I’m sure you’ve heard about the recent acquisition of Microsoft for $26.2 billion. This may seem like a staggering amount, but given the fact the company they acquired is the largest professional social networking site, Microsoft was more than happy to pay the sum.
Yes, I’m talking about LinkedIn , which currently has over 475 million professional users around the globe, and Active Monthly Users of 106 million!
In other words, it has gained its reputation as the ‘go to’ social network for professionals who could be looking for new jobs, professional connections, business leads, mentorships, human resources to hire or to market, and promote their brands and products via messages, blogs, campaigns or sponsored content.
Whichever is your preferred need, LinkedIn is definitely worth paying attention to, as every second, two new people sign in as new members, to be a part of this professionally engaged tribe.
And for those of you who are ‘sticklers’ for conversion metrics, LinkedIn is said to have 3 times better conversion rates compared to Facebook or Twitter. Now, having said that, let’s jump right into exploring some nifty tips to help you create a ‘killer’ LinkedIn profile to maximise your impact:
However, make sure your picture is a good professional head shot of you, rather than one showing you wearing a pair of sunglasses engaged in an outdoor activity. ‘Pictures do paint a thousand words’, professionals who visit your profile page will immediately start making assumptions about your personality as soon as they see your profile picture.
A good professional head shot of you, smiling and dressed in professional attire will do wonders for you, as your profile pic (along with your professional headline), is an instant calling card for people to size you up, and determine if they have any interest in your profile, profession or your content.
Along with the picture, make sure your contact information and headline is updated and current. Treat your headline as a quick ’10 word value proposition’, which is rich and catchy, with key words surrounding your interests and profession.
Here’s an example below from SlideShare, which you can learn from when putting up your picture, crafting a headline and contact info, for your profile:
Though people briefly look into your profile pic and headline to assess you, the Summary section is the first to get an in depth examination.
If you put in the effort to craft a great Summary, it will entice the visitors to read further into your experiences and achievements. Summaries are like short resumes, only it is not focused on specific skills or for any particular job positions. Rather, it should portray the professional essence that encompasses all possible job positions or interests that a candidate wishes to be considered in.
Summary is the chance to tell your ‘story’, and intrigue the readers to want for more. You can always break it into four parts, such as; start off with a catchy line that lists your previous and current experiences, but not too much in detail.
The second could be of your education, certification/s, or any awards you’ve received. The third could be of your soft skills such as languages and finally a line that says ‘speciality’ or ‘Keywords’, that lists your industries, key skills, softwares and technologies you have experience in. A neat way to turn up in search results when hiring managers or professionals look for professionals to connect.
An example below is the summary of Alison Doyle from The Balance:
Here’s another quick template to help you craft a compelling Summary:
3. Experience
This section is where you go much deeper with your specific job roles, skills and expertise. Make sure this is updated at all times, as it is closest thing to an online resume which the employers or professionals in your network would like to skim through.
Here you can list your experiences (current and past roles) with the latest being the first in order, just like you would in a Resume. You can go into more detail here, but always refrain from word choices that sound too clichéd, such as utilise, optimise, cutting-edge, team player, etc.
It’s crucial your past experiences reflect on what you’re currently doing. A well-crafted order of chronological skills and experiences built up on each other to showcase your expertise on your chosen niche, will make it more interesting and appealing to the readers.
The experience should speak to the prospects or the audiences more as a ‘client facing’ story, rather than a boring resume. The professionals visiting your profile should be immediately able to understand the expertise you possess, the products/services you offer and the key audiences in your niche.
An example below illustrates the points further:
Though it may seem to talk about you, your experience should be able to convey what you can do for your ideal audience, and how you are unique and better at what you do.
This section is more about giving out further proof that you are what you say in your profile, i.e. other professionals in your network substantiate or endorse for the skills and expertise you have claimed in your profile.
This is something you need to reach out and ask for yourself, as it’s not naturally given. Most of previous employers and customers will be happy to endorse you or speak on your behalf when you approach them. Also, you can always offer your endorsement to them as a return for the favour.
The key is to be authentic and work with those people whom you’ve shared the experiences with, and made good impressions with. Associating with individuals whom you haven’t done any business with, just for the sake of stacking up the endorsement list, is only going to backfire and tarnish your online image.
Here’s an example of how you can add endorsements and recommendations to your profile:
To Sum It Up…
LinkedIn today stands as the top professional social networking platform, and no matter which stage you are in your career, joining LinkedIn and building a strong LinkedIn profile will allow you to discover new opportunities and find the right network for your professional growth.
If you'd like further assistance or would like to discuss anything covered today, we'd love to hear from you.
Call Andy Fox (me) on (03) 5249 5570 or email andy@element7digital.com.au
Our Website is element7digital.com.au
