LinkedIn profile tips and tricks.

Statistics you should know:

LinkedIn boasts over 660 million users in more than 200 countries and territories across the globe (LinkedIn, 2019). As a professional network, LinkedIn is popular not only among job seekers but also businesses, with more than 30 million companies listed on the platform (LinkedIn, 2019). Of all the social media sites, LinkedIn is the second-most popular platform among B2B marketers, just behind Facebook (Social Media Examiner, 2019).

LinkedIn has a well-deserved reputation as a professional network for business owners and professionals, but many users are not taking advantage of all that LinkedIn has to offer. Like most networking platforms, it can be a quick and easy way to network with business and communities! Additionally, through building a good LinkedIn profile, you can also connect to new opportunities.

Here are 5 tips to help you build a LinkedIn profile:

1. A goal

It is very important to have a set of goals in mind. Are you looking for a new collaboration opportunity or looking to build your recognition as a thought leader in your industry or are you looking to expand your business network? Whatever that goal is, make sure that you have it clear in your mind before you start. When building your profile, everything that you do ,should it be aligned to your goal.

2. Catchy Headline

Your headline is one of the first things that people see when they come across your profile, thus it is one of the most important features. You want to make sure that your headline distinguishes you, but also relates back to your original goal. With over 660 million users you need to stand out. Your LinkedIn headline is a great way to do this. Our recommended formula for creating an outstanding headline is: Job title or target job title, your specialization or career goal and passion. Here is an example;

Founder of (Business name) / Entrepreneur and Maker / Global advocate for….

3. Summary

Your headline was the starter and your summary is the main course. A summary helps you further break down the objectives of your profile. This is a chance for you to elaborate on your professional experience, your key skills and achievements, and ultimately why you are passionate about the work that you do or the work you would like to get into. When you are writing your summary, you can think of the following questions:

• What do you do and what do you want people to know about you?
• What have you achieved or accomplished? 

• How do you do what you do? 
• Why do you do it or why are you interested in that career or industry?

You want to use a combination of paragraphs and bulleted lists to break out your text and to add more depth. Think of this as telling your story, so keep it conversational. Write like you speak. You want to optimize your profile with as many keywords related to your career or your industry as possible. Remember that keywords really helped to make your profile stand out and rank in the searches.