Most busy executives are on LinkedIn these days, but very few are using it as part of their career management strategy to boost their public profile.  Executive recruiters and hiring managers look for successful candidates that are thought leaders and have a visible presence. Traditional strategies to become more visible include speaking engagements, publications, press coverage and social or philanthropic activities. However, as nearly 90% of search consultants and employers reported using online search methods for finding talent in 2012, it is critical to include online strategies to expand your visibility, such as having a web presence and being active on social media. If you want to expand your public presence through online strategies, just being on LinkedIn or Facebook is not enough if you are not proactively using these as executive job search tools to get your name out there.
 
LinkedIn's most powerful and underutilized tool:
Discussion groups are a simple way for even the busiest executive to increase his or her visibility and brand presence. If you are willing to commit just 15 minutes a day, you will see how this strategy can expand your online presence, while also increasing your network.
 
So how do you optimize the strategy? Simply join one or more groups where you are most likely to find other thought leaders within your industry. Commit 15 minutes per day to spending time reviewing the discussion threads, but more importantly, take the initiative to respond to discussion points and start new discussions on topics of interest that reference subjects where you can share your expertise. Each time you share information or respond, even to "like" a discussion point, your name and branding statement or title is blast to your network. With repeated interaction, your network gets the perception that you are clearly an expert in your field. To be sure your messages are perceived by your network, be sure your privacy setting for "activity broadcasts" is turned on and that you reach out to include in your network the people who can best help you. This would include executive search consultants and high level executives at the companies you are interested in and that would see your experience as complementary to their organization.
 
Update your LinkedIn activity status:
Another strategy to enhance your visibility on LinkedIn is to update your activity field on a regular basis. When you attend a workshop or are delivering a presentation, post it to your network in the activity section at the top of your profile, then "share" it with your network.
 
Share relevant articles on LinkedIn and other social media sites:
An excellent complementary activity is to go to blogs or articles shared by individuals within LinkedIn group discussions. When you go there, share the article with your LinkedIn network, as well as on Facebook and Twitter for even more exposure. By sharing information, you associate yourself with a particular industry and/or area of expertise and you increase your likelihood of being "found" by executive recruiters or hiring managers who are looking for a successful candidate or thought leader within your field.
 
All of these strategies are excellent ways to increase your public visibility and demonstrate your value to those in your network, as well as executive recruiters and hiring managers that are always looking for fresh talent and seasoned industry executives. By using LinkedIn consistently, you will reinforce your unique value proposition and provide an opportunity for your network to easily view your branded summary, credentials, endorsements and recommendations which will position you to land your ideal executive career position.

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This article was written by Julianne Franke, career coach with BlueSteps Executive Career Services (BECS). Julianne is an Executive Coach and Master Resume Writer with 17+ years of experience in executive career management. In addition to her executive coaching practice, Julianne has facilitated successful career transitions of international candidates and expats/repats both inbound to the US and outbound in Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia (Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore). Julianne's experience includes training and mentoring career coaches in the US as well as internationally. Her credentials include certifications in executive coaching, leadership development, life and career coaching, life blueprint discovery, job search strategy, social media and online identity, personal branding, and executive resume writing. Her resumes have been featured in major industry publications.