5 ways to raise your personal profile on Linkedin
Linkedin is great for sourcing potential employers, recruits and contacts, so it’s absolutely essential that your profile is polished, professional and pleasing to the eye.
Even the most seasoned Linkedin user might need some pointers when it comes to their personal profile, so here are some top tips from the team at McBryde & Co on how to blow your own trumpet!
Brand yourself
For a successful Linkedin profile, it might be helpful to visualise yourself as a brand. While other social media platforms might be slightly less formal, your Linkedin page is the culmination of all aspects of the professional version of who you are. First, establish what you’re all about. Are you slick and business-like? Or open and friendly? As you build your brand, your profile picture, summary, headline and even what you share should correlate with the brand you have created for the professional sphere.
Choose an appropriate profile picture
It might be cliche, but for want of a better phrase, a picture really does say a thousand words. Often, the first thing a potential connection will see on your profile is the picture- it provides information without the onlooker having to do anything other than look.
So, how can you choose the perfect shot? It all comes back to the previous point about building your brand and keeping that brand consistent. If you’re trying to produce a polished profile, the last thing your page needs is a selfie with a silly filter.
Choose a photograph of yourself that is composed and showcases what you might call the best version of you. This might be a picture of you doing voluntary work, a picture of you at work - anything that says professional, trustworthy and accomplished.
Here are some great tips on choosing a suitable snap: https://bit.ly/31iTVYO
Create a headline that makes the news
Your Linkedin headline is designed to convey who you are, in just 120 characters! It might sound like a hard feat, but the headline allows you to be punchy, succinct and high impact. In essence, you’re crafting a first impression.
You can choose whichever format you like for your headline. Different headlines are appropriate for different Linkedin users, so it’s hard to advise on choosing one in particular. But think about how you help others in your professional capacity- that’s a good place to start. Or another possible format might look like a short list of your achievements, job title and experience:
| Winner of Young Communicator of the year award | PR & Content manager at McBryde & Co | 5+ years communications experience
No matter what format you choose, here are some top tips on making it hit hard.
In the words of George Orwell, “don’t use long words when a short one will do.” This will improve clarity.
Don’t be afraid to boast. You’re not a sound engineer, you’re an experienced/skilled/motivated sound engineer
Add keywords. If you add industry specific words to your headline it will be easier for potential employers in this field to find your profile via search.
Check out this link for some further information on headline writing: https://www.milkround.com/advice/how-to-write-a-good-linkedin-headline
Grow your network
To raise your personal profile on Linkedin, it is imperative that you grow your network. Connect with people you do know, people you don’t know, and people that one day you hope to know, like someone in your field who inspires you.
Don’t be afraid to reach out first - you’d be surprised just how many Linkedin users are just as interested in making connections as you are. It might even be interesting to reach out via voice message - much harder to ignore.
All in all, like, comment on and share any post that fits your brand (mentioned above), and don’t be afraid to make contact with others - people love to chat!
Wow in your summary
The ‘about’ section gives you an opportunity to expand on your career and achievements and show readers what you’re all about. Having the longer character limit of 2000 allowed by Linkedin for this section of your profile lets you expand on your headline, describe your achievements and exhibit your personality.
Here are some tips for putting the wow factor into your summary:
Write with passion. Don’t make your qualifications or achievements sound stale, describe what drives you in what you do - passion is a language everyone can understand.
Use keywords. Just like the headline, make sure you include some industry specific vocabulary so that potential employers come across your profile when they enter these buzzwords into the search bar.
Don’t be afraid to get personal and tell your story. Despite Linkedin’s reputation as a professional platform, people still want to know they’re interacting with a human. The summary is your chance to give a whistle stop tour of what inspired you to do what you do (even as a child!), any challenges you have faced, how you overcame them, what you believe in, and your ambitions for the future.
Here is a great article outlining different approaches to writing your LinkedIn profile: https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/linkedin-best-practices/2016/7-linkedin-profile-summaries-that-we-love-and-how-to-boost-your-own
We hope these tips are helpful. We can’t wait to connect with you! You can add us to your Linkedin network via our handle @ McBryde & Co.
McBryde & Co offer a bespoke Linkedin training package focussed on helping individuals and businesses raise their profile on Linkedin. Get in touch with us today to find out more!
Website: https://www.mcbrydeandco.com/contact
Phone Number: 0191 716 3569
Email address: eve@mcbrydeandco.com