How to make a good LinkedIn profile – that’s one of the key questions you should be asking yourself if you want to use the platform effectively. Whether you’re looking for a new job, want to promote your business, or simply expand your industry knowledge – the professional network caters to it all. Of course, depending on your end goal, your profile will look slightly different, but here are some universal rules for anyone who’s looking to utilize LinkedIn better.
- Why should you have a LinkedIn profile?
- 10 LinkedIn profile tips for making the most out of the platform
- You have the perfect profile – and now what?
Why should you have a LinkedIn profile?
LinkedIn is currently the most used and trusted professional network out there with over 1 billion users worldwide. It doesn’t matter if you’re a student looking for your first job or a seasoned professional – it can be helpful to anyone. A LinkedIn profile, especially one that is public, is one of the keys to establishing your online professional brand. This in turn can open up many opportunities for you. A profile in the professional network shows your experience, expertise, and key skills. People you already know can leave you recommendations. And all of this is put together in one place – meaning whoever visits your LinkedIn profile can gain an extensive professional impression of you even without viewing your CV.
Source: BookMark
10 LinkedIn profile tips for making the most out of the platform
These tips are all centered around the same principle – the more information you have on your profile and the more elements you’ve filled out – the better your LinkedIn profile will be.
Source: BookMark
- Have a professional-looking profile picture – make sure your face is seen clearly and that it takes up approximately 70% of the whole frame.
- Don’t use a generic cover photo – have one that uses company-branded elements, also don’t forget that adding your own contact details there is a good idea
- Think of a catchy headline – the limit is 120 characters, so don’t just blandly state your current job position. Instead, also list relevant skills and competencies and try to add personality through some emojis. Remember that the first 75 characters are those seen everywhere, Google included, so make that first line count!
- Be specific about your location – it may seem silly but including your location down to the city you currently live in actually really helps your profile visibility and you have higher chances of appearing in front of the right people.
- Write out a detailed About section – this is the meat of your profile so to speak. You should have a summary with details about your professional experience, your main skills, aspirations, and professional triumphs. Adding a personal touch such as a story connected to your current job or something about your hobbies is also a good idea.
- Have your Top Skills listed – right below your About section you have the opportunity to add on your top 5 skills – we recommend you do that and pick relevant ones to your current position or the one you’re aiming for.
- Make use of your featured section – it appears right below your About section so highlighting things such as your portfolio, personal achievements, media appearances and the like is ideal.
- Pay attention to your experience section – use relevant keywords and describe your main responsibilities and expertise for each position. Here you can also catch the reader’s attention with a visual pop – add a link to your company website or materials.
- List out all your skills – you can add up to 100 skills to your LinkedIn profile, and while that might seem like a tall order you should aim to use up that maximum. If it’s too intimidating then aim to have at least 50.
- Get yourself some recommendations – don’t forget to ask your colleagues and clients for some recommendations. Leaving some for them in the first place may increase your success rate.
You have the perfect profile – and now what?
If you were wondering how to make your LinkedIn profile better – these are a few simple tips that work. But the hustle doesn’t end here. After you’ve optimized the way it looks it’s time to fill it up with content and have more and more people look at it. Make sure to post frequently on topics you’re knowledgeable about and use different forms of content – articles, polls, documents, and simple image posts. You can also comment frequently on other people’s posts to bring some traffic back to yourself and expand your network naturally.
The Linked Blog is here to help you or your brand have the best possible LinkedIn presence, so feel free to contact us if you need help! See more about what we can do for you here.
