Why You Need an Optimised LinkedIn Profile
Do you have a LinkedIn profile?
If you’re an entrepreneur/small business owner then your answer should be YES! But, I completely understand if you don’t…..I mean it’s not exactly the hip-hop-happenin’ social network that’s on everybody’s lips is it!
LinkedIn is the realm of ambitious go-getters who love to network, schmooze and build their way up that career ladder. It’s a SUPER handy tool for researching companies or individuals you respect/admire, catching up on industry news and staying in touch with old colleagues and thought leaders.
Essentially, if you’re in business, you need to be involved in LinkedIn. Quite simply put, it’s a unique platform that will give you access to essential professional info, BUT this is based on the premise that you use your profile correctly! Because trust me, there are hundreds of ways in which you can go wrong with a LinkedIn profile……
But before we dive into the ways it can be used (and abused), we should look at why SME owners and entrepreneurs should be all over this platform :
It puts you in direct reach of your industry peers - for an SME this is invaluable!! As any small business owner knows, the head (and heart) ache begins with positioning yourself in the right way (the way that gets you business that is!).
It allows you to curate your professional history your way - one of the most annoying things about recruitment agents, though they mean well, is that if you give total control over to them, then they are the ones framing and espousing your professional history & future to the world, not you. If you want to do something right, listen to your mother and do it yourself! LinkedIn gives you the perfect place to publish your personal professional history, and see great return on your efforts!
You need to build a community, and attract an audience, that is motivated, engaged and knows who the hell you are! LinkedIn is your answer - not only is it great for framing your career the way you want to, but it hosts thousands of awesome communities covering any aspect of business you can think of. Not only can you be found by the people you want to work with, but you can build lasting relationships with relevant people in relevant industries!
So you see why it’s hella handy huh! Yup, it’s the social network that gives you huge credible, professional gains, but how exactly?
Just how can you get the most out of your LinkedIn experience?
Analyse your Skillset
Before launching straight into a CV rewrite, the first thing I always tell my clients to do is analyse their skillset. No, not just ‘I worked in Tesco on tills at Uni, I had a part time job in a HR agency, etc’. We’re not interested in what you’ve done, we want to look at the skills you got from these roles! These are what people are interested in, and is what will grab a visitor to your profile’s attention.
What are some of the key traits that come through in your CV?
Organisation? Leadership? Change Management skills? Accounting & Financial expertise? Adapatability?
Whatever they are, write them down and go through them. These skills are what make you an attractive & employable human, and should be revisited every time you go over your CV.
From this, you can also see how your CV is positioned - is it positioning you as an expert in your field, or is it all over the shop covering pre-and-post university jobs?
Sort it out, clear it up and attract the audience you want for the job you dream of!
Your Reputation
Having a good reputation in your industry is worth its weight in gold. Ensuring that your LinkedIn profile is on-point is a great place to start!
Talking to the right people, showing the right certifications, posting insightful industry news and tips, these all combine to construct the profile of an engaged, expert & approachable individual (You), who is ready to get to business!
Linking to your professional social accounts and websites is also a great way to show-off your achievements, your industry prowess and desire to affect real, positive change in your industry. It’s essentially pulling together all the best bits from your professional history, and making sure you keep frequent engagement on the platform a priority. You want to make sure that the ‘light is on’ and that people can be confident that you’re in.
Write for Where You Want to Be
Kind of similar to analysing your skillset, you need to ensure that everything on your profile is positioning you as an expert in your given field, whether that’s the links on-page, industry mentions, your profile image or the bio copy.
This also goes towards positioning you for where you want to be, not just where you are currently. Making mention of any goals you might have (gaining another industry accreditation, getting a council board position, etc) is a great way to attract people in the positions you aspire to reach, to your profile.
Too often people leave the profile brief at the top of their profile empty, lacking keywords, simple pzazz, engagement and any sense of personality.
It’s mad! This is the first place where people get a sense of who you are, other than your profile image of course, and if you have aspirations of bigger and better things for your career, then let them be known!
Engage in the Communities
Joining relevant communities on LinkedIn is a fab way of engaging with your peers and letting people know just where your head is at! Trust me, I’ve joined my fair share, engaged, been engaged with and found inspiration in the places I least expected…..not bad for a few clicks here and there!
LinkedIn communities quite literally span the entirety of the professional world; you can be more than sure that there is a group in there for you. BUT, don’t worry if there isn’t, because what a great way to showcase your passion, expertise and drive for your industry than by setting up your very own LinkedIn community?!
LinkedIn can be massively intimidating, but don’t let fear stop you from getting involved. Do it anyway! Jumping into the professional circus that is LinkedIn is your first step in cultivating that professional personna you are looking to build your future on, and is one of the simplest and best signals to your potential clients & audience that you are someone to be taken seriously.
The key, as I say to all my clients, is to keep it authentic and unequivocally You. The second you start to sound ‘braggy’ or disingenuous, people will lose trust, will create a bad (and false) first impression of you, and never venture across your profile again.
If you’d like some more advice on optimising your LinkedIn profile to attract more clients, keep an eye on the P-Ink Blog, or drop me an email and we’ll start the conversation :)