We don’t want to approach LinkedIn with a sales approach mindset. It is a place to build up your networking and business connections. LinkedIn allows you to both attract prospective clients and then as you nurture the connections to convince them that you are the real estate expert they’ve been searching for.

One way to increase your credibility on LinkedIn is by showcasing your expertise in a natural, informative way. This leads to increasing your credibility as a market expert. Articles, discussions and sharing market stats work great to set you up as a market leader.

1. Create a personal LinkedIn URL to increase your credibility

Don’t settle for a generic profile number that’s impossible to remember; Create a personalized URL that represents your brand and is easy to remember. Put it on your business cards and in your email signatures.

2. Splurge on a professional photo shoot to increase your credibility

Make your profile page work for you. Get a professional head shot taken. Preferably in a few different styles or poses so you can use them on multiple platforms. If you can afford a full-on photo shoot, choose the best shots. Then make good use of them in all your branded graphics, including your social media headers.

3. Brand your profile with a custom banner image to increase your credibility

It’s the little details that count when it comes to optimizing your LinkedIn profile. As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words,”. You could hire a graphic designer to design your branded LinkedIn banner to clearly relay your message or you can also use a program called www.canva.com to design one yourself. Make it attractive and show that you are a real estate professional. One of my clients uses his latest listing in the header of all of his platforms.

4. Publish regular content to increase your credibility

You need to be active on LinkedIn for people to recognize you. You need to publish informative content for people to remember you. It doesn’t need to be a 1,000-word manifesto; social media users have extremely short attention spans.

Simply publish a Top 10 list or throw out some helpful daily tips.

Record a 1-2 minute video series with these tips. You’ll get noticed faster, simply because few people use video on LinkedIn. Forget about the funny cat pictures or silly memes; this is a professional space so save those posts for less formal Facebook. The key points here are to post daily and to be informative in your content.

5. Be active in groups to increase your credibility

Joining groups has a two-fold benefit: you will meet prospects and learn about their needs. Your prospects will see that you’re an active participant in your industry when they see your group listings on your profile.

Being active doesn’t mean blasting your sales message on a daily basis; this will get you kicked out and banned from most groups.

Instead, show a real interest in the other members. Answer questions, take a poll to learn about their needs, or simply post information they need. Let the conversations flow naturally in your groups. Instead of worrying about sales or getting this prospect into your sales funnel. The more active you are, the more people will recognize your name.

Spend 80% of your time on content and interaction. Provide value with your expertise.

Paying attention to small details on your profile can help build your credibility. So will participating in groups and by publishing content on a regular basis. When people recognize your name as a regular, they will check out your profile. A possible business relationship can blossom from there.

I really enjoy the professional setting LinkedIn offers. It is my favorite social platform and has been an incredible networking tool for me in my business. Set a goal to spend 20 minutes a day in LinkedIn to try some of these tips to make it work for you.