I recently updated my LinkedIn page. So what?
Well, it might be a useful model for you to follow.
Why LinkedIn matters
Before we get to that though, let’s be clear on why LinkedIn matters.
LinkedIn is still the dark horse of social media. But that’s changing. More and more people are realising the power of this professional social networking platform.
Here are some of the many reasons why LinkedIn matters for you:
- It helps you get work. Recruiters and potential employers/ clients are more likely to choose you if they like what they see on LinkedIn.
- It’s an incredible branding tool. It tells people not just what you do, but what you are like as a person/ employee/ consultant.
- It builds trust. It lets people know more about you and connect with you because of what you do and the way that you do it.
- It’s an easy way to build a really powerful professional network that deliver tangible results (jobs, opportunities, collaborators, invitations).
- It allows you to see and be seen. You can check out other people and organisations and what they’re like. And they can look for you (Google searches throw up your LinkedIn profile if you have one).
- It drives people to your website, if you have one.
- It allows you to position yourself as an expert/ thought leader in your field through your posts, content, shares, comments and likes.
- It is professional content – so you don’t have to navigate around people over-sharing their holiday pics and weekend activities!
Oh, and it’s big. LinkedIn has over 575+ million users. In Australia (where I live) it has more than 9 million users. That’s a lot.
A better LinkedIn page
So, coming back to how to make your LinkedIn site stand out…
Did you know you can include a tailored background photo? The banner image above the circular headshot? It’s a great way to personalise your page. To say something more about yourself.
Most people don’t use this image and stick with the super rubbish stock image, that looks like this. Boring!
I used this background photo to include a second image of myself (to connect more), along with logos of some of my clients (knowing who hires me, builds trust), my business logo (to reinforce my brand), and a restatement of my purpose (so people can quickly decide if we’re sympatico). The image I used is shown at the top of this blog. I designed it up using Canva. (If you don’t know about Canva, Google it. It’s awesome.)
Another tip: Strengthen the wording in the Intro section. Don’t just have your job title. Say something more about what you DO.
So for me that’s : “Leigh Arnold Communications / Connection creator / Trusted advisor / Comms coach / Project communications / Facilitator extraordinaire / Building connection and compassion through communications.”
The About section is a great place to make it clear what you offer. Most people write it as if it’s about them: “I do this. I did that etc.”
But it’s not about you. It’s never about you. People want to know what you can do for THEM.
My About section acknowledges that choosing a comms consultant can be a hard decision. It sets out what I offer clients. How I solve their problems. How I work for them from a values-based place. How I am nice to work with (that’s what my clients say!). And of course it also says what services I offer my clients to help them get stuff done.
And you can improve the content in your Experience section too. I updated my entry for Leigh Arnold Communications so it looks less like a resume and more like an explanation of how I can help you through my business.
There are other things you can do too. But if you just do these ones, you’re already going to stand out and get noticed. That means more contacts, more opportunities and a brighter career.
Here’s my LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leigh-arnold-53803715/
If you’d like help with your LinkedIn site, just contact me!
E: leigh@leigharnold.com.au
M: 0409 019 939