LinkedIn is an important part of the social sphere and an important marketing tool for any professional. As the fastest growing social network with over 230 million members worldwide, its no wonder 9 out of 10 business executives describe themselves as using LinkedIn “often” or “very often” according to the headhunting and management consultancy, DHR International.
But how do you make the most of your profile? Firmex has put together some LinkedIn profile tips for Linkedin profile optimization to make the most of this growing network.
1. Profile picture: choose a head shot
Whether you want to optimize LinkedIn to be easily found by clients, having a professional looking profile picture is extremely important. Remember to choose a headshot, this will not only help convey your friendly and professional demeanor but it’ll also help you stand out in search results.
2. Headline: set yourself apart
This is the line of text under your name and it’s the first thing people see in search following your name. By default, it will be your current position and company, but it doesn’t have to be. Think of the best way to describe what you do with the 120 characters allotted for this space. Take this line to describe your brand in a more eye-catching way.
3. Summary: update regularly
Your summary should be ever evolving and changing as your career grows. Use this section to engage readers. Explain your goals and qualifications to make an immediate impact. Avoid using industry jargon but rather words that will make sense to your audience. You can also add rich media content such a Slideshare presentations, .pdfs, and other links to the Summary section of your LinkedIn profile. Choose media that will better show off your work. This is where you should present your professional narrative, so pitch yourself well.
4. Recommendations & endorsements: Use industry relevant terminology
The Skills and Expertise section of a LinkedIn profile is extremely important for search engine optimization. This searchable section is where the industry buzzwords from your resume belong. Your first degree connections can then endorse your Skills and Expertise, validating your strengths to outside parties on your profile.
Collecting recommendations from your various connections can also improve your GoogleSearch rank. You can ask your team members, managers, industry peers, and clients to credibly speak about your abilities and contributions. This will help validate your skills and expertise even further.
5. Groups: find & participate in them!
Groups can be useful resources for networking, industry news, and even helpful tools that can help you do your job more efficiently. It’s here than you can ask for industry insights or general questions you may have about a certain business process. These are great communities to tap into to meet relevant connections and have meaningful discussions. The more groups you are active in, the larger your network will be and since the LinkedIn search prioritizes profile by connection type, a larger group means you showing up in more search results.
Need industry specific tips?
These general tips can help with your LinkedIn profile optimization but every professional can definitely make use of the different aspects of Linkedin depending on their industry. Lawyers specifically can leverage this community in various different ways to be found by clients seeking their services. LinkedIn is also a necessary tool for any forward thinking legal professional wanting to stay ahead of the curve.