Is your LinkedIn profile letting you down?
Are you not showing up in searches?
Does no-one actually view your profile?
Having a fully completed profile is the first step in building a solid presence on Linkedin. So you need to make sure your profile speaks to your prospects about the value you bring to the table and the benefits your prospects receive. As well as a clear way for them to take the next step in getting in touch with you outside of LinkedIn.
There are a couple of things we have to establish straight off the bat and that is you need to understand your prospect and get into their head. What are they searching for? and what questions are in their head as they search? You also need to understand your own product or service ie what’s your USP and what are the key challenges your product or service solves?
With all of this in mind lets get started:
Tip 1. Keywords write down a short list of terms or phrases ideally professions your prospects are searching for on LinkedIn, keep it short and focused, 5-10 keywords, these are terms you want to get found for in the search results.
Note: Search results in LinkedIn are personalised to the person searching. In the past you could flood your profile with keywords, now LinkedIn has introduced an algorithm factoring in the searcher’s activity, their location, the number of connections they have and the number of people in the search results. Results are shown only for those people who are within one’s network. The broader your network, the more people will be able to see your profile in their search results.
Tip 2. Profile Picture; You need to have a good quality head shot where you appear smiling and friendly, no selfies or furry cats. Cover photo can be a bit more personal reflecting interests, etc.
Tip 3. Name and Headline; Your name should contain only your name. Your headline, however, is the area your prospect will see first (highlighted in the red box below). It is also the most critical area for search rankings so take some time here. Make sure you use keywords that you think your prospect would search for, make it catchy and memorable. This is where you can use the benefits I talked about in the first couple of paragraphs.
Tip 4. Customise your url; change all those ugly numbers to your name and make it easier for people to find you (highlighted above with a red box).
Tip 5. Connect With At Least 501 People; LinkedIn will show how many connections you have until you hit 500. People like to connect with “connected” people.
Tip 6. Summary; The next critical area after your headline is your summary this is the place where you can tell your story, again highlight your differentiators. Engage your prospect with your experiences by telling them how you got into the business where you started and how you made it to where you are now. Talk to your prospects requirements. Research your competitor summaries and see what they are doing. Create social proof and build credibility with any quotes and testimonials. Don’t be afraid to add a video as well.
Tip 7. Call to action; Close your summary with a call to action give your prospect the ability to contact you directly. Think about what you want your prospect to do after they view your profile.
Tip 8. Reorder your sections; The list below seems to work best
- Summary
- Skills and Endorsements
- Experiences
- Volunteer
- Honors and Awards
- Publications
- Additional Info
- Recommendations
- Groups
We usually spend a lot of time with our clients profile to get it as close to perfect as possible. We research their market, their competition, we develop their ideal client along with other factors to create their LinkedIn profile. If you are interested in how a LinkedIn profile makeover can enhance your image email us at jmcgarry@webworks.ie
or find out more by claiming your spot on our FREE Webinar here!
even if you can’t make it on the night we can send you recording