LinkedIn is the largest job-seeking and professional networking platform in the world with more than 850 million members. Some people find LinkedIn incredibly boring and hard to use. That could be because they haven’t fully realized the potential of such a vast networking platform. It’s no longer the boring B2B platform from the past, but a dynamic platform with multiple services to accelerate your personal business growth.
We’ve compiled a list of some of the most actionable and simple tips anyone can follow to make themselves stand out. Not only will these tips help you get the position you’ve been eyeing, but also help you find like-minded individuals.
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1. Complete your profile
Every person gets a personal profile when they sign up on LinkedIn. When you first sign-up, completing the profile should be your top priority. The faster you get through the basics, the faster you can start to expand your network. One major benefit of filling in your data is that the LinkedIn algorithm can find your content and show it to interested people.
2. Keywords
So yes, LinkedIn also uses keywords to look up relevant profiles and you can use it to your advantage. Much like how you tailor your resume for the ATS, keywords let the search algorithms know the basic theme of your website and where you might appear in the search results.
3. Personalize your URL
Proper use of LinkedIn can bring you more leads, be it for sales or jobs. The next thing you need to do is personalize your URL. The people you meet might remember your name, but they won’t be able to find you if your URL is a randomized string of letters and numbers.
To do this, head over to your profile and click on the “Edit public profile & URL” button. Click on the edit button on the top right and set your name as your URL if it’s available. You can use slight variations if a URL with the exact name already exists.
4. The headline
Your headline is also your tagline that lets searchers and readers know what you do and who you do it for. Ideally, you’d simply include your job role and your company’s name and that should do it. However, it’s not a strict rule and you can take creative liberty with this. You can also include numbers or certifications if your work allows it.
5. Your profile picture
The next thing you should pay attention to is your profile picture. Keep in mind that this is not Instagram or Snapchat where you can be casual and candid. You’re here to connect with people to fuel your personal growth so you have to keep it professional. It doesn’t necessarily have to be like your passport photo. Consider using a darker background, making your face clearly visible, and smiling. A smile lets viewers know that you’re friendly, polite, and approachable.
6. Optimize your banner
The banner on LinkedIn has a similar functionality as the cover photo on Facebook. It should be attractive, compelling, and interesting. Okay, all these adjectives put together don’t make a lot of sense but hear us out. Your banner is an extension of your image and it should add a little more to what the viewer knows about you.
You can even add a call to action (CTAs) in the banner like subscribe to my channel or find me there to increase conversions. Some people use it to feature some big-ticket clients to let viewers know that they know what they’re doing.
7. Link your website
Your LinkedIn profile can only say so much about you without suffocating the viewers with tons of information. Here, you can add a link to your website where you can showcase your products and services or tell more about yourself. It all depends on your industry. For example, if you’re a writer or a content creator, you can use the website to showcase your portfolio to attract prospective clients.
8. About section
Your About section is essentially a summary of your whole profile. If someone is thinking of contacting you, they’ll very likely head over to your profile and read the About section first to get an idea of who they’re dealing with. Keep in mind that LinkedIn has a word limit and it might display a “seem more” button if your description exceeds its word count. Make sure that the information coming before the see more button is engaging enough for the reader to want to click on it for more.
9. Experience section
Make sure to highlight your key achievements one by one preferably in quantifiable terms. For example, you can write, I increased the web traffic by 50% instead of writing I increased the web traffic. Numbers, if used correctly, can make you look more results-oriented. You can also use an online resume builder to create your experience section.
10. Endorsements
Endorsement is when someone finds your skill worthy of admiration and they want to recommend you to others who might be interested. Also, having more recommendations and endorsements is like having a feather in your cap that makes you stand out from the crowd and let people know that you are actually skilled at what you do.
Conclusion
To recap, your LinkedIn profile has a few areas where you should direct most of your efforts like the About section, headline, banner image, experience, and endorsement section. Keep it short and sweet and make all the information easy to skim because nobody wants to read long and boring walls of text. You can grow your personal brand by following the above-mentioned tips.
