Why do I have to bother with this?
Do I really need to be at 100%?
Because…first Impression count online too
The good news is that you can ensure you come across well by following a few simple steps.
Easy steps first: upload your CV or resume.Don’t worry, you can decide how much to include.
Photo time. Don’t be shy. No, not your facebook photo and not your passport one either. Something that looks a bit like you and doesn’t look like you are drunk/deranged/dangerous/desperate. Just take a photo with your phone and upload that for now.
For now? Yes, every time you tweak your profile, your network gets informed. Which adds to your touch-points; which is good.
Names; what to call yourself?
You’ll probably notice that some people add in their post-nominal letters, email address, phone number or even number of contacts here. I’d stick with the name you were given when you entered the world. Again you can always “improve” it later.
The Headline is next and this is where you can have a bit of fun. Currently I am a “Social Media Strategist and High Level Sales Coach”. I say currently because that’s my present area of interest. Get creative and use this to brand yourself. It’s what people see when your name comes up.
Next is location and area of expertise, make sure these are the ones that are right for you
Current role and work history. Spelling, punctuation, multiple entry, capitalisation, huge gaps. This is where these issues creep in. This is your image we are talking about here, so have a bit of care, please.
Recommendations are one of my favourite aspects of LinkedIn. Why?, because instead of them being the usual semi-anonymous excerpts that you find in brochures , these are the real opinions of real people you can check out with a click of your mouse. Wow. Get some
Connections. To hide or not to hide? Lots or a select few. It depends on you, your market and your strategy. I’ll be discussing connection strategies in a forthcoming blog.
Link to your websites, LinkedIn groups, blogs, company sites properly. What do I mean properly? Well it helps if the links work, so test them. Edit the “my company” or “my blog” headings to read the name of the place they are pointing at. How? Click edit , then click the drop down arrow next to “my company” and select “other”. Then type in the name of your site. The next box is where the url goes.
On twitter? Add it in next. Should you have a different strategy for your tweets and status updates? Probably. I’ll be blogging on this soon too
Public Profiles or vanity urls. Tweek this and use it on the bottom of your emails, on your business cards etc
So that’s the blue square stuff sorted. Your LinkedIn profile should be a great reflection on you and in integral part to your brand. The next blog will explore how to use the summary and specialities section to enhance your brand image. We will also look at applications, groups, contact settings and other ways of maximising the value you get from LinkedIn
Got a different view? Let’s hear it