Here’s what you need to know about your LinkedIn profile…your actual face is very important.
Your profile includes a large, prominent picture, which has an obvious impact to your page. This means you might want to update your profile picture so it’s as professional and polished as possible.
And photography’s not the only skill needed to optimize your LinkedIn profile…you’ll want to hone your writing chops, too, because the Summary content stands under a bright spotlight, as well.
The best LinkedIn profiles require the same level of attention as any business website; without the right mix of content, keywords, and other elements, you’re liable to get lost in the fray. Treating your LinkedIn profile as just an online version of your old-school resume is a rookie mistake.
You want to craft your profile as you do your website…with keywords so people find you through search and a strong call to action so they take the next step with you.
An honest, robust summary is also critical because users are increasingly using LinkedIn to do their homework on people they do business with in a variety of contexts. And for most of us, it’s the top part of our profile and our first chance after our headline to draw our audience into our profile.
Your audience uses your LinkedIn profile as a way to research and feel more comfortable with you as a business owner and entrepreneur. You need to take the 3 seconds viewers initially give you to engage them on your profile to really showcase yourself.
With the summary is so front-and-center, you can’t just not fill it out or copy-paste your introduction from your resume. It’s just not going to cut it.
Also: only the names of current and recent employers, as well as educational institutions, are listed next to your picture.
Contact information, including websites, email, Twitter handle, and phone number, are housed behind a Contact button just beneath the photo and brief overview. Users need to click to reveal them.
Bottom line?
Even on LinkedIn, content is king…tell a story, hook people and inspire them to take the next step with you.
If you want more details on how to quickly and easily get better results from LinkedIn, click here to schedule your complimentary LinkedIn Results strategy session with me to explore that and to find out what you can do to have a results breakthrough. I have a limited number of appointments available and request that only people who are serious about dramatically increasing their results on LinkedIn schedule a time to talk.
Adapted from: Informationweek.com