6 Things To Remove From Your LinkedIn Profile Immediately

Your LinkedIn profile has the potential to be your winning ticket in the race to your next new client, the challenge of accessing your big contract or in the lottery of finding a new job. It could also be the losing ticket.

Your profile provides you with the opportunity to showcase your professionalism, your skills and the products and services of your company. It has the potential to connect you with almost every person relevant to you and your business.

These are 6 top offenders when it comes to turning your LinkedIn profile into a potentially losing ticket as revealed in a survey of over 6000 active LinkedIn users.

#1 - A Non-Professional Profile Photo.

Yes we all know it is your profile and you can do with it whatever you like. However, what image are you wanting to portray to your clients, prospective clients or prospective future employers?

The people you will do business with or get employed by, want to see your professional image on LinkedIn, so a clear and crisp recent head shot works best. Get someone who knows you well to take a good photo on your phone if you can't afford a professional photographer or workout a reciprocal arrangement with the photographer. There are really no excuses.

So leave the selfies of you with your mates in the pub, around the tee off or with your partner, kids or dog for Facebook.

#2 - A Third-Person Profile Summary.

Everyone know you wrote your summary, so why use the third-person? It does not make you look better than you are by pretending someone else has written it.

The fact is people do business with people they know like and trust and the best way for them to get know you, is to write your summary as you. Your profile is about you, not a mythological figure who is too far removed from the world to be of any good.

Employers want to employ you. They want to know your story.

If you don't have the ability to write your own summary and need to use a copywriter, then get them to write as if it is you and then to write it in your unique voice.

#3 - Out-of-Date Anything

Your LinkedIn profile is designed to be an interactive part of your online brand. So whether you are looking for new connections in your industry or for new job opportunities, out-of-date information can cost you dearly.

Regularly check your email and other contact details. It is easy to forget, when changing companies, service providers, etc, to make the detail change to your LinkedIn profile.

There are also many people who have set up a LinkedIn profile using a gmail or yahoo email address, but then never access that address. Again, it is true that it is your profile and you can do as you please with it, but if you want to use it to grow your business, develop new contacts, showcase your expertise or get a job, then use information which is relevant, up-to-date and that you access on a regular basis.

#4 - Wrong or Irrelevant Endorsements

Personal branding is a very important component if you want to land your next big contract or client. It is equally important if you are looking for a new job. That includes being known for a few relevant things which you do well, rather than for many things you don't do or are not so good at.

Wrong or irrelevant endorsements can dilute your positioning and the perception of your expertise. They create confusion about what you do and don't do.

And always place the most relevant 3 skills at the top as these are what are immediately seen on your profile view.

#5 - Generic Headlines

LinkedIn will default to your current role, at your current company and while it may boost your ego to have your title front and centre, it says nothing about you.

You can use 120 characters in this space, why would you use a generic title, when you could be really descriptive and create maximum interest?

It is an opportunity to enhance your profile using keywords and phrases which are relevant to who you are and what you offer. It is an opportunity to showcase your skills and begin positioning yourself as an expert.

This is the first chance anyone viewing your profile has of creating a connection with you and for you to begin telling your story. Don't be boring!

#6 - Qualifications or Certifications in Your Name

It's good to be proud of your accomplishments, of earning an MBA or receiving high industry certification, but really! Adding these to your name on a business card works because a business card is not searchable. Your LinkedIn profile is and how many people would ever address you as, "Hey Jack, MBA" OR "Good morning Mrs Xxxxxx, Headhunter, Cert C11, BA (Hons), ABCDXYZ." Sounds ridiculous, so why have in your name?

Just use the name you have without all the additions.

These 6 things I highly recommend removing from your LinkedIn profile immediately if you want to have a more professional approach to using the platform, get more new clients, or get the dream job you have been chasing.

Who am I?

I am speaker, trainer and the author of Audacious Leadership, who is focused on empowering you with tools and knowledge to become better than you already are! I specialise in #LinkedIn, #Leadership, #Management, #Sales & Presentation Skills.

To know more about how you can use LinkedIn for Business Growth, please visit my website or contact by email [email protected].

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