How is your LinkedIn profile working for you?

Your LinkedIn profile is?key?and must be pitch-perfect. To maximize opportunity, it’s advisable to?update?it on a frequent basis.

?Views

?How many views?do you get every day? The?more traffic you get the merrier, as this obviously increases your chances of winning work. People who view are clearly interested so it makes sense to work towards getting as many views a month as possible. But how do you go about doing this?

?Your?headshot?speaks volumes and is essential to help you stand out from the crowd. Get it to bang on with a stellar photographer. There are loads on LinkedIn but one whom I rate highly is Christopher Weaver, who is not only a vastly experienced photographer but?also a?Facial?Expression Coach.??

?The?LinkedIn Cover Story?has a nifty 30-second video option:?use it!?This is an ideal opportunity to sell yourself.?Really nail this. Don’t do it off the cuff: use a script; work on what your key message is. Technology makes it easy these days as it can be recorded on your smartphone. You can then edit the recording?using captions?to enhance your impact.

All Star Headlines

?Getting that?all-star headline is paramount, not only for businesses but also for job seekers and HR departments who are on the hunt for their ideal candidate.

That attention-grabbing headline works wonders. Make it unique. Make it stand out. Why are?you different?from everyone else? What qualities?do you have that no one else does??

If you’re a?business, how can you help other businesses? What can you achieve for them? What?tangible ways?can you help?generate success?

?Emojis?are a nifty way to help jazz it up a bit, make it eye-catching.?

?And don’t forget those?keywords?now. Choose buzz words that describe everything you do. These words are fundamental and need to be?repeated?throughout your profile to make you more searchable.

?When it comes to the?Summary/About?section people need a?hook in?to want to carry on reading. To help achieve this make sure the?first three or?four lines are attention-grabbing.

?Make certain you?add all your?work experience, awards, skills and any certificates you might have left by the wayside.

?Endorse people: this helps to build relationships. Make sure you endorse them for skills that you have experienced from them to make them more credible.

Seek Recommendations. Don’t be shy! These help to get your profile to stand out. Aim to obtain a minimum of five. Being recommended for something doesn’t necessarily involve a previous work role. It could boil down to some handy advice you’ve offered or even work you’ve carried out for free. Regardless, ask for a recommendation.?Testimonials are powerful.

HR Departments

HR department often looks for candidates via the LinkedIn profile so it needs to be spot on and really stand out. A mind-blowing statistic is that 40 million people currently use LinkedIn for job searches every week. Time to get it right. (Worthy of a note there are simpler ways to find those candidates on LinkedIn if you'd like to find out more DM me)

Sales and Marketing Departments

?Sales and Marketing people often struggle, not knowing what to add to their profile, or are simply unaware of how influential it can be. I did some research recently and found many profiles on there?without the LinkedIn banner. They are?missing a trick?here. The banner is not only their billboard to advertise, but an opportunity to display their brand, showcase what they do, add their call to action and any links to websites -?either personal or business pages.

?New LinkedIn Features

?There are tonnes of exciting new features either winging their way to you or already landed. The?LinkedIn Bell?is a great one, currently being rolled out. This is a fab feature if you’re already a follower of someone on LinkedIn, to enable you to view their content more regularly.

LinkedIn Audio?is on its way too. This is currently being Beta-tested by the creators and trainers. This feature aims to be very much like Clubhouse - so something to really get your juices flowing on audio.

?The ‘BusyB Solutions’ Factor

?If you are new to LinkedIn, it can often be overwhelming, where do you even begin? To address such fears I run a workshop called the?LinkedIn Kickstarter?which is ideal not only for those?just starting out on this forum?but also for long term members who don’t feel confident in posting or are unsure about how to get a grip on their profile.

So?get on board with me on 1st?March?and become the Master of Your LinkedIn Destiny. Join me and (in the words of my favourite 80s pop star *Yazz),?“The Only Way is Up!”??here is the link to join: LinkedIn Kickstarter course ?

?A note about the author, Bettina Siddiqi

?Bettina Siddiqi is a LinkedIn Marketing Trainer and Founder of BusyB Solutions, a company that aims to help people grow their business - using LinkedIn as their forum - and mentor them throughout this process. Moreover, to assist job seekers hone in on their ideal roles. Bettina is in her element when working to develop people and has over 70 recommendations to her name.

Prior to this Bettina has worked extensively as a CRM trainer; also in marketing and sales as an account manager.

She prides herself on being a strategist who?“goes above and beyond to help people”.

In her spare time, she loves nothing more than walking in National Trust sites, frequenting art galleries, cooking and travelling the globe whenever she gets the chance!