There are a few simple things you can do to really STAND OUT from the crowd on LinkedIn.
Let me share some QUICK TIPS to give your profile the edge:
Add a background image to your profile - Simple yet effective.
Adds colour, energy and interest to your profile page. Make sure you use the size guidelines (1,584 x 396 px) - This ensures the image fits and looks good.
High resolution back ground image | Decent head-shot | Headline which clearly states what I do
REVIEW YOUR HEADLINE
Make sure your headline reflects what you deliver. Differentiate yourself from your competition. There are 660+ million users on LinkedIn so don’t just have “Sales Manager”, “Operations Manager” or “Accountant” . Think about incorporating your industry, location or what you you promise to deliver for the client.
Sell yourself, set yourself apart from others.
THE SUMMARY SECTION IS GOLD
Over 80% of users view LinkedIn on a mobile device. On top of that, people are time poor. So you have need to grab their attention quickly, people scroll fast and move on.
Given how busy everyone is, you need to have the most important content visible in the first window pane of a mobile / iPad - The Summary Section (About Section).
This is where you need to clearly articulate what you do, who you serve and how you help solve customer problems.
Make sure you include relevant SEO words in the summary section.
Make sure you include a clear “Call to Action” - website details, email address, phone number
Add Rich Media Files to your Summary
One of the most under-used features on LinkedIn is the ability to add rich media content to your profile. Rich content can be samples of your work and what you do, either through links to content or websites, or through uploaded files, like PDFs, videos or presentations.
Adding relevant links and content adds a whole new element to your LinkedIn profile - colour, interst, energy and vibrancy. This is an opportunity to showcase your work and demonstrate your expertise.
Slice & Dice Your Content
If you or your brand create content make sure you slice and dice it.
Your blog posts should sit on your website, be published as LinkedIn articles (attached to your profile page), used in eNewsletters and more. Remember, once you publish on LinkedIn, your articles stick with your profile - Again, demonstrating your area of expertise - proof points.
My LinkedIn articles (attached to my LinkedIn profile page) - further proof points that I am a LinkedIn expert and can help with developing and implementing LinkedIn strategies.
These are just a few tips on how to make your profile shine. Review your LinkedIn profile today