Looking for a way to grow your personal brand or business? A good LinkedIn profile can help set you up for success. After all, LinkedIn has become one of the most popular B2B social media platforms in the world.
So how can your profile stand out from the rest? Here are 6 tips for a killer LinkedIn profile.
Use a professional profile picture
It’s important to add a photo to your LinkedIn profile. People like to connect with real people that they can see. A profile without an image could be mistaken for a spam account, or look like you have something to hide.
Choose a profile photo that isn’t blurry, grainy, or too casual. Instead post a clear, professional photo of your head and shoulders on a white background. Get a friend to help you if you don’t have a good headshot. Or hire a photographer. LinkedIn is not the place for pub selfies!
If you are a personal brand, you can use that same photo for all your social media pages. This way, potential clients will be able to instantly recognise you when they search for you online. It also creates consistency across all your sites, which builds trust.
Don’t forget your cover photo
Don’t waste your LinkedIn cover photo with a boring default option. Posting a good cover photo is an excellent opportunity to show authority in your field.
Choose a photo of you speaking to a crowd, or hosting an interview. Don’t have a picture of yourself in action? Then post an image with your logo and a list of your skills or services. You can even include a ‘call to action’ encouraging people to contact you.
You can use tools such as Canva to create your cover photos. Alternatively, you can hire a designer to create the images for you.
Make your headline stand out
Your headline is the first thing people see on your page after your profile and cover photos. Most people choose to have their job title as their headline. While it’s not a bad option, it certainly doesn’t make you stand out.
Use the headline as another opportunity to capture your audience’s attention. Write a headline that mentions who you serve and what you can do for them, not what you do for yourself. Your headline also appears in LinkedIn search results. So it’s a good idea to include a few keywords in there to help people find you.
…. And your summary, too
Just like your headline, your summary section needs to include information about who you serve and what you can do for their business. Fill your summary with more keywords, testimonials and contact details. Make it clear and to the point.
Simplify your work experience and job titles
People are busy. If your profile and cover photos, headline and summary are good, then they may not take the time to read your work experience. Your impressive profile will have wowed them already.
However for those that do, keep your work history short, easy to understand, and filled with keywords. Be sure to include a short summary of your work experience for each role.
Include details on the business, your skills, who you worked with, and any achievements. You can also attach documents such as resources, services, presentations or anything that your target audience would find valuable.
Post regularly
Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram encourage businesses to promote their posts via paid ads by limiting organic reach. At this current time, LinkedIn still prioritises valuable content and engagement. This means that your posts will get a larger reach organically – all for free.
So post valuable content regularly. And use relevant hashtags to improve your ranking.
Focus SME’s vision is to help B2B and service-based businesses grow their business effectively through social media. If you would like to find out more about our services, we’d be delighted to speak with you. Contact us here to get started.