For LinkedIn users, getting noticed might sometimes seem like trying to make yourself heard amid a cheering crowd of thousands.

There are ways you can cut through some of the noise while networking digitally. One way is through your status update feed.

A status update is a short note that updates people listed as your connections on what’s important to you right now. It could be a link to an article you’ve read or a video you watched recently.

Geoff Evans, founder of Social Media Coach in London, Ont., offers some suggestions on how you can stand out from the crowd on LinkedIn:

> Define your audience
As in any marketing effort, knowing your target audience is key. Understanding the interests of the people you are trying to appeal to will help determine which content you deem “sharable.”

For example, an article on oddsmakers’ predictions for the upcoming Super Bowl is not likely to generate as much interest among a financial advisor’s audience as a new research report on retirement planning.

> Diversify your content
Just as you would recommend that your clients diversify their portfolios, the same advice holds true with your LinkedIn status updates.

Your connections may be interested in content presented in a variety of forms. Try offering links to articles, blogs, videos, podcasts and infographics, to appeal to as many preferences as possible.

Also, when posting a link, be sure to include a title and a shortened URL, to present a clean look.

> Hone your “news sense”
Ever wanted to be a journalist? Here’s your chance. Develop your own test of “newsworthiness” for each item before you post it.

Evans suggests you subject each post to a series of test questions, such as:

  • “How is this relevant to my target market?”
  • “How does this reflect/benefit my practice?”
  • “Can others easily find this information elsewhere?”

Note that showing content others probably have not yet seen is a good way to show that you have your finger on the pulse of the industry.

> Pitch value, not products
Avoid using your LinkedIn updates as an avenue to constantly market products and services. Instead, Evans says, see it as “a way to create value and positive awareness.”

For example, constant streams of sales pitches on a particular insurance or investment product can make others perceive you as a “spammer.”

Instead, Evans says, “Focus on delivering value.” That means offering useful information that’s related to your services, such as retirement-saving tips.

> Join a group
People tend to log in to LinkedIn less often than other social networks, Evans says. One way to make up for that lowered activity level and maximize your engagement on the network is through LinkedIn Groups.

With more than one million groups to choose from, you should be able to find a platform on which you can contribute to existing conversations or start new ones.

Just be aware that, like your status update, a group is not a platform from which to sell products.