I already have Facebook and Instagram; why do I need LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is a social network for professionals. It’s really useful for teachers and tutors, and not just those who teach professionals and are trying to reach more students there.
Your LinkedIn profile is a professional landing page. Schools and Tutoring companies should definitely look into creating a LinkedIn business profile, but even a personal page can be really useful.
As I mentioned, you can leverage your LinkedIn profile as a marketing tool to get more students directly, but it’s also useful in developing a professional network with other teachers. You can use these contacts to generate referrals, take advantage of the myriad courses and professional development webinars, and even just chat and make friends with like-minded people. No teacher is an island, and you never know where these connections might get you!
If you don’t already have an account, you can sign up here, and then follow these steps to get started:
Complete your profile
A more complete profile will actually increase your discoverability, so you’ll appear higher up in searches.Here are my tips for easily creating a great LinkedIn profile.
Add a professional, friendly profile photo
This should ideally be a head and shoulders shot. Make sure you’re smiling and your background is appropriate.
You can find more advice on taking a profile photo in this article.
Add some “about me” info
The About section of your profile should tell me who you are, what you do, and your career history. It's a good opportunity to show off your USP (unique selling point) and what makes you a good teacher.
Start connecting
Now it’s time to start connecting with people in your industry. You should start with friends or colleagues you actually know, and then work out from there. It’s a good idea to search for relevant contacts, be they fellow teachers or potential B2B clients, and send a few connection requests every day.
Engage!
While it’s nice to have lots of connections, the real value comes from engagement.
LinkedIn is a great place to post questions, polls, and articles that show off your area of expertise and encourage others to like, comment, and start a conversation.
