LinkedIn is considered one of the major four social networking sites in the world. With over 800 million members and over 57 million companies listed on the site, being on LinkedIn is essential if you want to be found by other professionals.
Depending on your needs, ensuring that you have a quality LinkedIn profile can help you grow your business, stand out from the crowd as a potential job candidate, or connect you with others to further expand and grow your team.
On the flip side, a poor quality LinkedIn profile can hinder your chances and keep you from finding or receiving great opportunities. But no need to worry. If you apply the 5 quick fixes below, you’ll be attracting visitors in no time.
1. Make sure that your profile photo is up to date
A recent, professional-looking photo is ideal for your LinkedIn profile. Preferably a high-resolution photo void of a busy or distracting background and where your face takes up about 60 percent of the frame. It’s also important that you wear what you’d typically wear to work and that you are the only person in the photo. Last but not least, don’t forget to smile!
2. Include a unique headline
Every Linkedin profile allows you to customize your headline, believe it or not. Most people just leave it set to the default, however, listing their current position and/or company. This is valuable real estate that you won’t want to waste. It’s the first thing people read about you when they land on your profile, so make it unique and interesting.
3. Don’t be shy to ask for recommendations
LinkedIn’s unique recommendations and endorsements features are some of the easiest ways to build personal social proof. So don’t be shy and miss out on the opportunity to ask your connections for a recommendation or two. Not everyone will be willing to give you one, but it’s worth a shot to ask anyway. The worst they can say is no.
Public testimonials speak volumes, not to mention, they look great on your LinkedIn profile. They also let people know that you are a pleasant person to work with. When people respond to your request and give you a glowing recommendation, you can give them one back to say thanks.
4. Provide value to your network
If your business produces a lot of content, share the most helpful and insightful pieces with your network every now and then on your personal profile. This will get you noticed in the newsfeed and help you to stand out as someone who provides value.
Don’t be afraid to share content from others that you find interesting or inspiring too. When you consistently share posts that provide value, you make way for starting a discussion and help strengthen your brand, whether personal or professional.
This becomes even more powerful when you write and share original content as it establishes you as a thought leader in your niche and encourages conversation. The more you publish original content, the more top of mind you’ll become among your network.
5. Make your about section interesting
The about section of your profile shouldn’t be dull and read like a boring list of jobs and past achievements, rather it should read like a story that helps bring your skills to life. It should show why your experiences made you the person you are today as well as give connections a better understanding of who you are, what motivates you and what your goals are.
Avoid jargon and other meaningless buzz words such as passionate, innovative, leadership, results-driven, etc when writing your about section. These words have been overused and don’t really say much about the details of your professional life. Rather commit the time to write an engaging and unique summary that includes details that are more specific to you. Your audience will appreciate this more, trust us.
Unlock your LinkedIn profile’s potential
As with any social media platform, LinkedIn requires some ongoing effort from your side if you hope to use it as a tool to grow either your professional or personal brand. Sprucing up your profile ensures that you make a good first impression with new connections. Taking some time to polish up your profile now will pay big dividends later on.
