6 Ideas to Make Your LinkedIn ‘About’ Section Stand Out

Almost regardless of the reason that you decided to have a LinkedIn account, you probably want to achieve two very basic things: First, to make yourself findable, and second, to have the reader understand what you offer within just a very quick scan of your profile. That is why getting the About section right is so important.

Here are 6 things that you can easily do to take your LinkedIn profile from below par to way above average:

1. Have one. As a Career Coach, I spend a good deal of time working with and teaching clients how to get the best from LinkedIn. I often see profiles without an About section and I know that these people are not tapping into anything like the full potential that the platform has to offer. They are really missing out.
2. First person. I’ve recently changed my view on this based on recent research on the most effective ways of communicating your value on LinkedIn: the About section should be written in the first person. The reason is that it is a fantastic opportunity for the person reading your profile to connect with you. Writing in the third person risks sounding a little disconnected and distant.
3. Amplify. If you have written a good Headline (below your name) for your profile, the About section presents the ideal opportunity to amplify three things that are at the very core of your profile: what you do, who you do it for and why to do it. The reader wants to understand the value that you add, and the audience that you want your profile to address. It will be compelling if the reader gets a feel for your enthusiasm and indeed, passion, for your chosen area of expertise. The About section is a great place to do exactly that.
4. Golden Real Estate. Those two and half to three lines before “see more” are a key place to get your message across. If you have not captured the reader’s attention, then it is unlikely that they will be interested enough to click and read more. The number of characters available vary depending on which version you are looking at - phone or laptop. So experiment and be succinct enough to create a message that works.
5. Keywords. Your About section is keyword sensitive so ensure that you have a few (but not too many) keywords which are aligned with your value message. This will help your profile perform well against LinkedIn’s algorithms.
6. Bonus Ideas. If you are using your LinkedIn profile to prospect for business, then you might want to a) talk about the potential client’s needs, b) use the second person ‘you’, and c) have a call to action eg. ‘visit our website ‘or ‘book a call’. Finally, something that divides experts in the field is the inclusion of a ‘fun fact’, such as about a sport or hobby that you pursue in your spare time. Whilst some argue that it allows the reader to learn something about you beyond your professional persona, others argue that this is trivial and distracts from the overall message of your profile. Use at your discretion!

If you have further questions about LinkedIn, do get in touch. We have a professional, research-informed LinkedIn Profile service so contact us via our website to find out more.