Following up on The Beginners' Guide to LinkedIn article last year, I wanted to make sure you know about all of the latest updates coming from LinkedIn. There are a lot of great ways to improve your LinkedIn profile. Here are 17 quick ways to master your LinkedIn profile.
1. Be Professional
When it comes to using LinkedIn you need to remember the difference between this being a professional and what other social networks are for. LinkedIn is about connecting professionally not socially.
2. Use of Keywords
You will need to use the Search function inside of LinkedIn, researching your keywords to make sure you appear on the first page of LinkedIn. If you don't, you will need to change the wording on your profile.
3. Choose an Appropriate Photo
For LinkedIn, you will need to have a clear profile picture of your face so those who are looking to connect with you, know who you are. Make sure this picture is appropriate for LinkedIn.
4. Choose the Correct Location
When using LinkedIn, you will need to chose a location. This needs to be where you and your business are based so that potential partners know where you are working from. If a company in Dubai is looking for other businesses to work with in Dubai only, you are no good to them and that needs to be clear.
5. Customise Your Profile URL
One of the most important things for you to do is customise your URL. This should be your name so that it is easier for search engines to identify you.
6. Professional Headline
It depends on what you are doing within your business. You can set your current working position as your LinkedIn headline, or you can create your own. If you chose to choose your own, make sure it contains keywords around your expertise.
7. Be Active
Setting up your LinkedIn profile can be quite a long process so don't just do it then leave it. You need to be active on LinkedIn to really reap the benefits it has to offer from a professional perspective.
8. Be Industry Specific
When choosing which sectors you work in, make sure you are specific. You want to be found by the right people and choosing your industry is important when considering this.
9. Your Professional Headline Must Reflect Your Work
After users see your professional headline and read more of your profile, it needs to stand out and initiate contact, if this is the end goal for the user.
10. Use Visual Content
Show examples of your work through visual content e.g. images, presentations, video's, slideshares.
11. Get Connecting
One of the best ways to be seen by people you are not connected to, is to connect with the people you do know. Coming up as a 2nd degree connection usually prompts a connection request.
12. Manage Your Endorsements
Endorsements are a great way to show potential connections that you are specialised in a certain field of wor. Endorsements might also affect how you appear in search engines so make sure you endorse your connections to receive them in return.
13. Build Your Profile
It is important to add the likes of certificates, projects you are involved in and charities you support as part of building your LinkedIn profile.
14. Provide Contact Details
If you don't want to publicise your mobile number, use your work number if you have one and also your email address. Your contacts may want to speak to you separate from the social network.
15. Recommendations
Recommendations are important even if you only have one or two. The fact that other LinkedIn users have taken time out of their day to write you a positive recommendation shows users that you are great to work with.
16. Don't Forget Your Past
You will need to include all of your previous work experience, and not just your current workplace on LinkedIn to build a CV type profile.
17. LinkedIn Groups
Make sure you join LinkedIn groups to build your profile within your business sector. Contribute to these groups so that you can show users you are an expert in your field.