Making social media platform just for work purposes was a clever idea. Founded in 2003, earlier than Twitter (2006) and Instagram (2010). But still rarely known till 2016th after it was acquired by Microsoft. At times when Apple computers were designed for efficient work, and Windows PCs were more for gaming everything switched vice versa. An iPhone and Mac is for photos, videos, Instagram and fun. Microsoft Office, LinkedIn, Azure are all for work. Xbox (with acquired 20+ companies) is for games, okay.
After testing Facebook and Instagram people have started to search for less noisy places, where the content was more useful, time spent was more efficient. LinkedIn was there waiting already. Curently post feed in LinkedIn is more interesting, fun, diverse and useful rather than that what Instagram or TikTok can provide. When content is worth of expectations, then people will be choosing it and switching.
Profile Visibility
Showing your experience and interests is more reliable way to draw attention, then writing good sentences about yourself. Investing time into your profile will be great decision at any point of your premium career. It's like a mirror, when you see yourself from your colegues' side. When you have a refreshed profile it's the same as new cool items added to your portfolio. You never know when it can work for you - maybe same day, maybe 3 years later. Someone will read your message or will be searching for someone with similar experience and will find you. The same is with fresh photos, posts, connections and other activity.
Connections
Finding other professionals can help you find necessary possibilities and opportunities. People tend to trust others who are relatively at the same level. So when you try to communicate, they will be open to you "just because" you have something similar. The rest depends on your communicative skills and willingness to find touchpoints. Many times I've seen how less skilled peers had success due to their ability to be more talkable and interesting in non-professional activities. And then after connecting with proper people had become more advanced specialists in 3d, coding, design directions. Linkedin app gives your business contacts and potential employers a possibility to reach you out anytime on mobile.
Professional growth
What's left onto your profile is all yours. When you achieve something, it all will be visible and working for you daay and night. So next time when you comment some post or appears in the search - you have already shown some good amount of information about yourself like photo, name, title, small badge. It all can play some role, mostly good and beneficial, if used properly. It may not work one year, two. But at some point your profile will be looking more "professional" and you will be doing exactly the same as it was a year ago. But recruiters and company owners will be interested in your proficiency. Kinda unfair in the beginning, when you have less impressive profile. When top professionals are just constantly declining good propositions.
Simply liking and commenting gives your profile an atttention. This opportunity is simply missed in other socials. At least they're less effective than in LinkedIn.
Tools for a research
Searching for right people and companies is essential for building strong links and connections for your business. No matter how serious it is for you currently. Later it can define your future decissions, and will be helpful base for your growth. Additional features brought with a paid LinkedIn Premium plan will not make situation worse, but can improve it significantly. Usually paid services is made for improvement? It all depends on the business type, but motion design is what favors greatly of using the most of marketing solutions this platform can provide.
Content distribution
Images and videos is the content that always in demand. If you can work with them on the highest professional level, you will be noticeable. And as there are many other businesses who may be interested in improving their brand and content creation. Probably they will be more open for a communication, when they see proven results by checking your posts, works, connections, followers, interests. All shared amongst necessary viewers, not kids or elders as in TikTok. But everything is possible, you can find clients everywhere. You just will not put information about your skills and experience in tiktok profile. And that's an additional step for people to find needed info about you. In any case, making great animations is what welcomed on any platform. Any audience will be open for this type of posts.
Jobs and Trends
Want to grow faster - be acknowledged about latest requirements at top companies, build your resume with a skillset acording to these requirements if it corresponds to your work experience. Deepen the knowledge in the most important software. Check those who are hired in these companies, learn what people they're, why they're right persons for these jobs. Collect interests, check their work history. For me personally it helps understand how low most of them were starting. And it's kinda calms me a little as a job seeker. But sometimes I can see that some people are reaching big companies like Sony, Google, Microsoft, Apple really quickly, after the university usually. But it gives me necessary information to analyze for applying for my next dream job. Checking their websites, works, interests and applying something, learning more, connecting with them, sometimes chatting.
Client's Recommendations
You can ask your previous clients to write a review about you and your services. Usually good clients are using this possibilities, because their name will be shown on your profile and because you did a good work for them. LinkedIn algorith checks these reviews, and everything about you and uses for searches and overall better understands your "person" which can be used one day in your favor to connect with someone or somehow rank you better.
Groups and Communities
As like in Facebook you have possibility to receive specialized information within a LinkedIn group. The only difference - it's also helping you in job search on LinkedIn or at least adds some value to your profile. For someone it is great place to start writing posts, as it will be less amount of those who will see your opinion, less discomfort in expressing yourself, and it will be more comfortable to be in a group of so minded, to have fun and simply be active social media user. Remember everything you write - can be used in your favor. Most of the times.
Additionally to just consuming content from this social network you can create a LinkedIn Group for personal learning or skill improvement. For example a list if AI tools or After Effects coding, scripts may interest other professionals and turn them into connections or possible leads. Recruiters may see you as a tough guy, group's admin. Algorithm may add points to your Linkedin account as an industry leader, don't know, but it will part of your work experience.
Here are several steps to do it
School of Motion LinkedIn profile
https://www.linkedin.com/school/school-of-motion/
Learning
There's a lot of learning over the internet. And education from Lynda may be not so advanced, but time by time you can have an access for free for some materials, that can add some skills into your arsenal. And what's good is that you receive a certificates of accomplishment. Which will be working again for your profile for years. Marketing, Communication, Coding, AI, App Development. It can help for some motion designers to understand some basics of the sphere you may be involved into. And later it will be much more comfortable to use it in a creative work, just to understand other people who you probably chatting with in your work.
Latest Jobs
LinkedIn usually a place for latest jobs so you can have an opportunity to catch job if you will be really fast. Early chat with a recruiter may help you acquire a job of your dream. But don't be overoptimistic. They're usualy tried many variants and here on LinkedIn is already a place to find someone really decent. It will be needed to surprise somehow and preparation is you best option. After many tries you'll be able to discuss professionaly anything about your new position. Be better each time and one day you'll be above everyone for them. Wish you luck!
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