Build your LinkedIn profile to get results

These days, everyone has a LinkedIn profile. It’s the world’s largest professional network with more than 250 million members in over 200 countries, and I love it. I use it constantly to help me and I honestly believe basically you’re doing your own business a disservice if you don’t have a profile and an up to date one at that.

But it doesn’t have to take hours to update – just ten minutes a few times a week. So here are my top tips to get the most out of LinkedIn:

Photo – Make sure your profile image is recent, professional and recognisable. Don’t use your Facebook image. Better still, organise a photographer to take a few headshots you can rotate over the year.

Headline – Update your title so that it’s current and reflects what you do.

Summary – I often check my summary to make sure it’s interesting and engaging. Don’t make it too short and don’t make it too long – it’s a summary. Keep it to just a few paragraphs and write it in the 1st person (this means writing as you would speak, using ‘I’ and not your name). Finally, keep it snappy!

Call to action – Don’t assume readers will know what to do next to find out more about you, so be specific. Share a link or a document or tell them to send you a message if they want more info – it’s all about moving them a step closer to a meeting, phone call or request to connect on LinkedIn.

Gallery – Post or include links as well as your current best work so that readers can find out some more information about what you do. This is a great place to showcase your best stuff, so try posting videos, audio, presentations, documents and links to your best customer-focused resources. Just keep it up to date, which will help the reader stay on your page.

Join groups – This is where you can increase your relevancy, I recommend joining up to 20 groups to get the most out of LinkedIn. This will help you find new people to join your network, and send messages to thousands of people who are not in your direct network every time you comment on a post in a group. Remember to make frequent and relevant comments and posts, and to engage with others within the most relevant groups you belong to.

If you’re receiving too many messages, just adjust the group’s contact settings.

Alumni feature – Expand your network by connecting with LinkedIn members who you went to school with. It’s a great way to reconnect with old friends and make valuable new connections.

Connect – Every time you meet someone new, whether it’s a client, prospect or people at a networking event, connect on LinkedIn. Send a personalised message too – but from your desktop instead of your smart phone.

Ask for testimonials – Don’t be afraid to ask your contacts for a recommendation. It’s the best way to build third party endorsement for your business, and can be the difference in establishing your credibility.

Checkout my LinkedIn Profile and connect with me…