allowed the Poosh name to grow overnight. Instead of starting from scratch, Kourtney can steer her loyal followers to brands she wants to sell. Poosh can focus on improving marketing techniques to reach an even larger audience without the distraction of product production.

What Can We Learn?

Although an everyday person might not have the luxury of a verified account with millions of followers. The key is to find an audience looking for what you have to offer. Think about how your brand creates a story that people will fall in love with. Then, continue to feed your audience with the same honest message. This will bring your brand to life and hopefully become as successful as Poosh!

Influencer marketing has taken over Instagram and Facebook alike. Beautiful models with idealistic body types target millennials with current trends and merchandise to invest in. The influencer marketing strategy is attractive to startup brands because it provides accessible marketing from popular and persuasive accounts. Brands will trade their products and discount codes to an influencer account in exchange for advertising the brand to their followers. The influencer provides an impactful advertising force that brands don’t always have the capacity to create.

How Did Gymshark Gain Exposure?

If you scroll through the Instagram popular page, there is bound to be a fitness model exhibiting a workout trend. The fitness influencer flaunts not only their incredibly ripped body but, the activewear she or he is wearing. Gymshark started in 2012 by Ben Francis and within less than a decade he has turned his online business into a million dollar fitness empire through influencer marketing. The founder of the company discovered influential fitness gurus with a large online presence. Through sponsoring these athletes, his brand was able to gain the trust of millions of followers.

What to Learn from Influencer Marketing

Marketing can be a huge liability for a brand that is still finding a clear image to drive their sales. The influencer provides a middle man for the brand that is still finding a voice. The impact of one influencer can surpass an expensive ad campaign for an unknown brand. The trouble with the popularity of influencer marketing has led to a lack of trust in some brands and their products because of their support in fake accounts. It is important to find real accounts with real followers in order to create a trustworthy voice for your brand. If a brand does not proceed with caution when creating a relationship with an influencer there can be a conflict of interest when it comes to the company’s ideal marketing strategy. Focus on finding an influencer with a large loyal following and values that align with your brand. In doing so, using this influencer marketing strategy will create an unstoppable force for your brand to use!

February 14th can mean a lot of different things to people. Valentine’s Day- a day most millennials dread for the exuberant expression of “love”.  Hundreds of dollars are spent on trivial gifts to prove to one’s significant other that their relationship is perfect and stable.

This was the first year I had someone to call my Valentine.

It was an interesting perspective as I have never had someone to share this particular day with. I spent my Cupid day watching the faces of others to see if they were as happy I was. Surprisingly, I saw a lot of frustration. The night of, I observed stressed out men in button downs, sweating through their cotton sleeves. I encountered girlfriends that were disappointed and unamused by their significant other’s gifts and presence. On a day that was supposed to feel happy and light-hearted, I could feel the unsettled emotions of high expectations for this frivolous holiday.

As someone who didn’t know what to expect for Valentine’s Day,

I am happy to say having no expectations is the best way to approach this day. I enjoyed this Valentine’s Day for the first time in my life, not only because I wasn’t single, sitting on my couch over a bottle of pinot noir and the Bachelor, but because I was able to go into the holiday unaware of what the day would hold. Maybe, that is the best way to approach life in general – no expectations, and with gratitude. Walking out, into the empty parking lot, after our yummy Italian dinner at Penne Pomodoro, I said thank you to my man – I genuinely was thankful.

Valentine’s Day should be a day,

whether you’re single or in a relationship, to thank the people you love and care about. While the pink flowers and the $5 Hallmark cards that sing L-O-V-E might provide a temporary sense of security in one’s relationship, what people should be more concerned about are the little things you can do on a day to day basis that can better your relationship. I challenge everyone next year for Valentine’s Day to do something intentional for someone you care about rather than sticking to the status quo and purchasing a gift for the sake of having one.