Want to stand out on LinkedIn? Start with your profile!
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for connecting with a broad audience, attracting new customers and clients, and for simply getting discovered. Are you tapping into the potential? It is easier than you think, but it all starts with a standout profile.
Before we dive in, though, let’s clear up a common misperception. LinkedIn is not just for job seekers and recruiters. And your profile is not meant to be a regurgitation of your resume. Yes, it is a critical place to be if you are trying to land a new job, but for business owners, freelancers and independent contractors, LinkedIn is a serious marketing tool with a robust network to feed your pipeline.
When you look at it that way, you start to see why your profile is so important—it is your online calling card and at times may be the first place potential customers see you. At the very least, your profile lets people get to know you a little better, and when you start taking advantage of all the added features you can use to round out your profile, it becomes a powerful platform to establish and reinforce your personal brand.
If you are not already on LinkedIn, stop right here and read these Seven reasons why you should be on LinkedIn. It was written for job seekers, but holds true for anyone trying to grow their professional network.
Already on LinkedIn and ready to up your game, read on!
SIMPLE TIPS TO HELP YOUR PROFILE STAND OUT
Use a current professional headshot. If you don’t have the budget for a professional photo, at the very least have a friend take a picture of you – with good lighting and an appropriate background. You want a clear, friendly, and appropriately professional photo.
Customize the banner. This is valuable marketing real estate. Swap out the standard LinkedIn blue banner for something that you identify with or reinforces your brand.
Get a custom url, ideally linkedin.com/yourname. LinkedIn automatically assigns a url to your profile, but you don’t have to stick to this. You can use your name and create a custom url instead. Do this by clicking on the link on your profile to “Edit public profile & URL.” Then click “Edit” next to the URL, and enter what you’d like your address to be. Then click Set Custom URL.
Write a headline that succinctly tells people who and what you are. This does not need to be your job title or your company. It can be a summary statement about your expertise or specialty.
Showcase your services. Use this section (just below your headline) to list the services you offer. This will help you show up in searches and anyone who lands on your profile will see right away what you have to offer.
Complete the About section and make it personal. Use this space to share how you help others. Let people know what your passionate about in business, what drives you. This section doesn’t need to be very long, and bullet points can work well. Write it in the first person so it is clearly coming from you and have someone proofread before you post! Need some inspiration, check this out: 5 Templates that will make writing the perfect LinkedIn summary a breeze.
Highlight your accomplishments. Your LinkedIn profile offers a number of places and ways to do this. The most obvious is the Experience section. As you fill this out, don’t just list positions you’ve held. Call out your contributions and how you made a difference. You can also highlight your accomplishments by adding additional sections to your profile (see number 8).
Add and complete all the profile sections you can. LinkedIn gives you the option of adding sections to your profile—take advantage of these and complete each section as it is relevant to you. Start by clicking on the “Add Profile Section” just under the banner image. A drop down menu will appear with a variety of options.
Feature your work. Use the “Featured” section on your profile to share your work, posts, other media, websites, blogs, etc.
Ask for recommendations. LinkedIn makes it easy for people to give and ask for recommendations, which then appear on your profile. Don’t worry, you get to review and approve first. A good rule of thumb is to request one LinkedIn recommendation a month, but be strategic to highlight your different skills. To ask for a recommendation, simply click on the “Ask for a recommendation” link in your profile. Be sure to return the favor! These will also show up on your profile.
Manage your endorsements. The Skills & Endorsements section of your profile is a great place to highlight your areas of expertise, but you want to make sure what you want to stand out isn’t diluted with too many skills. You also want to make sure this section remains current and represents what you want to be known for.
Keep your profile current! It is all too easy to set it and forget it, but it is a good idea to go back every so often and review your profile with fresh eyes. You will likely see things that could stand to be updated or removed altogether. Plus, you may have new things to add!
Completing your profile and keeping it current is just the beginning to establishing your presence on LinkedIn. You also need to build your connections and be consistently active. This does not mean you have to jump in and start posting original content all the time.
Rather, take the time to read other’s posts and like, comment, share as you would on any other social platform. Share content from news or industry sources that are relevant to you or your customers. Tag people in your network who you think would be interested in the post. Join other groups relevant to your industry.
WHAT ABOUT A COMPANY PAGE?
You may also want to create a LinkedIn company page for your business. There are a lot of good reasons to do this and LinkedIn offers multiple resources and tutorials to help you. Here are a few resources for you to check out:
LinkedIn Page vs. Personal Page: What’s the Difference and When to Use Both
Liz Hatcher is a marketing consultant, copywriter, editor and content strategist.