7 Super Simple Ways to Strengthen Your LinkedIn Profile

29 Oct

Did you know LinkedIn can be a super powerful tool, even if you’re not pursuing a traditional corporate career? It can be helpful whether you own a business, work as a freelancer or have a more traditional job.

If you're a blogger or online entrepreneur looking to hire, candidates are going to be looking to check you out online. And the same goes for the candidates.

Whether you’re a freelancer or employee, bloggers and online business owners are looking at your LinkedIn, even if you provide a solid resume. You can provide extra information on LinkedIn that isn't typically included on a resume, like recommendations from co-workers, managers or clients.

So, no matter your career and business goals, if it’s been a while since you’ve taken a peek at your LinkedIn profile, it’s likely time for a refresh.

7 Quick Tips to Strengthen Your LinkedIn Profile, No Matter Your Job Title

These days, it’s imperative that you have a strong LinkedIn profile. So, I put together my 7 best tips that are tried and true after testing and researching over the years. Check them out, and let me know which ones you commit to implementing this week.

1. Take a professional photo and make it your profile picture.

Professional doesn’t have to mean a stuffy business suit, but it should be the best version of you in a simple setting.

What does that mean? No selfies. No adventure shots. No group photos.

Here’s what to do to get a great LinkedIn profile picture:

Have a friend snap your shot on a phone
Wear a nice top
Smile
Take it in natural lighting, like next to a window, with a neutral background
Crop the photo to focus mainly on your face

As odd as it might sound, a warm smile is a portal to who you are, and people will naturally feel more connected to you and view you as more courteous and competent if your photo looks friendly.

Your photo is the first thing people notice when they find your page, so you want to leave a good impression.

2. Write a solid headline.

Did you know your LinkedIn headline shows up in Google results? Utilize keywords that show you’re the right person for the job.

Your default headline on LinkedIn is your job title and where you work. When I worked in marketing, it was “Senior Marketing Specialist at Thrivent Financial,” but that didn’t tell anyone specifically what I can contribute professionally.

If I were writing that headline today, I would focus on what benefits I bring to a team. What’s in it for current or future employers or clients?

Here are some powerful examples that include strong action verbs and descriptions:

Provides Strategic Leadership in Content Marketing
Strategic Leader of Content Marketing Strategy
Strategic Thought Leader and Relationship Builder

3. Write an effective summary.

One of the greatest benefits of LinkedIn is that you can include information that there isn’t space for on a resume, such as the summary section.

Think of your summary like a mini cover letter and focus on making it easy to understand and brief.

What do you do at a high level?
What kinds of people do you work with or serve, depending on your line of work?
What makes your approach or expertise different?

Try to keep your summary to two to three paragraphs or about 100-200 words. Here’s an example from my LinkedIn profile that’s 103 words:

I help bloggers and creative entrepreneurs expand and improve their teams with talented contractors who care about them and their business.
The strategic hiring process I've developed has allowed me to find dozens of knock-out freelancers on behalf of my clients, as well as within my own business, and I'm passionate about aligning the right person with the right role.
My professional background includes working in marketing, coaching and organizational consulting. And my zone of genius is connecting on a fundamental level to understand their values and empower them to reach for interesting and ambitious opportunities. In other words, I really understand people.

4. Ask for recommendations.

In times of uncertainty, we often look to what other people are saying or doing in order to make the “right” decision. In psychology, this is called social proof theory.

Hiring managers are usually nervous about making the wrong choice, so they look to recommendations for personal insight into candidates’ experience. LinkedIn actually shows them who you have in common, too, and you never know when you will have a recommendation from someone they know.

Even if they don’t know the people who have recommended you, it improves your chances of getting an interview (and maybe even the job) by providing some evidence of how awesome you are. Be bold and ask colleagues or friends to leave recommendations in return for you doing the same for their profile.

5. Personalize your link.

If you only make one change based on this article, it's to make sure you have a personalized link. Personalizing your link boosts your SEO, which makes it easier for hiring managers (and Google) to find you.

It also looks good on your resume. You want to make it easy for hiring managers to find you online, and a personalized link is much simpler to type into a web browser than a bunch of random numbers and letters.

6. Research keywords.

Keywords aren’t just for bloggers who care about search engine optimization. They are also beneficial for your LinkedIn profile because they demonstrate your expertise around specific tasks and work.

Check job postings that you’re interested in; look at profiles of people doing what you want to do. What words and phrases continually come up? Work those into your headline, summary and the descriptions of each of your positions.

7. Proofread your LinkedIn profile.

And arguably the most important: Proofread, proofread, proofread. It goes without saying that there should be absolutely no grammatical, spelling or other silly errors on your profile.

Have several friends or family members review it for you to ensure that there aren’t any typos, misspelled words or rogue commas. Grammatical errors in your profile decrease a hiring manager’s confidence in you and odds of hiring you.

Quick & Easy Changes for a More Effective LinkedIn Profile

Whether you own a business or work as a freelancer, your LinkedIn profile is an important extension of what you do for a living.

Implementing these 7 easy tips will help you better communicate what you do and how you serve others, helping you to continue partnering with clients, customers and people you admire!