LinkedIn has become far more than a glorified resume, and it’s high time you started treating it like a marketer! Sporting more than 259 million users, and some 3 million business pages, LinkedIn has grown into a behemoth that definitely deserves your attention.
The question is, how?
The answer to that question is found perhaps in the place where you start on LinkedIn: your profile.
How to optimize your new LinkedIn profile to make it more marketable
Like many of the other social media networks, LinkedIn is evolving as well, and what was once your profile is now a far more versatile tool. Let’s look at some of the many ways you can take advantage of this.
Don’t treat it like Facebook – LinkedIn is a professional social networking site, and you need to reek of professionalism and credibility. The things you’d share on Facebook, even your Facebook business page probably aren’t the best choice here.
Make your photos stand out – If you don’t already have a professional headshot, get one. The image can be bigger now, so make sure you are portrayed as you would be when meeting with a client, because you might be! Don’t be overly serious either, as you need to come across as someone likeable that they would like to work with.
Work on your headline – Since you now only have 120 characters to work with, you need to consider carefully what you say here. You get to portray you brand, and inject your best keywords here as well.
Drop links judiciously – While the only clickable links will be in your Contact Information which is somewhat hidden, you may want to mention your sites in your summary as well. They won’t be able to click to your site, but at least you’re represented there.
Frame your focus – Consider your goals carefully here, and use your summary section to convey this. It’s now above the fold, so what you put here is important.
Craft your Contact Information carefully – This is all now available in the Contact Info tab. You need to think of this as your business card on LinkedIn, and treat it as such. You can add all the ways you feel comfortable being contacted, as well as your website links.
Show your personality – Don’t leave out this part! People relate to people, not milestones on a resume. Weave your personality into your profile at every opportunity. Give LinkedIn users a glimpse of who you are, and give them a reason to contact you.
LinkedIn can be so much more than merely a place to park your resume. However it all starts with your profile. Nail this part and you’ll be on your way to making profitable and mutually advantageous connections!
While there’s little doubt that social media can dramatically enhance your traffic and following, many marketers are caught wringing their hands over how to effectively and massively engage their audience in a way that truly makes a difference.
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