10 Tips for creating an effective LinkedIn profile
What is LinkedIn and why should you use it
What is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is an online social network platform which connects the world’s professionals. This means it is for everyone. It is not just for B2B companies or employees, but also for creatives, teachers/trainers, freelancers, makers, students and retirees.
The platform allows you to create a profile page focussed around your career, milestones, and showcase achievements such as courses, training and education - acting like an online CV (or resume).
LinkedIn is designed to help you make business connections to improve your career and is an essential source for discovering leads. You can find people to work with on projects, approach bloggers or podcast guests, and share experiences on the app. LinkedIn also has a direct messaging service so you can connect with users directly. As well as being a fantastic place to search for jobs and interacting with people.
Creating content on Linkedin
Only 1% of users on LinkedIn create content for the platform. LinkedIn allows you to share different content types such as articles, newsletters, slideshows, links to your website, video, events, and LinkedIn stories. This means there are lots of opportunities for your content to be seen by users and to make an impact. Users can like and comment on your posts, and you can use up to 3 hashtags with each post to make sure the right people see it.
Why should you have a LinkedIn profile:
A. It is one of the first things people see when searching for you on Google
B. You can connect with people who may become your clients or work with you on a future project
C. A great place to keep all of your employment, educational, training and achievements in one place
D. Fantastic networking opportunities and to grow your contacts
E. Build your brand and professional reputation
F. Search for jobs
G. Attend events
H. Join Groups. LinkedIn Groups provide a place for people in the same industry or with similar interests to share their insights and experiences, ask for guidance, and make connections
Tips for creating your LinkedIn profile:
- Photography: Use a photo which clearly looks like you for your profile. The banner photo can more directly reflect the type of work you do or message you want to convey.
- Headline: This is what people see whenever your profile appears on the platform, so make sure it clearly describes what you do. Your headline is also used in searches so remember to include some keywords relating to your sector.
- About: There is no word limit for this section which acts as a biography or introduction. Here, provide an overview of your professional background, how you can help potential clients, and a project you are currently working on. You may also wish to list your key skills here as a summary. Don’t forget to optimise this section for SEO, so your profile appears in search results.
- Featured: A useful place to highlight any specific examples of websites, documentation, media or posts which you are proud of. This might help to generate new clients as they can see examples of your work.
- Experience: This acts as your job CV (resume). Ensure that you add a description of your role to each job, highlighting specific projects or achievements. You can also upload media examples to each job which act as great visual examples of your work.
- Education: I recommend adding your most recent education, reflecting your current role, rather than listing every school.
- Licences and Certifications: A chance to draw attention to any useful certifications you have to demonstrate your skills and knowledge further.
- Skills & Endorsements: In this section, you select the skills you want to list such as research, writing, analytics, and then LinkedIn invites your contacts to endorse you for these skills to verify them. This section is also connected to the algorithm, so make sure to list everything relevant to your job.
- Recommendations: A testimonial section. You can send LinkedIn contacts a request to recommend you for a piece of work you did for them to support your skills and expertise.
- Accomplishments: Here, you can list the languages you speak, projects you’ve worked on, publications you’ve appeared in, and awards you’ve won. This helps to build a bigger picture of you beyond your work.
