The primary subjects being discussed in our blog will be: Marketing, Internet Marketing, Social Media Campaigns, Studio Announcements, and the occasional one off post to spice it up some. Comments are encouraged, so speak up.
Know Yourself
Your summary is the bread and butter of your profile. This is what shows off your background, skills, and interests. Most people stop there, but you shouldn’t! As you fill in your education, past and present jobs, and specialties, think about how you would like to be found. You are a thought leader and an expert in your industry. When people visit your profile, it should reflect just that. At a glance, a visitor can tell that you know what you do and what you are talking about. Always remember to be specific and concise, especially in your summary field; think of your summary as the headline for the content on your LinkedIn ‘paper’. You want visitors to feel engaged, assured, and impressed as they read your accomplishments.
As you create your profile you need to think about your personal brand. How do people know you? Are you Charles or Charlie? Do you use your married name or maiden name professionally? It seems like such a simple thing but I have had many conversations with clients about this topic. If everyone you know calls you Charlie do not create your profile as Charles just because you think you should be more formal in LinkedIn.
Also related to your brand is the photo you use. Your picture will likely be the first thing anyone stopping by your profile notices. It should be clean and professional – it is a wise investment to have a professional photographer take this photo. You’ll want a neutral background with a good amount of light so you are the center of the image. And it should look like you. Do not put up the photo you love from 20 years ago, it is important that this is an up to date picture.
Always Optimize
LinkedIn, like most platforms on the Internet, plays the optimization game. But let’s be clear, there are many other better ways to optimize. However, since you are completing your LinkedIn profile anyways, why not take advantage of keywords? Select a few key phrases and make sure you pepper them throughout your profile. For each job you place, create a full description using keywords. Since a profile is essentially your resume, it’s probably a good idea! Maybe someone is searching in LinkedIn for your exact skills.
The biggest mistake I see with profiles is not leveraging the links in the profile. Usually what I see when I look at someone’s profile is
Or worse
In this case someone took the time to create three meaningless links.
Here are tips for filling in the website section of your portfolio:
From the menu select Profile/ Edit Profile
When this is complete your profile will look like this:
Other ways to improve the optimization of your LinkedIn Profile are:
Your website is the face of your company and it garners relevant, qualified visitors. One thing to note is the option of profile buttons, which can be found on LinkedIn’s Promote Your Profile page. By placing these badges on your blog or website, you are able to trickle visitors to your professional profile, which creates a sort of cross- pollination effect between your individual profile and your business profile.
Your profile is representative of you; driving relevant connections and prospects should be just as vital. This is one reason to always optimize: you want to get found within LinkedIn! Although you don’t receive SEO credit for your links, optimizing is critical to get found within this blossoming social networking platform. Sheer luck and random searching are pretty much the only options you can bank on for getting found if you choose not to optimize your profile.
Take Pride in Your Achievements
So now you know that your profile is a place to exercise your expertise and describe exactly what makes you a thought leader in your industry. If you have specific titles, certifications, awards or are associated with any organizations – list them! This is a big part of establishing your credibility on LinkedIn as well as reinforcing your relevance to the community. This is not a time to shy away or be humble; take pride in your accomplishments and use them to your advantage.
Having said that, make sure that everything you list is relevant. Put yourself in the shoes of a visitor and ask, “Does this award actually reflect an area of expertise? Does it say something about character, at the very least?” Detail all the clubs and associations you are a member of outside LinkedIn (LinkedIn Groups you belong to will automatically pop up in this section). Show your involvement, show you are serious, and show what you have done. At the end of the day, the more you can show for yourself, the greater a LinkedIn leader you are.
Why Should You Care About Being a Thought Leader?
Simple – you represent your company, as well as yourself. The need to be recognized as a reliable and credible source is imperative LinkedIn is a B2B tool, so positioning yourself as an industry expert through clear descriptions and relevant accomplishments strengthens your online reputation. In terms of social networking, being a thought leader allows you to focus on other features and benefits of LinkedIn. Choosing the right keywords, awards, and descriptions is as easy as it sounds. Take the time to know yourself, your company, and the kind of network you want to create.
Your LinkedIn Company Page
If you haven’t noticed, LinkedIn offers a place for companies, as well as personal profiles. Similar to Facebook Pages (although far more professional), LinkedIn Companies share key details of organizations, associations and the like. These particular pages are powerful ways to talk and engage with numerous professionals through testimonials and recommendations, so it is important to follow the same respectful guidelines you would as if it were a personal profile.
Your Company Overview provides members with a network-aware glimpse of your company, much like your boilerplate or rocket pitch – quick and succinct. This piece of copy should be welcoming since this it essentially is a professional introduction the company’s brand as a whole. In this overview area, visitors will be able to see all those who work at the company, its location, blog posts, and a brief history. An interesting note is that you can see recent hires, current employees, and those who received promotions right on the main company page!
To search for a company, you can simply hover over “Companies” in the top navigation and click “Search Companies”. Using this feature, you can look up companies in an interested industry and gather information, follow certain companies to stay updated on their activities, see how/if you are connected to their employees, and even leave a review for the company. By following a company, you can keep track of developments that interest you and job opportunities, which is as simple as clicking the button to the right side of the company page.
If you are an administrator of a company, this presents you the perfect opportunity to show a friendly and approachable side to your company.
LinkedIn also gives you the opportunity to show off your products, services, and any recommendations your company has. You’ll want to catch your customers’ eyes, so highlight items and services that are relevant to your target audience. Company pages grant the opportunity to interact with job seekers and provide a little more information about your culture and hiring process. Any positions that you have posted on LinkedIn will fall on the Company Page (if you are an admin). And, as typical with most social media platforms, LinkedIn gives a breakdown (only visible to Company Page Administrators) of your followers; this information should be used to understand who they are, who else they follow, and what industries they are a part of.
LinkedIn also offer space to add a video on a service or product homepage for a company profile. Video blogging and training are new ways companies try to engage their visitors and it should be an area you want to develop for your audience. Remember that these are small steps; you will be engaging the community on a larger scale within time – and ideally creating your own!
Why Should You Care About Company Pages?
Having a Company Page is your chance to humanize your company. By existing on LinkedIn you can maintain your professionalism and marry that with a welcoming attitude. You are front-and-center to answer industry questions and present job opportunities as an existing organization with experience. And why should you follow other companies? Keeping up to date on your target audience and industries is key to growing your knowledge, your partnerships, and your own leadership.
This concludes part 2 of this 2 part Blog series on why you should start leveraging LinkedIn for your business and personal advantages. Of course there are many other aspects of LinkedIn that could be covered but these 2 blog posts will get you started. If you are interested in learning more or have specific questions please leave a comment below or contact me today. Also please Like us on Facebook and stay in touch with Twitter, we follow everyone back.
Part 1 in the series can be found here.
We are now in search of our 2013 nonprofit Free Website Program recipent. If interested please contact us today.
