These LinkedIn tips cover all the bases:

1. Enhance your profile.

If you’re new to LinkedIn, you can create a profile here. But don’t stop at just the basics:

• Fill out all required information, using keywords for targeted search—like [Your City] Realtor, [Your City] real estate agent, home selling, homebuying, and others.
• Upload a professional headshot as your profile image and a banner image showcasing recent awards, sales volume, special skills, or a CTA. (To brand your profiles, you can use the same cover image that you use on Facebook.)
• Optimize by adding videos: For agents who have an active YouTube channel, this is your chance to cross-post your content.

Take time to craft your profile headline. Your headshot and your headline, where you display your job title and elevator pitch, are considered the two most important parts of your profile. If you need inspiration from other industry leaders, here are several strong examples.

2. Customize your URL.

At the top right of your header image, you can click to edit your profile and LinkedIn URL. Customizing your URL is one of the easiest LinkedIn tips to cross off your list; it takes just a few minutes and can yield big dividends in enhancing your credibility. Ideally, it’s best to keep your custom URL short and sweet, including your first and last name, business name, or any relevant keywords.

3. Post plenty of content.

Remember, compared to other social platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn is likely to give you more engagement. This means your great content is less likely to go to waste:

• Start by filling out a monthly content calendar, which you can download here for free.
• Aim to post a wide variety of content—like local market insights with accompanying graphics, tip-driven blogs, free downloads, neighborhood tour videos, and upcoming open houses.
• Interestingly, native documents (PDFs directly uploaded to LinkedIn) generate five times the clicks of any other content.

How often should you be posting? Since posting guidelines frequently change, most social media marketing experts say it’s better to have consistency. Current recommendations suggest posting no more than once a weekday—about two to five times a week, or roughly 20 times a month.

Like these LinkedIn tips?

Reach out to your local Academy Loan Officer for social graphics you can share with your audience.

4. Make connections.

A list of LinkedIn tips wouldn’t be complete without a network-building strategy. Begin by searching for and connecting with warm leads and then branch out from there. Once you’ve exhausted your contacts, check out the "People Also Viewed” (PAV) sidebar on the right. (Note that PAV is found at the bottom of a profile on mobile.) This often-forgotten feature can help you find similar prospects to the profile you’re currently viewing.

5. Join groups.

Like Facebook, LinkedIn is filled with groups that allow for more intimate interactions. With a quick search, you might turn up groups on real estate networking, investing, referrals, luxury listings, and more—many boasting hundreds of thousands of members. If you’re looking for leads, it’s best to seek out local groups, like those for young professionals in [Your City/County].

6. Look into Sponsored Updates.

If it fits within your marketing budget, LinkedIn’s Sponsored Updates allow you to run native ads in your target audience’s feed. LinkedIn ad costs are tallied through a bidding system, so price could increase based on the number of other advertisers competing for the same segment. But generally, LinkedIn advertising may run you $33.80 per 1,000 impressions.

7. Jump on trending topics.

It’s always smart to stay ahead of the news and industry changes. Whether it’s the Federal Reserve announcing its latest rate hike or a viral meme that you’ve made your own: posting timely updates helps position you as an industry expert. If you’re pressed for time, a quick video recap can be a good way to break down the news; native videos on LinkedIn usually have higher engagement.

8. Review stats and make adjustments.

Testing and tracking, the backbone of any marketing strategy, round out our list of LinkedIn tips. Look at your ad reports and page analytics, see what’s working, and use this information to adjust your content calendar. This is when staying active is key. As you remain committed to connecting, posting, conversing, writing recommendations, and more, you lay the foundation for lead gen to happen organically.