Ever gone searching for work without a CV in hand? You don’t see many successful businesses out there without a sign out the front either. In 2014 the personal resume and the front end of the business have gone digital.
Considering the fact that 300 million people use it (including 5 million Australians) and two sign up every second, it’s simply essential that you get yourself properly LinkedIn by building the best profile possible.
Forty per cent of LinkedIn users check-in with the site daily and personal profiles as well as company profiles are constantly being accessed and assessed. If you’re not on LinkedIn yet or you haven’t got your account in order, now is the time to act.
We’ve been developing polished LinkedIn profiles for a number of clients who want to make the most out of their online presence. Here are a few tips everyone should know in order to get their LinkedIn profile right, the first time.
The devil is in the detail. LinkedIn rates the quality of a user’s profile by how much information is included. When completing your LinkedIn profile be sure to include as much detail as possible about all aspects of your working life and business.
You’ll be asked to include all sorts of information about previous jobs, the skills you’ve acquired and put into practice every day since and the experience you’ve gained. Fill out as much of it as possible, in as a great a level of detail as possible – you’ll know you’ve done a good job when you see your profile is labelled ‘expert’ by LinkedIn.
Give them a gander: include a photo. Including an image is another part of the LinkedIn profile that can really boost your rating. We like to see who we’re dealing with, it’s simply human and it adds a personal element to any professional interaction.
A picture truly speaks a thousand words so it’s important to make sure that you choose one that best reflects the personality of you and your brand. It’s also currently eleven times more likely that your profile will be viewed if you include a photograph.
Get social, LinkedIn isn’t all work. Even though LinkedIn is an online hub for businesses and professionals, it’s still a social media network at heart. That is that it allows you to connect and communicate with people from all over the world and you should capitalise on of this fact.
LinkedIn allows you to publish updates in a similar fashion to Facebook or Google+ and it’s something you should do often to increase your exposure to other users. LinkedIn updates are a great way of sharing information about yourself and your business, in a less intrusive and more organic fashion.
Have a new service available? Are you changing to a new coffee bean or moving to a bigger office? Perhaps you’ve just become a finalist in your local business awards and you’d like to share some business tips. These are all great topics for LinkedIn updates and a sure-fire way to generate some engagement from other users.
You’re not alone, go at it with backup. Just like any CV a good solid reference in invaluable and you should try to connect with as many colleagues (past and present) as possible to endorse your skills and improve your profile.
Consistency is key to success. Know your brand, develop your voice and stick to it. The best LinkedIn profiles remain consistent in their language and use a tone and register that best represents themselves and their business.
Develop an understanding of your brand’s personality, speak for your brand as a real life person and build your profile in keeping with this persona.
Although five million Australians have signed up to LinkedIn, a lot of profiles are being lost amongst the rabble. This is largely because many profiles are either incomplete or weaker than they should be.
If you develop your LinkedIn profile or company page with these tips in mind, your profile will generate more views and greater exposure for you and your business.
The experienced team at Infodec Communications have worked with clients across a number of varied industries to develop striking LinkedIn profiles. If you would like more information on what we can do for you and your business on LinkedIn, please contact us today.
