How do you stand out on LinkedIn?

I can't remember any of the lines from the Will Smith movie I, Robot, but I will never forget the scene.

Here it is...all of the robots are lined up and the robot who claims to be human, Sonny is hiding in one of those rows.

This scene is my "go to" metaphor when it comes to LinkedIn. There are 810 million people on this platform.

Do you see Sonny in the lines of these robots? Nope.

We all want to stand out among the crowd, if you don't then you're just another robot. How do you go from lining up as one of the many robots on LinkedIn to standing out as the rainbow, pink, purple, green, or blue robot?

Here's another good representation. Our goal is to be the white icon among all the black ones.

It's called personal branding.

Branding yourself here is about paying attention to how you show up.

It's about how you show up. It's about what you say about yourself when you can't talk to the other 809,999,999 people who are on here.

How are you showing up in your profile?

I wouldn't use the above picture as a profile picture here on LinkedIn. Why? Unless I zoom in and crop out my face it doesn't showcase my smile or facial expression enough. It's too far away. There are a few other reasons too.

Instead, I used another picture from the same photo shoot.

Is your profile picture the best picture that represents you? OR is it 5 or 10+ years old?

You don't have to hire a photographer. Just look at that picture and ask yourself "Is this me, now? Do people get the best of me from this photo?"

Is your LinkedIn headline telling people what you do, how you help your clients, what you're looking for in your next opportunity OR are you one of the millions of people here who are showing up as your job title?

How are you showing up in the comments?

Are you having conversations and becoming visible to people you want to get in front of OR are you simply reacting to posts and hiding behind the...

...Thumbs up icon or another reaction?

When I'm posting content my goal is ALWAYS to get more engagement than I get reactions. Why? I LOVE sparking conversation. I really enjoy commenting and responding to everyone who comments on my posts. All those people who are commenting are expressing interest and going that extra mile to have a conversation. Of course, I have to respond!

LinkedIn is a BIG (REALLY BIG) networking event. We're all here to get to know each other.

How are you showing up in your content?

Are you showcasing yourself and what you do? Are you telling stories that people need to hear? Are you asking questions to get the conversation started?

Did you know there is still a VERY small percentage of people who are posting content on LinkedIn?

That means there is plenty of room in the big pool of fish called LinkedIn.

If you are able to check all the boxes and can say "YES, Deanna, I LOVE how I'm showing up here! I am standing out among all the robots on LinkedIn!"...

KUDOS!

If not, you might need help on your LinkedIn Profile, your LinkedIn Engagement, or your LinkedIn Content, or all of the above. That's where I come in.

I work with my clients on the fundamentals, or what I call the LinkedIn Triangle.

So you're essentially showing up and standing out among the robots. Want to find out more about how Leverage Up works with our clients? Send me a DM and we'll set up a time to chat!