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Is Your LinkedIn Profile Powerful or Puny?

ByMichael

 

Are you looking for a job, or trying to grow your business network?

Do you have a Powerful LinkedIn Profile?

Are you and I connected on LinkedIn?

(Click here for Michael Tannery’s Powerful LinkedIn Profile)

A no answer to any of these might be a hurdle that you want to overcome in working towards your personal business and financial success.

The latest survey data says a full 94% of potential clients’ today use social media in their evaluation of a prospective business. And yet people are puzzled, or at least, skeptical as to why tools like LinkedIn are such a game changer.

Two every second: That’s how many people join LinkedIn as new members, many of whom hope to exploit the platform’s rich resource for industry contacts, new clients and partnership opportunities.

That means that by the time you finish reading this article, you’ll have on average 350 people and counting to compete with for the professional world’s attention. What you do with your LinkedIn profile can mean the difference between garnering views as compared to converting those views in taking the next step of building a relationship with you.

With over 1 billion searches per day for names and companies, LinkedIn is your opportunity to build your business reputation, expand your professional network and help companies and connections know who you are and what you do.

Imagine if you could permanently run an ad in a world newspaper selling the best of “you” — and that anyone with any opportunity, whether it is a job offer, a consulting gig, or a business deal, could find you. That’s LinkedIn.

9 Steps to a Power Profile

  1. Your picture – Start with a professional photo – If you don’t have a professional headshot, add that to your to-do list, and go with the cleanest, most professional looking snapshot you have — and upgrade as soon as possible. Smile! Remember: That photo may be your first impression with a potential employer.  You are going for “dependable” and “trustworthy.” Avoid “sexy” or “quirky.”  
  1. Your headline – You have 120 characters at the top of your profile to describe to the world what you do. Many people just put their official job title. Which is one way to go… or you can really use the system to your advantage here. If you want your profile to be searchable, include important keywords; if that’s not as big of a concern for you, consider getting away from industry jargon to stand out. Try to keep your headline to about 10 words. Remember, LinkedIn is a search engine.
  1. Take the time to customize your LinkedIn URL – LinkedIn assigns each profile a URL with a bunch of seemingly random characters in it. To get a clean URL, simply customize it for your public profile which will help Google bring you up more quickly in a search. Go to “Profile” page and then select “Edit” next to “Public Profile.” Select the URL you want. 
  1. Add your connections – Often, people begin their profile and stop before completing it. Nothing looks worse to someone who comes across your name and sees the bare minimum. In addition, they also see that you have no connections. Take the time to make sure everything about your LinkedIn online presence is professional. To simplify adding connections, you can select “Add Connections” and LinkedIn can send out invitations to those you correspond with through email or you can enter the email addresses of your contacts. 
  1. Your summary – LinkedIn’s Summary section is the best part of its recent revamp. You can include high-resolution photos, an infographic of your experience, or a video of a speech or presentation you gave. The benefits of putting in the effort to write a unique and captivating summary section are powerfulYou can think of it as your “60-second commercial” or your “elevator speech.” These are the first sentences people read, and you have a very short time to grab the reader’s attention and make them want to read more.  
  1. Your experience – This is the body of your profile — just like on a traditional resume — where you really showcase your experience, expertise, and skills. You add where you have worked, for how long, and in what roles and functions. Include your current position and at least two other positions. 
  1. Recommendations –This is one area that we see easily fall through the cracks. Yet it is one of the most valuable tools in building up your credibility in the job marketplace.You have to be proactive about asking for recommendations, following up, and keeping on top of it. Recommendations can be from anyone: bosses, colleagues, mentors, and mentees, happy clients, or anyone who has collaborated with you and benefited from your skills or advice.   A well-crafted recommendation that is genuinely glowing from a peer is better than a few generic sentences from a high-level managing director.   *Target having at least one recommendation for each previous job listed under your experience.

(Note to my readers – I know you clicked above and went to my profile.  Now you are asking, where are my recommendations?  Since I am a Registered Investment Advisor, FINRA, our regulatory agency, does not allow us to have “recommendations and testimonials” on our profile.) 

  1. Groups and associations – Groups are a way to build relationships and network with people who are doing similar work or have similar interests as you. You have about 1.3 million groups on LinkedIn to choose from.  Join as many relevant groups as you can and contribute to the conversation. As a start, join the alumni groups for where you went to school and any industry association groups pertinent to your line of work. When you join the discussion, try to lend your expertise to benefit the conversation and to show your interest and your value.  
  1. Ensure you have a “Fully Completed Profile” – LinkedIn says your profile will appear 40 times more in search results if it is “complete.” In other words, you will be open to 40 times more opportunities if you do this.

Here is LinkedIn’s definition of a 100% Complete Profile:

  • Your industry and location
  • An up-to-date current position (with a description)
  • Two past positions
  • Your education
  • Your skills (minimum of 3)
  • A professional profile photo
  • At least 50 connections
  • Join 5 relevant groups

Need some guidance or assistance with your profile? Give the Tannery & Company Team a call and we will work with you to improve your LinkedIn profile.

Have a great Summer Weekend – Baseball, Hotdogs and Hammocks

We are just a phone call or a click on your smartphone away

Let me know your thoughts about “How BUDGETS SUCK”

Michael Tannery CPA CDFA™ AIF® ● CEO
Registered Principal

Be A Financial Olympian™

PS Ready to get started and want to schedule an initial no cost consultation? Click here to schedule an appointment.

 

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