LinkedIn is the largest online professional network, connecting the profiles of over 225 million people around the world. It has established itself as the go-to social network for job hunters, recruiters, companies and anyone interested in connecting with other professionals in their field. Using LinkedIn can help you establish your presence online and increase your stature as an expert in the dental field.
Here are a few ideas to help you gain meaningful engagement:
Reconnecting with colleagues.
Like all social media, LinkedIn is already used by people you know. By scanning your email contacts, professional associations and educational background, LinkedIn can help you reach out-of-touch colleagues. Networking online will expand your influence and help you stay up to date on current trends.
Recruiting associates and staff.
LinkedIn profiles include employment history and job skills. This can be a useful tool in searching for a candidate to fill an open position in your practice. It not only gives you the ability to search for those who might be actively looking for a job, but it also allows you to reach out to established professionals by offering them a new opportunity. Once you have completed your profile, you will also find that job hunters will occasionally search directly for you. Reaching out to people you do not know on LinkedIn requires a paid “pro” account and is limited to a certain number of connections per month, so you can trust that messages you receive on LinkedIn will generally be of higher quality than through your email or other social networks. Researching potential new hires on LinkedIn also helps you find candidates that are more tech savvy and serious about their job search.
Join Professional Groups.
LinkedIn’s Groups allow you to search for topics of relevance to your practice and join groups to help you stay on top of news and trends within dentistry. Groups can also be educational, helping you learn more about ancillary subjects that you want to know as a practice owner or manager. For example, Smile Savvy maintains a group that focuses solely on Internet Marketing for dentists. We publish free information that helps dentists with their online presence, we would love to have you join! Maintaining a group helps Smile Savvy establish our company as experts, provide useful training tools to the dental community and connect with prospective clients. You might also consider starting your own group if you feel that you have knowledge that would be beneficial to others.
Want more ideas on how to take your social media presence to the next level? Read our blog!
