Are you using your LinkedIn profile merely as a digital resumé holder? That would be a waste of a powerful tool, according to Shauna Trainor, marketing manager with the Covenant Group in Toronto. Instead, develop a daily routine to engage with people who matter to your business.

Using 15 to 20 minutes of your day for these activities will help you build a following on the network and increase your exposure to centres of influence (COIs), clients, prospects and potential prospects.

Here are three essential steps to maintaining your daily LinkedIn presence:

1. Pay attention to LinkedIn updates
LinkedIn provides regular email notifications, informing you which of your connections are celebrating birthdays, work anniversaries or new jobs.

Make use of these notifications by contacting your connections to acknowledge the event, Trainor says.

Sending a quick message demonstrates that you are thinking of that person. It is especially important when it comes to communicating with clients or prospects, Trainor adds, because other advisors might be vying for their attention.

2. Engage with LinkedIn groups
A great way to connect with others on LinkedIn is by joining groups that cater to your industry and members of your target market. So, if you work with accountants, look for groups whose members are accountants and are discussing the issues that matter to them.

Also, consider becoming active in industry groups, such as the Advocis LinkedIn group, Trainor says, so you can raise your profile within your own professional community. When participating in group discussions, ask meaningful questions or make thought-provoking comments, Trainor says.

Your goal, she says, should be to encourage responses to your comments. For example, read the content and provide an opinion, followed by a request for others’ thoughts.

3. Share content
If you are an avid follower of news, there is always something to post on LinkedIn. Include the links to articles you have read that would interest members of your professional network.

Include a question or a comment with the link. You can go one step further and “tag” someone from your network in the post: when you type the “@” symbol followed by that person’s name, your connection is notified that he or she has been mentioned and may contribute to the dialogue.

This is a good way to engage someone if you feel this person has the expertise to contribute to a conversation regarding the content in question.

So, if you posted an article that informs readers on the necessary documents they must provide their accountants at tax time, refer to a trusted COI who is an accountant and ask if he or she has any additional suggestions. Keep in mind that tagging should usually be limited to COIs and professional contacts, Trainor says. Don’t put prospects on the spot.

Also, if you create your own content, such as blog posts, take advantage of LinkedIn Publisher. This tool allows you to publish long-form blog posts directly on the site, which are then accessible to your entire network.

“If you put it on Publisher,” Trainor says, “the reach is so much greater.”

This is the eighth instalment in an occasional series on using LinkedIn to promote your business.