7 Ways to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for Success

In celebration of International Women's Day on March 8, 2022, I've partnered again with?Gina Romero?to search for THE MOST INFLUENTIAL FILIPINO WOMEN ON LINKEDIN 2022!

You may nominate here. Nomination ends on Jan. 31, 2022. Get to know the Most Influential Filipino Women on LinkedIn 2021.

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What is your No. 1 goal in using LinkedIn? Do you want to:

• Find a job?
• Get more clients?
• Be a recognized expert in your industry?
• Expand your network?
• Make an impact?

Whatever your goals are, optimizing your LinkedIn profile could help accelerate your success in achieving your goals and even exceeding your target.

Here are seven simple ways to optimize your LinkedIn profile:

1: Use a professional headshot

According to LinkedIn, members with a profile photo receive up to:

• 21x more profile views?
• 9x more connection requests
• 36x more messages

People do business with those that they know, like and trust. And it’s hard to get people to know, like and trust us if, in the first place, they haven’t seen us or they haven’t talked to us.

If you want to get found, set your profile photo visibility to 'Public'. Doing so will help you get opportunities from people who found you through Google searches.

Don’t be afraid to show your personality on your headshot, but keep it professional. Use a clear background. I recommend that your face occupies around ? of the frame so people can easily recognize you.?

If you want to know how people find your profile photo, test it here at Photofeeler.?

2: Customize your LinkedIn profile banner

Use your LinkedIn profile banner to articulate your personal brand statement, your personal brand positioning and/or your key message. And it should resonate with your target market.?

Here are a few examples from the Top 100 Filipinos on LinkedIn to inspire you to customize your own banner: Chinkee Tan, Cybill Getgood and Louie Banta.

3: Add your keywords to your headline

Your LinkedIn headline goes with you wherever you are on LinkedIn.

Next to your profile photo, your headline is what other members first notice when you engage with their content, view their profiles, or when your profile appears in search results.

To optimize your headline, first, ask yourself: What keywords does your target audience use when they search for people with your skills and expertise? Use those keywords on your headline.

For example, I only have two keywords: LinkedIn AND personal branding. I use both of these on my headline.

Because LinkedIn has a high domain authority, having these keywords on my profile also helps me rank high on Google search results.

Using the incognito mode, typing 'LinkedIn expert' gives a return of 6,440,000,000?results in 0.45 seconds (see image below) - and my profile is on top of Page One of Google search results for this keyword!

4: Showcase your best work on the Featured section

Feature your best works that highlight your expertise and how you can help others. Make sure they will appeal to your target market. I personally move the items around on my profile's Featured section depending on my goal.

You can add a post, an article, a link or media to your Featured section.

Soon, LinkedIn is rolling out the capability to showcase your Newsletter on the Featured section!

5: Personalize your About section

If you want to build a powerful personal brand that helps you attract relevant opportunities, use the About section to speak to your target market.?

Use the first person to make it sound personal and conversational. I recommend including the following or a combination of the following in writing your About section:?

• Who you are
• What you do
• Who you help
• How you help?
• Why you do what you do
• Why you should be trusted (social proof)
• How to reach you (call to action)

You may read my About section and see how I executed this on my own profile.

6: Manage your skills and endorsements

According to LinkedIn, members with more than 5 skills are 27x more likely to be discovered in searches by recruiters. You can add up to 50 skills. Pin your top three skills, which should be highly relevant to what you do now.?

Get as many endorsements as possible, especially in your top three skills. Only your 1st-degree connections could endorse you so it’s important that you connect with those that you work with so you could later ask them to endorse you for your key skills.

7: Complete your profile by adding relevant sections

Add as many relevant profile sections as possible to demonstrate your expertise and add a personality to your profile. LinkedIn recommends adding sections on three levels:

Core Profile sections: Helps you get discovered by recruiters and people in your network. These include: (1) Education; (2) Position; and (3) Skills.

Recommended Profile sections: Increases your credibility and helps you attract more opportunities. These include: (1) Featured; (2) Licenses and Certifications; (3) Courses; and (4) Recommendations.

Additional Profile sections: Helps showcase your credentials and activities that grow your network and build more relationships: (1) Volunteer experience; (2) Publications; (3) Patents; (4) Projects; (5) Honors and awards; (6) Test scores; (7) Languages; (8) Organizations; and (9) Causes.

Wrapping Up

Your LinkedIn profile is not your CV. It's so much more than a CV! Use your profile to attract opportunities, such as learning opportunities, relationship opportunities, job opportunities and business opportunities.

Completing and optimizing your LinkedIn profile is a great start to up your LinkedIn efforts this year!

What's Up Next?

In the next edition,?I'll feature some of those who have been in the Top 100 list for four consecutive years — from 2018 to 2021. You'll find out how being in the Top 100 has actually helped them attract opportunities that contributed to their career growth.

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Ready to make LinkedIn work for you? Let's talk.

?? [email protected] | ?? calendly.com/virginia-linkedin