Honestly, I get it. Thinking of LinkedIn can bore you to tears. It has none of the pizzazz that other social media platforms have. And that’s on purpose because this is where the big boys and girls hang out. So, if you’re going to get a seat at this table, you need to put on your big boy pants. That’s why today, I’m going to be showing you how to optimize your LinkedIn profile.
Without further ado, let’s get right to it!
1. Do More Than the Basics
When you sign up on LinkedIn, there are some basic settings you’d definitely tinker with. However, if you want to take your profile from zero to 100, you can’t just do the bare minimum. You have to go the extra mile.
To start with, you need to see yourself as a brand and your LinkedIn profile as your virtual office. Therefore, everything about your profile must communicate your personal brand.
One way to go beyond the basics is to make sure to add a banner and a headline to your profile. I’ll show you how later but this is super crucial.
Also, ensure that your profile contains relevant keywords because that’s how people are going to find you. Don’t just include buzzwords you think are cool. Think about how people might search for someone with your skills and background and use similar keywords.
2. Write a Kickass Summary
Who are you? What do you do? Now, express these two things in the most capitvating way possible, and you’ve got your LinkedIn summary.
LinkedIn offers quite a vast amount of real estate for your summary. So, make sure to take full advantage of it. For instance, you want to try and mix up content with video clips to make your profile more attractive.
Also, don’t forget to make this section of your profile easy on the eyes as LinkedIn summaries tend to be lengthy.
You can do that by breaking up texts into bullet points and using lots of white space so your visitors don’t feel like they’re drowning in an endless black sea of text.
3. Make Sure You Have a Magnetic Headline
Your headline is the very first thing that your visitors are going to notice. And unfortunately, human beings are not patient. So, if you don’t grab their attention in seconds, that’s it.
I explained that in the article I wrote about writing a great resume. By the way, if you haven’t checked that out, you want to do that right away. It has many helpful tips and tricks.
That said, it’s crucial to have a compelling headline. But the trick is that you only have 220 characters to make this happen. Understandably, this can seem intimidating. But it’s actually quite easy to wing this.
Actually, there are a few basic formulas for getting your LinkedIn headline right. You could try any of the following:
- Title at Company – USP
- Title | Company | USP
- Title + Company + USP | keywords related to your niche | personal touch
Now, one key point. Make sure you don’t sound too braggy in your headline or you risk coming off as arrogant.
If you still feel stuck, you can check out this link for dozens of examples that could help get your juices flowing.
4. Be Sure to Include Strategic Visuals
LinkedIn might seem like the stuffy, uptight cousin of Instagram and the likes. But that does not mean that you can’t spruce up your profile with visuals. In fact, it is in your own best interests to spice up your profile with photos and video clips.
So, first let’s talk about your profile photo. It has to be professional and your face has to take up, at least, 60% of the frame. Make sure the background isn’t too busy either and maybe lay off the heavy filters.
Also, contrary to what you might be thinking, your LinkedIn profile photo does not have to look like the photograph on your driver’s license. You can have a little fun with it.
In fact, it makes sense to match your photo to your brand persona. So, if you lean more towards the conservative professional side, your photo should reflect that. And if your persona type is more edgy and out of the box, your photo can reflect that too.
Just remember that you’re still on a professional platform. So, you know, keep it tasteful. And for Pete’s sake, don’t use a selfie.
Also, don’t forget to include a banner photo. It can reinforce your brand and add more dynamism to your profile photo.
5. Customize Your URL
Your profile’s URL comes under your profile photo and headline and it can be modified. In fact, if you want to optimize your profile, then you should modify it.
Tweaking your URL could seem like a little thing. However, it makes it easier for individuals to find your profile.
For instance, say someone tries looking you up on Google. If your URL is modified to include your name, it becomes far easier to find you than if your URL is just a nonsensical combination of letters and numbers.
Plus, a modified URL will look better on business cards and in emails.
6. Ask for Recommendations and Endorsements
Don’t forget that closed mouths don’t get fed. If you want to land more opportunities, then you’re going to have to get over your shyness and start talking.
Ask your colleagues or managers for recommendations to make your profile more attractive. If you know one or two really popular people, then super. Make sure you get a good word from them too. It will help your profile.
Also, remember to list all your skills, at least as they pertain to your professional ambitions. And to increase your credibility, get some endorsements from colleagues and former colleagues as well.
7. Optimize for SEO
A LinkedIn profile that is optimized for SEO is one that will rank higher in LinkedIn search results. So, if you want to be visible, then make sure your profile is SEO-optimized. And there are a couple of ways you can do that.
Like I said initially, add relevant keywords. But there’s other stuff you can do.
- Publish posts regularly, at least once or twice a day.
- Join professional groups and be active
- Create backlinks by linking to your LinkedIn profile from other sites. Could be your website or social media account.
- Finally, use hashtags in your posts and updates to boost your visibility.
And there you have it. Optimize your LinkedIn profile today and get ready to be overwhelmed with a deluge of professional opportunities!