Is Your LinkedIn Profile Under Construction?
With over 200 million users and a 10-year history, LinkedIn is like the sleeping giant of the social media world. People tend to forget about it and not spend very much time there. LinkedIn is not as fast moving as Twitter, artsy like Instagram, or visually beautiful like Pinterest. So we tend to ignore it, like a shy guest at a party. However, if you spend a little time on LinkedIn, you will be rewarded.
Search for Similar Businesses
LinkedIn is a mini-Google
Pretend you’re someone else for a minute. Say, a hiring manager or executive recruiter looking for someone just like you. What would you search for? Take a look at the top searches. What do those people or businesses have in their profile that might be missing in yours? Just like Google, you want your LinkedIn profile to come up at the top of the search results when someone searches for you.
Upload a Photo
Having a good quality photo will always improve your profile and make people want to connect with you. If I don’t see a photo, I am not likely to connect with a person, and certainly not with a business. People remember faces more than they remember names. Like all social media, not having a photo makes you look spammy.
Fill out Your Profile
Is your profile completely filled out? Have you added all your school information, all the places you have worked, and your employment history? Don’t forget your certifications, and any special training! Since all the information in your profile is searchable, add important keywords to help people find you. Make sure to use full sentences on LinkedIn, since each social media platform has its own language.
Give Recommendations
Like all forms of social media, being generous first works well. Which businesses would you recommend? Recommendations are gold, and businesses appreciate having recommendations more than you might realize. If you’re just getting started on LinkedIn, try giving a few recommendations. It’s a good way of being social on social media.
Make Connections
Ask people to connect with you on LinkedIn to increase your contacts. When you send an invitation, make sure to personalize it and give people a reason to connect with you. “We have similar business goals, are in the same city, and share the same demographic” would make me want to connect more with someone than “I want to connect with you.”
How Has LinkedIn Helped You?
Have you had success with LinkedIn? I’d love to hear from you!
Those are great tips. I really like the photo you used for this blog post, too. Right place at the right time?
So many people have photos but then don’t allow the public to see them, too. So when LinkedIn suggests them as a connection, I can’t see their photo.
Hi Bridget!
I was driving past and saw the construction sign, then decided to write a post about it.
I wish people would have an avatar, a photo, a logo, anything would be better than nothing!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Carol
The title grabbed my attention and then I opened link to see the photo. Cool. Clever.
I also find it interesting that some people want to connect but they don’t have a photo. It feels incomplete to me. Like you said under construction.
Joy
Hello Joy,
It’s reassuring for a person to have a picture. People like to connect with other people. A logo is ok for a brand, but having a human being to connect to is really the best.
Thanks for stopping and commenting. I appreciate that!
Sincerely,
Carol