How to use LinkedIn to make connections in the industry
Initially, when you think about LinkedIn, you think of a rather corporate type environment where people share their stock exchange stories and such. In reality, LinkedIn is what you make it, and with the endless amount of connections available at a click of a button, why not push your content in front of the right people. Often, people underestimate the power LinkedIn has to connect you with some of the most influential people working behind the scenes in many large companies. LinkedIn is a hub full of people looking for their ideal match to propel their company and your career simultaneously.
Why LinkedIn?
LinkedIn has over 115 million monthly active users on its platform within communities of like-minded entrepreneurs, entertainers, and more. As an entertainer, you may forget that you yourself are a business as well. It’s always important to have connections with people in various fields as they can hold a position that can help you prosper, while you may also be beneficial to them. On LinkedIn, you can get in contact with other artists and within two clicks be on the page of recruiters for brands of all sizes. LinkedIn’s accessibility with getting you in front of the right crowd is one of the many admirable features it has. Even when you’re not using the platform, they use keywords from your page to put your work in front of the right people. LinkedIn will also give you notifications on how many people have viewed your page and when you upgrade to premium, they allow you to see everyone who has visited your page. This makes it easier for you to contact intrigued people all over the platform.
Setting Up
Setting up your LinkedIn profile for recruiters to view can be a tad overwhelming, but with the right tips, you can go on to put together a great profile. You should always make your profile picture visible rather than leaving it blank to make a good first impression. When you reach out to someone, it is advisable to let the other individual know who they are speaking to. Also, you may just be exactly who a brand is looking to collaborate with, but how will they know if you leave your profile picture blank? Remember, LinkedIn is what you make of it. In the music industry, you’re looking to sell your personality and content and with a different target field in mind, don’t worry about the business critics. With you being the entertainer and creator that you are, it is important to always show your unique identity to make a lasting impression. That’s also a way to bring attraction to your name, much like Cardi B. Next, make sure to fill out as many tabs as you can with important links, experiences, publications and projects. Remember to use keywords in order to appear in more search results. If you’ve been featured in a blog, commercial, or performed at shows, make sure to mention that too. After all, it can only benefit you. Your LinkedIn connections can contact you via LinkedIn direct message, but providing your email will help them to contact you directly, making the process of making contact that much easier. Making yourself an accessible contact will help you grow even more and connect with someone who would like to work with you.
Make Connections
Once you’ve set up your LinkedIn profile, it’s time to start connecting with people. On LinkedIn, don’t be shy to reach out to people, reach out to everyone you possibly can in fact. A simple message will only strengthen your relationship with a newfound connection. So who should be your first connection? You can always start out by connecting with some people from the past, however, don’t lose sight of the fact that you’re on the platform to make some new connections. An easy way to find useful connections is by joining like-minded groups. Let’s make the most of this social media platform and network in a beneficial manner. Along with looking for groups related to music lovers and musicians, you can head straight to searching for supervisors, music bookers, and more. Those will be the people who reach out to book you for opportunities within their brand. Once you’ve joined a group, you can post content there too and it will appear in front of the eyes of everyone in that group. Groups can consist of hundreds and even thousands of people that all share similar interests. Going to industry events will help you set apart your ideal crowd from the rest on LinkedIn. Not only should you search for bookers and supervisors, but also check out some journalists and bloggers. Building relationships with writers can be pivotal to your growth with press and more. Anyone who you see who has similar interests or interesting work is someone you should contact. There is no negative result that can come about from connecting with and contacting so many people. If anything, you just made an abundance of new connections that can be put to use in the future.
After setting up your profile and engaging with the community, you’ll soon find out that LinkedIn is a gem to connect people of all backgrounds together. Using the tips above, you can find connections through joining groups, messaging people, and more which will benefit you in the long run. One more platform to promote on will only spread your content more and with a sponsorship being just a few clicks and a message away, it can’t hurt to open an account.