Boost Your Business with Your LinkedIn Profile
In our last post, we spoke about how mom entrepreneurs can use LinkedIn to build their brand and reach their ideal client. Today, let’s go a little deeper and learn how to optimize that brand-new LinkedIn profile so that you can get more customers, reach better partners and basically, boost your business.
Why Your Profile Matters
Unlike Twitter and FB which don’t give you a lot of leverage in terms of optimizing your profile, LinkedIn lets you create a profile which is more of a virtual business card. It’s what customers would see should they Google you (yes, they always do) and what potential investors would see should you reach out to them on LinkedIn itself. In fact, your profile is the most important aspect of your LinkedIn presence, so let’s make sure you get it right.
Pick the Perfect Profile Photo
Begin by uploading a professional-looking, clear profile photo. Make sure that the background is a solid color and your face is clearly visible. Simple rule: Don’t use a photo that you wouldn’t want a business client or partner to see.
Craft a Professional Headline
The headline that appears right below your name is a part of all your “mentions” on the site. So, make sure that it is professional and includes your title and company name. For instance, “Owner, XYZ Designs” is much better than "I own and manage a baby products company"
Include Recommendations
You know the power that word-of-mouth has in the industry, right? So, make sure that your profile includes some recommendations or testimonials from past and present clients. LinkedIn has a smart Request Recommendation tool that allows you to send a recommendation request to several of your connections at the same time. However, I suggest editing the default message and tailoring your requests for every contact. Remember, networking online is a lot like socializing offline. You wouldn’t say the same thing to everyone you meet at a party, would you? Once you do receive a recommendation, acknowledge it, thank the sender and try to return the favour with a recommendation of your own.
Describe What You Do
The Summary Area should be a simple description of what your business is all about.In the Experience section, make sure that your present and past job descriptions are clear, succinct and easy-to-understand. The keyword with LinkedIn is professionalism. Keep that in mind when writing out descriptions and you’ll not go wrong.
Sass Up Your Profile with some SEO
If you opt to make your profile public, it will be indexed by search engines so it makes sense to optimize your profile by using relevant keywords as well as linking to it from your website biography page, your email signature and adding the social media icon for it on your blog.
So, have you optimized your profile at LinkedIn yet?