Social media is an amazing tool for the fitness professional or educator, most of us spend a great deal of time interacting with clients and potential clients via a range of social media platforms.  One of the platforms that is often underestimated is LinkedIn, this is a platform that I have had a great deal of success with in terms of attracting new business and additionally making new connections within the industry.  It is one that if you do not have a profile set up you really should consider it!

Here are my top tips on getting your LinkedIn profile up to speed!

1. Have a complete profile, one of the biggest things that make you keep skipping through profiles on LinkedIn is when you see an empty or nearly empty profile.  To keep people engaged in your profile it is vital that your profile is complete.  Profiles that are complete are much more likely to prompt connection requests and also facilitate networking. 
2. Use a professional image, as we all know many of the decisions as to if you should dig any further with a profile is decided by the initial glance at the profile image.  It is vital that the image reflects you as a professional and the industry you work in.  Take some time to choose a good image of yourself to use as a profile picture. 
3. Make sure your job roles are up to date, LinkedIn acts in some ways as an online resume.  As with a good resume, it is vital that all your job roles are listed and that any gaps in employment are explained.  This will help to showcase your experience and should detail your key responsibilities for each of your positions.
4. Network – follow industry experts, and by keeping an eye on their newsfeed you can stay ahead of industry news and developments.  One of the great things about LinkedIn is the fact that there are so many industry groups, there is a wide range covering areas of the fitness industry.  These groups are well worth joining and starting to network.
5. Get recognised – how LinkedIn works is based on the recognition of other professionals, they can endorse you for a set of given skills, and these then show up in your profile.  You can also get recommendations… basically testimonials from other LinkedIn members, this really helps to supercharge your profile.  There is no problem in asking people who you have worked with to endorse or recommend you.
6. Be active – like any community those who regularly post and interact tend to be more recognised.  It is important to get yourself out there and interact with others, link people into posts and get involved with groups.  I would also encourage people to start writing using the LinkedIn blog system, this is a really good way to supercharge your profile!

If you are not a current LinkedIn user I would say get out there and set up an account, this really is one of the most powerful business networks out there and if used correctly can reap benefits in terms of increasing your network size in a very short period of time.  LinkedIn really is the social network for business!