7 Signs your LinkedIn Needs Work

With over 500million users, LinkedIn is the king of online professional networking.

But before you can network effectively, you need to demonstrate you are a person of value, so others can choose to network with you.

That’s why I decided to share this resource

7 Signs you need to revamp your Linkedin page and do more with your account... …here you go (you can thank me later) 

1. You don’t receive connection requests from people in your sector or those who should know about the work you do

Who you receive connection requests from is a quick way to gauge just how ‘hot’ your LinkedIn profile and activity is. Are you receiving requests from peers and senior professionals in your field or from younger ambitious professionals who would like advice? If your answer is no, it might mean you aren’t positioning yourself to attract the right network and there is work to be done.

2. Your connection requests rarely get accepted

This says it all really. Your connection requests aren’t being accepted because people don’t know who you are and can’t see why they should be connected to you..yet. It may seem harsh but focus instead on improving your professional image.

3. You have low profile views

Low profile views are a symptom of a somewhat dormant LinkedIn account. This could be because you aren’t engaging and networking enough on Linkedin and/or because your profile does not include the right industry key words which allow it to come up in searches by other professionals.

4. You have a large number of connections but you don’t know who they are or why you are connected

I see this a lot. Unless you intentionally have a strategy that indicates the best way to increase your visibility is to accept every connection request, this can be counterproductive. For example, say I want to be introduced to Mrs. XXX at a top consulting firm, one of the first things I do is to see if we have mutual connections on Linkedin. I then reach out to those mutual connections and ask for a personal introduction to Mrs. XXX. If I didn’t have a specific strategy for accepting (or sending) connection requests, I may find it difficult to leverage my network. I teach more about this in the Linkedin Course.

5. Nothing, apart from your profile information, demonstrates that you are an active, experienced professional in your field

It’s one thing to have your experience listed out on your LinkedIn Profile, it’s another to demonstrate competency and relevance in your industry. With over 500 million professionals, trust me competition is rife on LinkedIn. There are people in your industry who are maintaining active accounts and finding innovative ways to demonstrate their competency. These are the ones who are positioning themselves for opportunity.

6. Your profile doesn’t include any industry key words (you aren’t even sure what that is)

Every time I see the words “hard working” or similar on someone’s profile, I want to delete it. Every industry has its key words and specific skills. No recruiter signs on to LinkedIn and types “hard working” in the search box. So you need to get clear on what those key words are for your sector and include them in your profile.

7. You aren’t connected and don’t communicate with peers and senior professionals in your field

This is very key and people often miss this. You are on Linkedin primarily to develop professional relationships. So the priority should be getting connected and nurturing relationships with people in your sector and related sectors. If you aren’t doing this, then there is work to be done!

Want more Linkedin Tips? Want to learn how to position yourself as an Expert, Build a Powerful Network and Access Amazing Career Opportunities on Linkedin. Then click here to learn about my 4 week online course, The Linked Professional. Discount to the course expires on Friday 13th December!