LinkedIn is a tool for self promotion. It gives you access to a HUGE network of contacts and it gives you the means to reach them, work with them and to be seen by them.
About 25 million LinkedIn profiles are viewed every day. The fact is that without a well-optimize profile, you won’t even have the opportunity to start building relationships with high-ticket prospects. Too many people have the misconception that LinkedIn is a place to “hang” their resume.
What makes your LinkedIn profile more than just a quick glance?
Your LinkedIn profile needs to stand out from every other entrepreneur who offers the same products and/or services you do, and who has the same degree as you do.
As an entrepreneur, you want to get noticed as an expert in your niche. One way to get noticed is by optimizing your profile in such a way that matches your brand and speaks to your ideal client. — not just move on to the next person in the line-up.
These are the four most important aspects of your LinkedIn profile
- Headline
- Headshot
- Summary
- Background
LinkedIn is a legitimate business tool with the following (very important ) facts:
It has 590 million users. ( Last updated: 12/6/18) It has 260 million monthly users. (Last updated: 12/6/18) 44% of its monthly users are active. (Last updated: 12/6/18) There are 2 new members per second!-
- LinkedIn is the #1 channel B2B marketers use to distribute content at 94%.
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- Of 500 million users, just 3 million users share content weekly.
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- LinkedIn makes up more than 50% of all social traffic to B2B websites & blogs.
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- 91% of marketing executives list LinkedIn as the top place to find quality content.
- 92% of B2B marketers include LinkedIn in their digital marketing mix.
- 44% of Linked users earn more than $75,000 in a year.
1) Let’s start with your Headshot
Your Profile is one of the ways potential clients, employees and industry partners can find you. Get your profile to appear higher in search results on the Web for your name by customizing your LinkedIn Profile URL so it’s your first name and your last name together as one word (i.e. GraceRuth). Also, make sure your LinkedIn Public Profile is visible to everyone.Profiles with a photo are 14 times more likely to be viewed.
Make sure your headshot up-to-date. (you don’t want to have a picture of you when you were back in high school). Your photo really should be a reflection of you. (please, don’t use a selfie as your profile picture).Please avoid making the following picture mistakes:
This is what your profile picture should reflect of you.
Your profile is like an online business card or résumé that showcases your experience, expertise, skills, past and present positions, and your certifications and degrees. You’ll want to use your personal profile to network with others and then connect your profile page to your company page.2) Professional Headline
Your LinkedIn headline is one of the most visible sections of your LinkedIn profile. It stretches across the top of your profile page, is attached to your newsfeed posts, and is displayed under your name in other users’ “People You May Know” sections. Your LinkedIn headline is key to making a positive impression and explaining exactly what you bring to the table. Many users have not considered implementing a strategy when it comes to writing their headline. They mistakenly believe that their headline must be the same as their current job title. This is what I call “over the counter name” For example: you see the box in this picture, it has a name “Cepacol Extra Strength” but this name does not tell me what it is for! If I remove the stick note from the lower left corner, it tells me: “Sore Throat”. This is the same when people have something similar to this: “Project Manager at ABC Company”. Using your current job title with nothing more will do very little to help you get found on LinkedIn. You can do so much more with 120 characters! It is your 120 character hook of opportunity to finding you in a LinkedIn search. It should be about what you do as opposed to what you are. It should be memorable and enticing enough for someone to click on your profile and not your competitors. LinkedIn headlines with brief titles such as “Bookkeeper,” “Account Executive,” or “Insurance Agent” don’t distinguish you from every other person with the same job description in a pool of half a billion LinkedIn users.Headline Examples
Whether you’re discreetly trying to attract your ideal clients or simply making sure your LinkedIn connections know what it is you do, your headline should expand upon LinkedIn’s default [job title] at [company]. Use the remaining characters for your most important hard skills, specializations, or goals. Here are four more examples of real optimized LinkedIn headlines. It’s important to have a clear idea of what message you want to convey in your summary. The following are a few questions that will help you determine just that.- Who is your ideal client? Who do you want to read your summary (and act on it)?
- What do you want them to learn about you? What do you want them to do?
- How do you want them to feel