Setting up your LinkedIn profile? Easier said than done, right?
Sure, you can fill in the blank spaces of your work history, your skillset, education and other basics, but filling out your summary, experience and the like isn’t as easy as you’d think. That's why so many LinkedIn profiles are never completed. For some of us, it’s hard to write about ourselves. But we're here to help you complete your LinkedIn profile and be proud of it.
What Are Your LinkedIn Goals?
Once you reach the more in-depth areas of your LinkedIn profile, you must determine your audience. Still not sure what we’re talking about? A quota crusher’s profile would be WAY different than a person who is customer-oriented. A quota crusher’s profile would read something along the lines of “increased sales by 30% in 1st quarter.” On the other hand, a customer-service-oriented person would focus on how they delight their customers.
With that said, the buyer’s journey is changing every day, and consumers are turning to LinkedIn to check you out before they deem you trustworthy. Make sure you’re credible and likable by writing for your audience. Whether your LinkedIn customers are actual customers, job seekers or simply colleagues, showcase what you want it, but with your audience in mind. You are promoting your brand, after all.
Getting Visitors To Read Your LinkedIn Profile
- Determine your objective. Are you looking for a new job, hoping to meet quota for the month, or just trying to market yourself for customer service? This will be crucial in determining how to write your LinkedIn profile.
- Add some personalization. Sure, you want to appear professional and experienced, but you still need to show off your best asset: YOU! If you’re job hunting, you can do this by requesting LinkedIn recommendations and adding some pizzazz to your summary. Recommendations especially help with job searches. These basically work as online references. Furthermore, you can show off what you’re interested in through organizations you’re involved in and volunteer work. This will help illustrate your interests, hobbies and causes.
- Be clear. Don’t bullshit your audience. They can tell, and it’s annoying. Tell them your exact duties and focus on your achievements (but don’t brag). People will believe you more when you are honest about what you’ve done instead of things you generally do on a day-to-day basis. Another rule of thumb to help keep your LinkedIn profile as clear as possible is to keep it short. Minimizing the amount of content makes your profile less intimidating.
LinkedIn is a great tool, no matter what you’re using it for. Just use it to your advantage. If you’ve had success with your LinkedIn profile, tell us in the comments below how you’ve optimized yours!
