It is worrying to read that over 12 million people, and a million small businesses in the UK, don’t have the skills to prosper in the digital era, according to the charity Go.On UK. It has produced what it calls a ‘digital exclusion heat map,’ pinpointing the areas where people are most likely to miss out on the digital revolution. The government’s former digital advisor Baroness Martha Lane Fox is warning of a threat to economic growth, productivity and social mobility if we don’t close that skills gap soon.

If you look at Wales for example, the heat map shows that over a third of the population do not have the five basic digital skills as defined by the charity. But London, Scotland and East Anglia, come top of the league with over 80% of people having such skills.

The map also shows that men are less likely to be digitally disadvantaged than women, with 80% having the necessary skills as compared to 74% of women.

So just what are these five skills, without which we are unfit for the digital future? If you can manage information, communicate, make payments, solve problems, and create stuff online then you are ok.  

So having heard about this digital skills gap, and for the purposes of today’s blog, I want to really share 5 top tips to help business owners get the most out of their professional online network, but especially on LinkedIn.

Here are our 5 Top Tips to get the most out of your LinkedIn network:-

1.Be clear and upfront

When filling out your company’s profile, be sure to say exactly what your company is, who your clients are and how you help them.

The idea is to make it as quick and easy for customers to know – right up front – what you offer and why they should contact you.

And be sure that your profile headline and photo reflect your company and project professionalism.

2.Share interesting, engaging information

One way to boost engagement among your connections is to get them taking about relevant and timely news in your industry.

You can do this by sharing links to interesting sites and asking questions about the posts you share.  

3.Create and participate in groups

Not only can creating and maintaining a group of your own provide you with a level of credibility, it can also allow you to expand your network to reach targeted and influential individuals in your field.

Research topics of interest within your industry and choose the top two or three as the basis for your group.

4.Send targeted messages

Accessible from a LinkedIn Company Page ‘Targeted Status Updates’ can be an effective way for business owners to tailor the content in their status updates t specific types of company followers.

This helps to ensure the right people are reading the most relevant messages from you at the tight time.

5.Optimise your profile for search

With hundreds of millions of people searching LinkedIn, you want your company’s profile to stand out.

When crafting your profile language, be sure to include keywords that are related to your company’s business and industry to help improve the chances of your name appearing in LinkedIn’s internal search results.

Think of these keywords as the words a potential client would type in when searching LinkedIn.

Or for more Top Tips on getting the most out of your LinkedIn network, visit the Creativedge ‘Top 10 Tips’ mobile App available for iPhone and Android smartphones:-

Appstore – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/top-10-tips/id796349890?mt=8

Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.elixsoft.creativedge.top10