Understanding Endorsements on LinkedIn

LinkedIn has a cool new feature that is being used by many. Maybe this use is because of it's visibility, often being the first thing you see on a profile.

Endorsements allow you to easily recognise skills and expertise of your network. In a click you can endorse your connections for a skill they've listed on their profile or recommend one they haven't added yet.
It is great to pay it forward and endorse your colleagues, but be sure only to use for those you do actually endorse. This sounds obvious, but don't be too nice and endorse someone's skills when you haven't seen evidence of the skill.

Having an endorsement from an industry leader or decision maker can be a powerful marketing add-on tool to your profile. If you are a leader yourself, endorsing someone gives them a stamp of approval and adds credibility if done for the right reasons.

By endorsing someone you may be asked about them and what you endorsed them for, so be sure you can back it up.

How to endorse your connections:
At the top of a connection's profile, you'll see recommended endorsements for them. You can endorse on the suggested skills, which come from their profile, or suggest additional skills.
When you endorse someone they receive a notification. Same applies if someone endorses you.
It is an easier faster process than writing a recommendation for a connection. These still have a place and are highly valuable because they are specific and show someone has taken the time to put some words together about you.

With the feature prompting your network to endorse you, is it time to revisit the skills you have listed and revamp them?

Are your current skills listed? Does the list actually include skills or are they more like qualities?
Use the skills area to list things you want to be known for - things that are part of your brand, your business offering or skill set as an employee.

What words are being suggested to your network for endorsement? are these words a good representation of your brand and actual skills? Do you want to be endorsed for being 'open minded', 'emotional' or 'average' as in some examples we have seen?

Schedule a profile review this week. Ensure your keywords are being used throughout your profile, including in your skills.

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