Photo credit: Souvik Banerjee
Earlier in the week, the upbeat and inspiring Jay-Anne Dingwall invited me to speak at her weekly Tuesday LinkedIn audio event and offer some top tips for brushing up your LinkedIn profile.
It has to be more than a list of your achievements; think of it as your personal landing page with a headline geared to attract eyeballs. Whether straight up and down or quirky, it must keep them scrolling and reading.
So here are a few tips to help you create something that speaks about you and your achievements
- YOUR PICTURE – Select a great profile picture that is current and reflects who you are.
- DETAILS – Add your pronouns, if that’s important to you and choose a background picture that has relevance to your business/company/or service you offer.
- MAKE IT STAND OUT – Create a strong headline, tailor it to your audience, include your USP, and make it reflect you or your business.
- LOSE THEM! – Buzzwords. Lose them as they’re overused and people tune out if they keep seeing them.
- IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU – In the About section, tell your story. Make it about you and more than just a summary of your career history/achievements. Write in the first person/active voice.
- CERTIFICATES – Don’t forget to list any certifications or awards you have in the relevant section.
- WHAT DO YOU OFFER? – Update your Services section regularly, particularly if you change jobs/start your own business and want to showcase your new skills/abilities.
- GET FOUND – Remember to keep your contact information and location up to date.
- YOUR URL – Get a custom URL with your full name/business name. Mine is https://www.linkedin.com/in/marywardellgreywingcreations/ This makes it easier for people to find you.
- GET SWITCHED ON – Check your Profile is switched to Public.
- BE THERE! – Show up regularly and comment on others’ posts.
- BE INTERESTING – Share content that is helpful/beneficial to the audience you wish to engage with and post new content that brings value to your readers and showcases your skills at the same time.
- FOLLOW YOUR INTERESTS – Follow people whose content interests you and find/follow people who have similar interests, even if they don’t directly align with your job or sector. Having a broad interest base can help boost your profile.
- ASK FOR RECOMMENDATIONS! – There is nothing more powerful than having personal recommendations from people you have directly worked with or worked with on a project.
- PERSONALISE SPECIAL CONNECTION REQUESTS – Create a customised connection request, giving a snapshot of who you are, what you do, and why this connection matters to you.
- CURATE YOUR NETWORK – Update it regularly so that it clearly reflects who you are now and your current role/skills, and weed out any connections that are inactive or no longer relevant.
- BE VISIBLE – Finally, keep showing up, keep commenting, and keep posting! Then you are more likely to build a powerful community on LinkedIn and increase your opportunities for valuable connections and work opportunities.
See you there!
