What do people want to see in LinkedIn?
If you look at the majority of LinkedIn profiles what do you see … a resume … packed with “historical information” – past roles, achievements education etc that never changes. Ok, there’s some merit to some of this, but think about why you’ve taken the time & effort to complete your LinkedIn profile in the first instance. For most people it’s not to “document the past”, but to stand out, look great, & BE FOUND to help success.
I love the way a past colleague describes LinkedIn as a “Flashing Digital Message board”. A digital message board is constantly changing, & providing fresh & relevant news & information to its audience. A “Stand out” linkedIn profile needs to do the same.
So, here are a few tips to make your LinkedIn profile Look Great and stand out from the crowd:
- Understand your Goals
Perhaps most importantly what is the purpose of your LinkedIn profile and the goals for being on this excellent networking tool - Look Great
On LinkedIn, a photograph is important … Be sure to get a professional headshot for your LinkedIn profile. It’s money well spent … - Know Your Branding
The Professional Headline area on LinkedIn (just under your name) allows for 120 characters … use them wisely to cover:
the title that best describes what you do
your brand statement
and the industries that your interested in.
This area is high in search engine optimisation … - Be Aspirational
In your 2000 character Summary area, make sure that there are at least 50 keywords. In the Summary let people know what you desire, what your goals are and what you have accomplished. - Summarize Achievements in the Experience Section
Don’t just copy and paste your resume into the Experience area. Look at your accomplishments and rank them based on what you want to do in the future. - Highlight Successes
There are many new areas on LinkedIn where you can display your experience such as Volunteer, Honors and Awards, Publications, Organizations, Certifications, Courses and other sections of your profile. - Show What you do & have done
In the “media-rich” formatting area in the LinkedIn Summary, Experience and Education sections, you can add links, videos, Presentations, PDFs or photos. - Highlight Your Skills
The Skills and Endorsements area is important on LinkedIn.
You can add up to 50 skills. Make sure that the top 10 listed skills slots are the one’s that have the most endorsements. You can move these around by clicking ‘Manage skills’ and then clicking on the skill and dragging it to a new position.
Speak to us today if your looking to change your Digital Marketing focus to drive real growth & improvments in customer engagement.
Author Derek Findlayson
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