Having a robust LinkedIn profile can help you be discovered and open new opportunities whether you are looking for a job position or trying to generate business leads.
As you know, recently LinkedIn got the full Beverly Hills makeover. The new interface looks like its frenemy: Facebook. Leaving aside that smart move and the rivalry between both social networks, there’s no perfect time but right now to make your LinkedIn profile shine.
Here are the ultimate checklist to make your LinkedIn profile your best personal branding tool:
1. Show who you are.
A profile picture can get you up to 9x more connection requests. Needless to say this is not the place to run a casual snapshot.
2. Keep your position updated.
Members with a current position get up to 8x more profile views.
3. Add your school.
Adding your education leads to up to 17x more messages from recruiters.
4. Listing industry.
More than 300,000 people search by industry on LinkedIn every week.
5. Get discovered for local opportunities.
Adding your location makes you up to 23x more likely to be found.
6. Add your skills to show your strengths and abilities.
Add at least 5 recent skills to your profile.
7. Introduce yourself.
A summary is your introduction: experience, skills, motivation and interests.
8. Update your profile without annoying your contacts.
To update your linkedin profile without notifying your contacts, click on the drop down next to your name at the top right. Then, click on settings. Go to sharing profile edits, turn off notifications. See picture below.
9. Join groups so you can reach out people in your target audience but are not contacts.
10. Share content for your niche site.
Elaborate a content strategy and share it regularly.
11. Ignore LinkedIn’s advice to only accept connection requests from people you know.
LinkedIn’s search algorithm favors those who are in your network. That means when people are looking for what you have to offer, the results of their searches are displayed with 1st level connections first, then 2nd level connections and so on.
12. Get 500+.
The magic 500+ in your profile has a psychological impact on those who view your profile.
13. Repeat keywords in your profile.
If your top skill is social media, describe your social media proficiency in your summary as well as in multiple experience descriptions. This will help the right audience find you.
14. Don’t limit the number of groups you join.
Join groups related to your area of expertise, industry, alumni, passions, social causes, and other aspects of your identity. This gives you access to more people who matter to your brand.
15. Enable comments on your articles
The new features in LinkedIn are the chance to report inappropriate comments and to disable or enable comments on your articles. Go for the two-way conversations.
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