After posting on LinkedIn for years (successfully and sometimes not so successfully) I’ve learned some important tips on how to stand out in a sea of sameness and vanilla posts that people just scroll right past.

It’s all about being humble, helpful, human, personable and relatable, and providing value to others without expecting anything in return. That’s really it.

By opening up on LinkedIn (while still being professional of course), you can enhance your online ‘relationships’ like you do your real ones.

It’s also about sharing helpful content. Don’t use solely social media to self-promote.

Don’t use social media just promote yourself or your company.

Instead, use blogs, white papers or infographics and webinars to amplify your brand and subject matter authority.

Also, ensure you’re not posting too much about your company and how great it is. Always think about your audience and serving them.

Make sure some of your posts are designed to just connect with your audience. Not everything you post on social media needs to generate leads.

Oftentimes the content that resonates the most with your clients and employees is where you show your softer side. Include posts that highlight your community service, pro bono and volunteer initiatives as well as showcase your employees and company culture.

Do an audit every quarter of your social feeds to make sure that the content isn’t just broadcasting updates and information about your organization. Make sure your audience is front and center in the messaging of your posts.

And don’t forget about using social media for recruiting marketing especially in this ultra-competitive talent market.

If you’re looking for tips on how to grow your network and presence on Linkedin, here are some ideas.

What else would you add to this list?