LinkedIn is a fantastic place to create your virtual business card which on one hand will be able to attract potential customers (or at least not to scare them away!), and on the other hand will be a magnet for potential employees of your company. This channel currently has over 500 million users, with over 250 million active users per month. However, not everyone is aware of the LinkedIn’s potential and not everyone knows how to refine their profile in such a way that it will work in the company’s favor. We want to draw your attention to a few basic points that you need to polish up.
Profile picture
It sounds like an obviousness of course but I’ve seen too many times a blurry and poor quality profile picture, a photo taken with a child or a cat, or using a selfie taken with a cell phone for that purpose. I don’t want to say that the photo on LinkedIn should be a passport one taken by a photographer but it should, however, be good quality, be taken by someone else than you, and on a fairly neutral background. The only thing that can affect the disadvantage of the profile more than the wrong photo is … lack of it. How can your client trust you if I can not look at your profile photo and see what you look like?
User Name
If you have any doubts I’ll help you to dispel them – the username can only be your name and surname. Not the name of the company, not the motto and surname, not a profession, not a nickname , but only your name and surname. Nothing more, nothing less. Also, remember that you can edit the link to your profile: it will be the best if you put your first and last name there – this will strengthen the professional tone of the profile.
Cover photo
For some time now, LinkedIn gave the possibility to add a cover photo in a personal profile based on Facebook. Without it, the profile seems to be a bit empty, so don’t be afraid to use it. Here you can meet different good practices and I don’t want to define one as recommended here. On the one hand, you can, for example, ask your sales team to put there the same photo with the company logo and some nice graphics. Another way is to put a picture there which will show your hobbies and passions – this can always be a starting point for a conversation. Some also put a picture of them in a professional situation – conducting training, speaking in public. This approach can help you build a professional image.
Describe yourself!
Remember how important your description is – it’s really the first place where a person who comes to your profile can get to know you better. Let it be concise, coherent and it should present a business-minded attitude. There are of course people who don’t want to close in two sentences that are visible before developing this field but remember that a small group of people would read your lengthy description to the end – especially if you started the contact and someone only wants to “check you” online.
Your story is important
The positions you have previously held and the tasks you performed may be important for the person who visits your profile – regardless whether you have to advise on business matters, sell a service, or design a mobile application – people like people with experience. So remember that descriptions of your previous positions should communicate professionalism, contain at least part of the list of your tasks, and should be presented in a homogenous manner in the case of any previous job. It can be a list of tasks performed in the company or full sentences – the choice is yours but make sure that you consistently describe all positions in the same way.
Be an expert
How to ensure such an image? Try to get recommendations from colleagues and co-workers – it’s a huge value that someone spends time writing recommendations and that is why this field is really appreciated by LinkedIn users. If, for example, you have finished a cooperation with a satisfied customer – in your process, simply include the request for such a recommendation – there is very little probability if none that someone will refuse if he really feels satisfied with working with you.
Remember that your LinkedIn profile is not only your electronic CV but most of all your electronic business card and you would never hand out ugly, unprofessional looking and wrongly designed business card, right?
