You need a great LinkedIn profile.  It really is no longer optional.  There are 135 million members of LinkedIn (LI) now and the site is growing at the rate of 2 new users every second.  What’s more, it has become the “go to” place to find out more about someone professionally.  Yes, you will still get Googled, but almost as often, you will be looked up on LinkedIn.  If you are a business owner, your profile is the key to establishing your credibility, your reputation and your status as an expert.

Today’s post looks at the technical aspects of an effective profile.  In a separate post, you’ll learn about the strategic use of your profile.

Before you get started editing or developing your LI profile, you need to know there is NO SPELL CHECK on LinkedIn.  You really should cut and paste your information from a program that allows you to make sure that your grammar and spelling are top notch. There is no second chance to make a good first impression if you have errors on your profile. 

Your Photo -  make it a professional shot of your face only. Nuff said.

Your Professional Headline – This is the second line of your profile and the most important real estate because it shows with all of your LinkedIn activity.  Use words here that describe how you help people, not titles of your jobs.  Yes – Dog Trainer.  No – Business Owner.      Fit as much impact as you can in this short space.  

Your Website/Blog links – Always custom edit these links using the “Other” option so you title the link with an appealing phrase or one that is search engine friendly.  This will greatly increase the number of clicks you actually get to your site from LI.  Use all 3 links whether you have 3 sites or not; you can always link to several subpages of your website or blog. 

Your “Public Profile” – This is a custom URL that goes directly to your LI profile.  The default URL is a string of numbers and letters so be sure to change this into something more memorable that relates to you or your brand.  Editing your profile allows you to change this and immediately see if your chosen URL is available. 

Your Experience – This is the profile section that displays what you have done. Do not complete this as though it’s your resume – each item should not be a job, but an accomplishment.  Use words that people might use to search for someone like you to describe those accomplishments.  Make sure to include non-work related experiences if they can connect you to others or showcase your expertise.  If you belong to Toastmasters, completed an Eagle Scout award or were President of your Rotary Club, you may want to include it in this section.  The more experiences that you add, the easier it will be for LinkedIn to connect you with others within the network who may be interested in you.

Your Current and Past Positions – LI wants you to include three positions in your experience section.  If you are just starting out or have changed fields and are struggling to come up with three relevant positions, consider describing what you currently do in parts.  You can describe separate roles of one position in depth and list them as separate positions as long as your experience dates are correct.  LI will list your positions in reverse chronological order; use your curser to drag and drop positions into the order that works best.    

Your Arrangement – Consider carefully what the strong points are on your LI profile.  Then front-load your page with the most interesting content.  Rearrange your profile sections with the directional arrow icon located next to most section headings on your profile page. You then drag and drop entire sections to get them in the preferred order.  You want to wow the reader by giving them the good stuff before they stop reading!

Your Final Check –  Whenever you have made changes to your LI profile, take an extra few minutes and check your work.  Just go to the main tab bar at the top, click profile and view profile in order to do your proofreading.  Then you can be sure your readers have your information in the way that you intended. 

Part 2 of our LinkedIn profile information will look at strategic uses of your LI profile – what to keep in mind to make the profile work hard for your business.  Take a look at Janet Slack’s LI profile (http://linkedin.com/in/janetslack) as an example of the possibilities for yours.  You can also join her Social Media news Flash program (John, add your affiliate link) to learn more current tips for using social media to grow your business. 

Your takeaway from this post…

Janet makes some great points here.  Whether you are looking for a new position or want to solidify your credibility with a prospect, LinkedIn is checked more and more each day.  As such, setting up your bio correctly to have the biggest impact is critical to your success…no matter what your objective is!

Janet Slack is owner of Life Adventure Coaching and Solopreneur.Biz.  She is a coach and consultant for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs and an expert in business growth for new and developing businesses.  With a background in management of both non-profit and for-profit businesses and two decades in the helping professions, she is able to assist her clients to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, develop business systems and marketing plans, and gain visibility and income for their businesses.  Janet has a great program called Social Media News Flash that you should check out!

If you are looking for free tips or advice on how to approach your social media, go to Social Media Dudes and subscribe to your newsletter in the upper left hand corner!

Still not convinced that social media is right for your business? Read this and get our F.R.E.E. report on the 7 Myths of Social Media!

Or follow our tweets on Twitter at twitter.com/johnpanico

Finally, those are my thoughts from high atop my 2nd floor office above my garage.

What I want to hear are YOUR comments. Please leave one now.

 

 

If you are looking for free tips or advice on how to approach your social media, go to Social Media Dudesand subscribe to your newsletter in the upper left hand corner! Still not convinced that social media is right for your business? Read this and get our F.R.E.E. report on the 7 Myths of Social Media! Or follow our tweets on Twitter at twitter.com/johnpanico Finally, those are my thoughts from high atop my 2nd floor office above my garage. What I want to hear are YOUR comments. Please leave one now.

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