Of all the social media platforms, is there any better place to build your brand and online presence than LinkedIn? This platform has grown to ‘record levels of engagement’ and boasts over 740 million LinkedIn users.
For those who put time and effort into their optimizing their LinkedIn professional profile and follow-up with consistent engagement activities, this translates into boundless opportunities to build relationships.
Keep in mind, your LinkedIn profile is keeping you in the shadows if you created an account but didn’t:
* Finish setting up your professional profile.
* Include a profile picture (profiles with professional headshots receive ~14x more profile views).
* Optimize your profile by integrating keywords in your headline + summary sections.
* Create or share engaging content.
The time and effort you put into fixing your profile will return to you many times over as it will help you step out from the shadows by raising your visibility.
Complete Your Profile
LinkedIn is considered the professional platform and your profile serves as your face in the business world. 72% percent of recruiters report using or planning to use LinkedIn in their recruitment efforts; therefore, your profile needs to show who you are and what you do as clearly as possible.
Think of the components of your LinkedIn professional profile as a funnel that fills a bucket with opportunity. When one component is missing, it creates a hole in the bucket.
Review your profile to ensure each section is complete and that it serves as a link to your brand story from your resume. Your completed profile should give the reader a bird’s eye view of who you are and how you can contribute to their organization.
Your Headline:
This is your elevator pitch. Write as clearly and concisely as possible so people will understand what you do and want to click through to learn more about you.
Your Summary:
Use this space to share details of your business philosophy, leadership style, milestones + success stories. This is less formal than and complements your resume. Include a call-to-action at the end of your summary so people will go to the right place to start a conversation with you.
Your Photo:
Use a quality photo of ONLY you (not a group shot) with a plain background.
Use a high-resolution current photo that is a solo shot of you. Your profile photo is an opportunity for you to project your personal brand.
Review your photo through the eyes of your target audience. Do you find that your photo projects a likeable, friendly, confident image? Or does it convey someone who is standoffish? Is the background inviting or distracting? What does your attire say about you?
Your Location:
Choose your location from a drop-down menu.
Upload a Quality Photo
Keywords Help Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for Searches
Even if you are not currently searching for a new role, leveraging the power of LinkedIn to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry is a smart move. In either case, a profile optimized with keywords will make you easier to find!
- Review your headline to make sure you have included keywords relevant to your role / industry.
- Integrate keywords throughout your summary along with high-quality media,
- Draw attention to milestones and achievements using bullet-points to highlight your most relevant career stories.
- Enter your present and 2 past positions, staying aware of keywords and phrases as you enter your information.
LinkedIn searches are similar to applicant tracking systems (ATS).
Engage + Breakthrough the Noise with Content
Now that you’ve completed and optimized your LinkedIn professional profile, it is time to grow your network by engaging with others. Content + engagement are key components of building your presence on LinkedIn.
- Search for groups + people that share your passion and follow them.
- Read their posts / articles.
- Leave a comment.
Post your own articles.
- Attach an image to drive attention.
- Use relevant hashtags.
- Ask a question to further engagement.
Join Groups.
- Find business groups that will help you strengthen connections with individuals who share common goals, industry affiliations, skills, and experiences.
If you’re missing any of the above, you will want to set aside a few minutes in your schedule to implement changes to strengthen your profile and step out from the shadows. By doing so you will open the door to more opportunities.
I’d love to learn how Resume Assassin can help you meet your career goals. Reach out today! www.resumeassassin.com or mary@resumeassassin.com
Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mary-southern