A few years back my mom said, I thought I taught you that bragging is not nice! I Screen Shot 2017-08-04 at 4.48.22 PMlooked at your LinkedIn thing, and you’re tooting your horn all over the place.

Well, there definitely is a fine line between being real and authentic on your LinkedIn profile and appearing boastful or pretentious. However, it’s extremely important to clearly show people why you are expert at what you do and share valuable information with your network.

As a guy who looks at probably a hundred profiles each week, I can definitively tell you that most people are not displaying and sharing enough information, and this puts them at a distinct disadvantage when someone is comparing them to others in the same or similar position.

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Best ways to use LinkedIn to display and share your expertise

If you need to beef up your profile and boost your presence on LinkedIn, here are seven simple ways to accomplish that without getting scolded by your mom.

1.  Recommendations. It does take time to secure recommendations, but it will be worth the effort, because nothing is better than someone else saying you’re the best. It will differentiate you from others when people are comparing you to your competitors, and you’ll undoubtedly receive lots of positive comments about the quality of your recommendations—which should lead to new business.

2.  Skills and related endorsements. Even though this feature has caused a lot of confusion (and rightly so), it still has great value. You can display what you’re expert at, and, if done correctly, it will help you get to the top of the list when people are looking for your products, services, and expertise.

Screen Shot 2017-08-01 at 10.19.58 AM3.  Adding media (available in the Summary, Experience and Education sections of your profile). These are great places to display or link to documents (Word, Excel and pdf), video, Power Point presentations, blog entries, and photos that allow the readers to see for themselves the depth of your expertise.

4. Separate job experience entry for industry leadership position. If you hold or have held an office or position in an industry related association or organization, highlight that fact by adding an additional current or past job experience entry to your profile. Share specific details about your responsibilities. Also, if you’re a speaker at your association’s events or a contributor to their newsletter or blog, share that as well.

Screen Shot 2017-08-01 at 10.21.43 AM5.  Accomplishments profile sections. Don’t be bashful about adding these special profile sections and including details related to each entry. Remember—you’re the only one who is going to tell your story. Also, if you don’t list any accomplishments on your profile, people may assume you don’t have any accomplishments!

6.  Individual status updates. Because everyone in your network will not receive or read every status update you post, share your best resources regularly. This also gives Screen Shot 2017-08-01 at 10.24.10 AMpeople who are new to your network an opportunity to see your best stuff.

7.  Publish an article. This is the newest way to share your thought leadership. It’s like having your own blog, and your network is notified whenever you post an article. And because it stays on your profile, people will see your expertise on display whenever they visit your profile.

Don’t let your competitors get an advantage over you on LinkedIn. Be real and authentic as you proudly display who you are and what you have to offer—and hopefully your mom will say, That’s my awesome kid!