Jill Kurtz, Owner, Kurtz Digital StrategyLinkedIn may seem like the network that never changes, but features are added all the time. Here are some opportunities you should consider.

Hashtags

LinkedIn hashtags are a relatively new. You can use them on your summary, updates, articles, company pages. You can also can add them when commenting. Hashtags connect you to related people and content.

URLs

LinkedIn doesn’t like when you add a url in a post, because they don’t want people to be tempted away from LinkedIn to other sites. When you use a URL in a post, the reach will be reduced. However, if you add the link as the first comment beneath the post, you won’t get penalized.

Network

Don’t forget to build your network on LinkedIn. Send invitation requests to people you meet, people who comment on your posts, your connections on Facebook and other social media, etc. Continually build your network.Also pay attention to LinkedIn’s People you may know suggestions. It uses an algorithm to suggest people you may know based on common connections and other parameters.Be sure to add a note to every connection request to give the person a context for your request. LinkedIn always recommends this, but sometimes will shoot off your request without offering the option. No worries when this happens, but always add a note when you can.

Message Group Members

One of the major benefits of joining a LinkedIn group is that you can send messages to any fellow group member. You can send a maximum of 15 messages per month.

Tag Others

Tag connections and company pages whenever applicable in your posts. This makes your content instantly more interesting to a wider audience related to that person or company.

Profile Badge

Create your personal LinkedIn profile badge and add it to your email signature, blog and anywhere else it could get clicked. Click on ‘Edit your public profile’ and then ‘Create a public profile badge’ at the bottom right. Follow the directions.