Speaker Christina Aldan
#CreateYourLuck
10 – Why Your LinkedIn Profile Sucks
Luckygirliegirl .
You have signed up for a profile on LinkedIn (which just sold to Microsoft for $26 billion so it must be important) and you have spent no effort on your profile. Christina Aldan from LGDesigns.co talks about how you can spend just a few minutes improving your profile and making it work for you.
n today’s world, people who don’t know you will search for you on Google and if you have a LinkedIn profile it will be one of the first things that show up.
1• YOUR PHOTO IS AWFUL
Let’s start with the most obvious. How is your profile picture? Do you have one? Is it clear and close enough to distinguish your features? If not then time to upload something better. Avoid “busy” backgrounds and casual snapshots. The LinkedIn social media environment is a professional one so treat it with the appropriate care. While a nicely composed and lit professional headshot is preferred, it is not mandatory. There is no reason to overthink it. Just make certain your picture is a nice, professional looking representation of who you are and that it is properly sized, clear and that you have a smile on your face.
•2 UHHHHH… WHY IS YOUR PROFILE MOSTLY BLANK?
You signed up for a profile. You get notices from all your friends who are trying to connect and yet there is little to nothing for anyone to see. Fix that. Sure it takes a little time and I know you are over it when it comes to social media but the LinkedIn platform is the go to social media site for your professional life. Having an updated profile with at least your last two positions means you are 12 times more likely to be found so log in and fill in the blanks. You will be happy you did.
•2 YOUR HEADLINE IS NOT DESCRIPTIVE
Your headline appears under your name on your profile right next to your photo. It is indexed for search engines so use it to your advantage. Avoid gEneric terms like “marketing specialist” and add something with more personality.
Think about these items before writing your headline.
– What key words best represent what you do?
– Why do people need your service?
– What makes you special or different from others who do what you do?
– Be personable rather than canned.
Three or four keywords that represent what you do.
– Three or four keywords others use when needing your services.
– How are you different from others with the same job title?
– Identify what decision-makers care about when they hire someone like you.
– Be specific.
– Use a human voice.
If you were to commit on these three things in the next month on LinkedIn, then you would be way ahead of most people. So get to it… TAKE ACTION TODAY and remember to connect with ME while you’re poking around LinkedIn.
Thanks for listening and I hope you found value in what I’ve said here today. I’ll leave you withone of my favorite quotes from Reid Hoffman, founder of linkedin
“If You’re Not Embarrassed By The First Version Of Your Product, You’ve Launched Too Late”
If you like this podcast, please share it with your colleagues and friends. If you like what you hear, and you know of any upcoming conferences and events, then hire me to speak! I LOVE sharing what I’ve learned in digital advertising and the world of entrepreneurship.
You can follow me on twitter and instagram as @luckygirliegirl
Thanks for listening and we’ll catch you next time.
