How to write a Linkedin profile that gets results

If you are looking for a new role or a new client, LinkedIn is where it’s at. The beauty of LinkedIn is that if you write a great personal profile you open yourself up to the opportunity to be found for work. Yes, that’s right, found for work. Potential employers or clients find you – you don’t have to seek, hunt or cold-call for work. A relatively small investment of time to write a profile will be rewarded with opportunities.

A great LinkedIn profile will turn you into a Job Attraction Magnet. You simply need to write a captivating headline, add in an engaging summary, include key achievements and then throw in a few key words and rich media. That’s it, then just wait for the good times and the LinkedIn Inmails to roll on in.

There is a common misconception that LinkedIn is your “online CV”. This is not the case. Firstly, the format for demonstrating your experience and the value you can bring to any potential employer is completely different. Secondly, the platform offers so much more than an opportunity to post your work history. LinkedIn is your online personal brand. It allows you to be sought out for your expertise, expand your professional network, and learn from and engage in conversation with other brilliant minds in your industry and beyond. LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to raise your profile, and, if you are a senior professional or a specialist within your niche, to publish content and position yourself as a Thought Leader. You can use LinkedIn as your own mini-blog.

Many people find LinkedIn a bit of mystery. It needn’t be. Simply read on and we’ll demystify it for you.

Some Things to Think About

• First and foremost, you need to update your profile to reflect your personal brand and speak to your audience, be it potential employers, clients or colleagues. The more complete your profile, the more likely you are to be found on LinkedIn also.
• Your profile should concisely communicate who you are, why you do what you do, what unique value you bring and be targeted to your specific audience.
• It is a good daily practice to be checking LinkedIn to keep up with Industry News and people moves. It is also recommended to get involved by commenting on posts and news with thoughtful and relevant commentary.
• If you are posting short or long-form posts, depending on your particular audience, generally after 12pm until after the commute hour is over, Monday through to Friday, is the best time to post to get maximum exposure
  
  

The Strategy

You need to create a standout Headline that captures the reader’s attention and ensures they click through to read your profile. You engage them with a summary that connects. Your experience and achievements Wow them. The rich media on your profile makes it visually appealing and ensures that are enticed to stay on your profile and read on. Finally, your testimonials seal the deal; you really do have what it takes to work with them or for them. Hello new job or new client!

Create a Standout Headline

• Write a standout headline. LinkedIn automatically populates your headline with your most recent job title. It’s best to modify this and list your speciality in order to speak directly to your audience. If you want your profile to be searchable, include important keywords. Aim to keep your headline to approximately ten words.
• The headline is your opportunity to grab your reader’s attention. For that reason the importance of a great headline cannot be underestimated. You don’t want potential employers or clients  to scroll past you, so you need to make your headline clickable.

 Create a Standout Summary

 The summary really is your Why – why you do what you do. This is your opportunity to speak directly to your audience. Think about what your target reader needs to know about you. Write about why you do what you do, what excites you and a very high level summary of your career journey. The summary really is your Why – why you do what you do? List your key achievements and what value you can bring to your reader.

• Depending on how conservative your industry and audience are, there are a number of different approaches you can take here. If you are in the creative space, you can write your summary as a short story. If you need to establish your authority, you can write a summary that is based on your career accomplishments.

1 Key Words

You need to include Key Words in your profile to ensure that you are found in search results. Key words are really just the specific words you use to describe your craft or technical skills. They are the words that employers and clients will use when searching for someone with your skill set. It’s super important to get these right so that you are found on LinkedIn and found for the things you want to be found for.

• Testimonials

If you are in marketing or sales, you’ll be acutely aware of how important Social Proof is. Testimonials are your social proof on LinkedIn. Although some people are skeptical, for the most part great testimonials hold weight.

• Rich Media

Rich media is a fancy word for pictures and videos. Quite simply, if you have images (still or moving) on your profile, people will view your profile for longer.

• Complete as much of your profile as possible

Include education, volunteer experience and associations. The more you have in your profile, the more likely you are to come up in tailored search results.

Can We Help Further?

• If you’d like further guidance, engaging headlines to choose from, summary templates to work with and an expert review then just click here and we’ll show you how.
• If, instead of writing a profile yourself, you’d like one written for you by an expert writer, we have a cost and time-effective solution with a Standout LinkedIn profile.

Kylie Butler